Top 10 "Wait...What?" Moments of David Shaw EraTop 10 "Wait...What?" Moments of David Shaw Era
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Football

Top 10 "Wait...What?" Moments of David Shaw Era

#10 - October 24, 2015 vs. Washington – Joshua Garnett Downfield Block
2018 Sun Bowl vs. Pitt – Michael Wilson Reverse Seals GameLeading the way for fullback Daniel Marx on a short pass from Kevin Hogan, Joshua Garnett shed his pass-rusher, hustled downfield and leveled a Washington defender, sending the Husky defensive back sailing backward through the air and setting up a 15-yard gain for Marx and the Cardinal.

Facing second-and-7 and looking for a first down to seal a 14-13 victory over Pitt in the 2018 Sun Bowl, Stanford called an end-around and gave to Michael Wilson. Wilson escaped a tackle 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage and scampered up the sideline for a 9-yard gain and the first down.

#9 - December 1, 2018 at California - Jake Bailey 84-Yard PuntJake Bailey punted six times for 298 yards, including delivering an 84-yard punt in the waning seconds of the third quarter, as Stanford defeated California 23-13 in the 121st Big Game.

#8 - September 19, 2015 at No. 6 USC - Christian McCaffrey Option to Bryce LoveChristian McCaffrey fooled two Trojan defenders with a fake pitch to Bryce Love on the option, providing a highlight to a nine-play, 84-yard touchdown drive as the Cardinal defeated No. 6 USC 41-31 on the road. McCaffrey took the handoff from Kevin Hogan and broke right with Love trailing. As McCaffrey approached a pair of USC defenders, he faked the toss to Love and sprinted past both and out of bounds for the first down.

#7 - September 30, 2017 vs. Arizona State - Jake Bailey Fake PuntWith Stanford leading 31-17 and facing a fourth-and-3 at the Arizona State 45-yard line in the third quarter, Jake Bailey faked a punt and rushed for 17 yards and a Cardinal first down in a 34-24 victory.

#6 - September 28, 2019 at Oregon State - Tight End Finds Quarterback for a TouchdownQuarterback Davis Mills made an athletic leaping grab for a touchdown from tight end Colby Parkinson on a play that has been termed the "Stanford Special" to help the Cardinal defeat Oregon State 31-28. Leading by seven points early in the fourth quarter, Stanford called a reverse as Mills pitched left to running back Cameron Scarlett, who handed to Parkinson, who then lofted a pass into the end zone for Mills. Mills used every inch of his 6-foot-4 frame to out-leap two Oregon State defenders for the score.

#5 - 2016 Rose Bowl Game vs. No. 6 Iowa - Fake Fumble Touchdown PassAlready leading 28-0, Stanford got creative offensively as Kevin Hogan faked a fumble in the second quarter before popping up and throwing to an untouched Michael Rector for a 31-yard score to hand Stanford a Rose Bowl-record 35-0 halftime lead.

#4 - 2016 Rose Bowl Game vs. No. 6 Iowa - Christian McCaffrey posts 100 yards rushing and receivingChristian McCaffrey caught a 75-yard touchdown pass on the opening snap and returned a punt 66 yards for another score while setting the Rose Bowl record with 368 all-purpose yards, propelling No. 5 Stanford to a 45-16 rout of sixth-ranked Iowa in the 2016 Rose Bowl Game. McCaffrey rushed for 172 yards on 18 carries, made four catches for 105 yards, and totaled 91 return yards in the victory.

#3 - November 3, 2012 at Colorado - Stanford Defense allows just 76 Total YardsStanford's defense held Colorado to just 76 yards of offense as the Buffaloes managed only two snaps on Stanford's half of the field. The Buffaloes didn't reach Stanford's side of the field until a 20-yard catch at the Cardinal 33-yard line with 9:16 left in the game. But a sack two plays later cost them 24 yards and pushed them back across midfield, and the Cardinal defense never let them back. The sack was one of seven on the day for Stanford.

#2 - October 22, 2011 vs. Washington - Stanford rushes for school-record 446 yardsStanford buried the Huskies 65-21 underneath an avalanche of rushing yards, compiling a Stanford single-game record 446 yards while averaging 10.1 yards per carry on 44 rushes to the tune of five touchdowns. Stepfan Taylor rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Tyler Gaffney gained 117 yards with a touchdown on nine. The Cardinal nearly had a third back reach 100 yards as Anthony Wilkerson gained 93 on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns – including a 62-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Chris Owusu (1-45), Andrew Luck (3-23), Jeremy Stewart (6-20, 1 TD) and Geoff Meinken (1-10) rounded out the record-setting rush.

#1 - 2015 Pac-12 Championship vs. No. 20 USC - Kevin Hogan & Christian McCaffrey each have passing, rushing and receiving touchdownBoth Kevin Hogan and Christian McCaffrey scored three different ways in a 41-22 victory over No. 20 USC, with McCaffrey earning Pac-12 Championship Game Most Valuable Player after posting a 10-yard rushing touchdown, a 28-yard receiving touchdown from Hogan, and passing to Hogan for an 11-yard score. In addition to combining with McCaffrey on a passing and receiving touchdown, Hogan found the end zone on a 7-yard rush to put Stanford on top in the third quarter. Since 1996, only one other FBS or FCS team has had two players with a touchdown pass, touchdown rush and touchdown reception in the same game. It's never happened in the NFL.

Honorable Mention2011 Team Wins First Nine Games of the Season by an Average of 31 Points
The Cardinal began the 2011 season 9-0 to post Stanford's best start since 1952 and cap a program-best 17-game win streak – the longest streak in the nation at the time. Over the nine games, five of which were road victories, the Cardinal defeated opponents by an average of 31 points – outscoring opponents 434-149.

October 6, 2012 vs. Arizona – Josh Nunes Accounts for Five Touchdowns (Two passing and Three Rushing)
Josh Nunes completed 21 of 34 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for three more in the game, as No. 18 Stanford defeated Arizona 54-48 in overtime. The Cardinal trailed 48-34 with fewer than 10 minutes left in regulation, but Nunes led the Cardinal on two long drives, converting two fourth downs along the way, and finished each with touchdown runs to force overtime.

2012 Stanford Defense Sets Program Record with 57 Sacks
Stanford's 2012 defense set a program record with 57 sacks, led by Trent Murphy and Chase Thomas with 10 and 7.5, respectively. Fifteen different Cardinal players managed at least one sack, including seven with four or more. All told, Stanford's defense totaled 124 tackles for loss – accounting for 516 yards.

Ed Reynolds Amasses Six Interceptions for 301 Yards and Three Touchdowns in 2012
Ed Reynolds intercepted six passes, including returning three for touchdowns, while collecting 301 total interception yards (50.2 yards per interception) during the 2012 season. His final interception, which he returned 80 yards against UCLA in the Pac-12 Championship Game, pushed his total to the 301 yards – one shy of the NCAA record.

Kevin Hogan Wins His First 10 Career Starts
Beginning with a 27-23 victory over No. 13 Oregon State in 2012, quarterback Kevin Hogan won his first 10 career starts. The second victory in the string was a comeback win in overtime on the road at top-ranked Oregon, followed by consecutive wins over a top 20 UCLA squad – the latter in the Pac-12 Championship Game to earn a berth in the 2013 Rose Bowl Game. After guiding the Cardinal to a 20-14 victory over Wisconsin in the 99th Rose Bowl Game, Hogan opened the 2013 season with wins over San Jose State, Army, No. 23 Arizona State, Washington State and No. 15 Washington.

Trent Murphy Records 25 Sacks in His Final Two Seasons, Leads the Nation with 15 in 2013
Trent Murphy led the nation with 15 sacks in 2013, putting a cap on a two-year span in which he amassed 25 total sacks. The 15 sacks are the second-most in program history behind Duncan McColl's 17 in 1976.

November 23, 2013 vs. California – Ty Montgomery Scores Five Touchdowns in the First Half
Stanford set a school record for points in a half with 42, highlighted by Ty Montgomery's school-record five touchdowns, as Montgomery scored on a 31-yard run and receptions of 50, 12, 72 and nine yards. Montgomery, who scored touchdowns on his first four touches of the game, finished with five catches and 160 yards as the Cardinal crushed California 63-13 in the 116th Big Game.

September 2, 2016 vs. Kansas State – Ryan Burns Completes First 10 Passes of First Career Start
Quarterback Ryan Burns, making his first collegiate start against Kansas State, completed his first 10 passes en route to finishing 14 of 18 for 156 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Burns became the first Pac-12 quarterback since Cal's Aaron Rodgers (2004) to begin his first career start with 10 straight pass completions.

Keller Chryst Completes 34 of 47 Passes for 439 Yards and Six Touchdowns in Two Starts vs. Oregon
Keller Chryst, making his third career start, was 19 of 26 passing for 258 yards and three touchdowns as he guided Stanford to a 52-27 rout of Oregon in 2016. Chryst followed up the performance by throwing for 181 yards and three touchdowns on 15 of 21 passing in 2017 as the Cardinal beat Oregon 49-7. In all, Chryst completed 34 of 47 passes (72 %) for 439 yards and six touchdowns over the two starts against the Ducks.