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Jim Shorin/isiphotos.com
Football

Top 10 Extra Effort Plays of David Shaw Era

#10 - October 18, 2018 at Arizona State – JJ Arcega-Whiteside Bulldozes Two Defenders for 12-Yard Gain
November 30, 2019 vs. No. 15 Notre Dame – Davis Mills Avoids Sack, Scrambles for 17 YardsJJ Arcega-Whiteside caught seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown at Arizona State, including nabbing a quick pass and trucking two defenders while charging down the sideline for a 12-yard gain in the third quarter. The catch pushed Stanford to the Sun Devil 2-yard line where Cameron Scarlett punched in the touchdown to extend the Cardinal lead to 20-6.

Davis Mills shrugged off what looked like a surefire sack from the Notre Dame defense in the second quarter, absorbing a hit from a pass rusher and spinning out of the grasps of the defender before hustling up the sideline for a 17-yard gain.

#9 - 2014 Foster Farms Bowl (Maryland) – Christian McCaffrey Reverses Field for 22-Yard GainTrue freshman Christian McCaffrey demonstrated some of his elusiveness in the second quarter of a 45-21 blowout of Maryland in the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl, shedding a tackle and reversing field after catching a short pass from Kevin Hogan and converting it into a 22-yard gain. Hogan and senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste finished off the scoring drive with a touchdown to give the Cardinal a 28-7 halftime cushion.

#8 - September 14, 2019 at No. 17 UCF – Austin Jones Dances Past Defenders for 35-Yard TouchdownAustin Jones showed his agility and speed on a 35-yard scoring run in the first quarter at No. 17 UCF, taking a hand off in the backfield and sidestepping a tackle before dancing around another behind the line. Jones then bounced outside and escaped another defender before cutting back toward the middle of the field and outrunning the UCF defense to the end zone for his first career touchdown.

#7 - November 7, 2013 vs. No. 2 Oregon – Shayne Skov Forces and Recovers a Red-Zone FumbleWith Stanford leading 14-0 over No. 2 Oregon in the second quarter, the Cardinal was able to maintain the momentum thanks in large part to the defensive play of Shayne Skov in the red zone. Oregon drove to the Stanford 11-yard line on the first nine plays of the drive, but Skov forced a fumble at the Stanford 2-yard line on the 10th play, stripping Oregon receiver De'Anthony Thomas and jumping on the football for the recovery. That began a marathon, 20-play, 96-yard drive that used up the rest of the half and ended in Jordan Williamson's 19-yard field goal for a 17-0 halftime lead.

#6 - September 27, 2014 at Washington – Ty Montgomery Shakes Three Defenders for TouchdownTy Montgomery finished off a nine-play, 77-yard drive, with a spectacular effort for a touchdown. Facing a third-and-2 at the Husky 17-yard line, Kevin Hogan rolled out to his left and found Montgomery for what looked like a short gain that would move the sticks. Instead, Montgomery shrugged off two tacklers and bulldozed a third into the end zone to put the Cardinal up 10-0.

#5 - November 7, 2013 vs. No. 2 Oregon – Kevin Hogan Breaks Three Tackles on Third-and-6With Stanford pinned deep in its own territory at the 6-yard line and facing third-and-6, Kevin Hogan kept the ball on a bootleg, slipped, and then broke out the grasp of three Oregon defenders to complete a 12-yard first-down run. The scamper kept a drive alive that ultimately exhausted the first half and ended with a Jordan Williamson field goal – extending Stanford's lead over No. 2 Oregon to 17-0. The Cardinal would hold on to defeat the Ducks 26-20.

#4 - August 31, 2018 vs. San Diego State – Trent Irwin Forced Fumble and Recovery Leads to TouchdownStanford gained momentum in a 31-10 victory over San Diego State late in the first half as Noble Hall intercepted a deflected pass for San Diego State but then lost the ball when Trent Irwin raced back and knocked it loose before recovering the fumble. Stanford would make good on the second-chance opportunity three plays later, as K.J. Costello found JJ Arcega-Whiteside for a 38-yard touchdown pass that gave Stanford a 9-7 lead at the half.

#3 - November 16, 2013 at USC – Tyler Gaffney Doesn't Quit on 35-Yard Touchdown RunTyler Gaffney put together the highlight of the night in the first half at USC, refusing to give up on a rush before eventually reaching the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. Gaffney took the carry and appeared to be bottled up by the Trojan front, but amazingly escaped the grasp of Leonard Williams in the backfield, bounced the run outside, and outran several defenders before a leap beyond the goal line for the score.

#2 - November 21, 2015 vs. California – Christian McCaffrey Breaks Six Tackles for 49-Yard TouchdownWith Stanford holding a 7-3 second-quarter lead, Christian McCaffrey delivered a 49-yard did-you-see-that catch-and-run for a touchdown. At the California 49-yard line, quarterback Kevin Hogan took a short drop, with McCaffrey apparently staying to block. The defensive end stayed home, potentially blowing up the planned screen pass. But left guard Joshua Garnett rode the defender off McCaffrey, who simultaneously broke a tackle. He found running room, evaded another tackle, and another and another. Francis Owusu made one final block downfield as McCaffrey cut right past the defender and found the end zone.

#1 - November 17, 2012 at No. 1 Oregon – Devon Carrington Catches Marcus Mariotta, Prevents PointsMarcus Mariotta broke free for a 77-yard rush on the first play of Oregon's second drive of the game, but Devon Carrington caught up to the Duck quarterback to force him out of bounds and prevent a touchdown. Stanford's defense would hold from there, stopping Oregon on the next four plays to stall the drive and keep the game scoreless – helping to eventually secure a 17-14 victory over No. 1 Oregon in overtime.

Honorable MentionNovember 26, 2011 vs. No. 22 Notre Dame – Coby Fleener Drags a Defender 10 Yards for the Touchdown
Coby Fleener had a pair of touchdown grabs while compiling 97 yards on four catches as Stanford defeated No. 22 Notre Dame 28-14 on Senior Night. Fleener caught touchdown passes of 28 and 55 yards, the former sealing Andrew Luck's spot as Stanford's all-time touchdown passing leader as he dragged a Notre Dame defender the final 10 yards for the score.

September 15, 2012 vs. No. 2 USC – Stepfan Taylor Evades Tacklers for Touchdown
Stanford tied the game at 14-14 in the third quarter after Stepfan Taylor took a screen pass and evaded a series of four tacklers and dragged another into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.

November 14, 2015 vs. Oregon – Kevin Hogan Hurdles Defender for 22-Yard Touchdown Run
On third-and-4 late in the first quarter, Kevin Hogan followed blocks by fullback Daniel Marx and right tackle Casey Tucker, leaped over a defender at the 10 and withstood a hit inside the 5 before spinning into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown to hand Stanford a 10-7 lead.

November 4, 2017 at No. 25 Washington State – Bryce Love Breaks Free for 52-Yard Touchdown
Bryce Love ran 52 yards for a touchdown on Stanford's first play of the second quarter, breaking a tackle just before midfield and dragging another would-be tackler for six yards before shedding the defender and sprinting into the end zone to break a scoreless game.

September 22, 2018 at No. 20 Oregon – Noah Williams Forces Fumble and Sean Barton Recovers
Trailing 31-28 with less than a minute remaining in regulation, Noah Williams punched the ball loose from Oregon running back CJ Verdell as he fought for extra yardage, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Sean Barton at the Stanford 40-yard line. The Cardinal would drive to the Oregon 14 with five seconds remaining, setting up Jet Toner's 32-yard field goal to tie it and send the game into overtime.

September 28, 2019 at Oregon State – Connor Wedington's 43-Yard Kickoff Return Sets Up Game-Winner
After Oregon State tied the game at 28-28 with 1:55 left in regulation, Connor Wedington took the ensuing kickoff at the 7-yard line, evaded a handful of tackles, and returned it 43 yards to set up a game-winning 39-yard field goal from Jet Toner.

September 21, 2019 vs. No. 16 Oregon – Cameron Scarlett Breaks Two Tackles for 23-Yard Gain
Taking a handoff in the backfield, Cameron Scarlett broke through the line and avoided a lunging attempt at a tackle from an Oregon lineman only to be hit by a pair of Duck defenders one yard later. Scarlett shook the would-be tacklers and bounced out toward the sideline where he barreled into another defender before heading out of bounds for a 23-yard gain.