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Stanford football: Cardinal offense on a roll heading into UCLA Bruins game

By The Sports Xchange
The Stanford Cardinal and quarterback Kevin Hogan are averaging more than 40 points in their last three games. UPI/Lori Shepler
The Stanford Cardinal and quarterback Kevin Hogan are averaging more than 40 points in their last three games. UPI/Lori Shepler | License Photo

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford's offense is rolling. UCLA's defense is reeling heading into Thursday night's key Pac-12 Conference contest.

The 15th-ranked Cardinal has established a nice rhythm offensively after struggling in a 16-6 loss to Northwestern in the season opener. Stanford has averaged 46 points per game in its last three contests, scoring 40-plus points in three consecutive games for the first time since Andrew Luck was the team's quarterback in 2011.

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The Cardinal amassed 570 yards of total offense in its most recent victory, a 55-17 shellacking of Arizona. It was the team's highest point total since a 2013 game against Cal.

"We've found an identity on offense," senior quarterback Kevin Hogan told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We want to run the ball. We want to be physical. Ground-and-pound style -- that opens up the passing game. The O-line played a great game, opening holes. Once we get into a rhythm on offense, we're hard to stop."

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While Stanford has been finding its identity, No. 18 UCLA has been losing key contributors from a defense that allowed a total of 19 points in the first two weeks before giving up 23, 30 and 38 points in its last three games. Linebacker Myles Jack, defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes and cornerback Fabian Moreau have all suffered season-ending injuries. Now Mossi Johnson, a wide receiver who saw time at safety in the last two games, is out for the year after hurting his knee in practice.

"Injuries are a part of this game, unfortunately," UCLA coach Jim Mora told the Los Angeles Times. "Your first thought is for the young man who got hurt. They work so hard to get where they are. You just got to keep looking forward and can't let it become a distraction."

That might be easier said than done. UCLA is coming off a 38-23 loss to Arizona State after winning its first four games. The Sun Devils are 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring.

Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns in his debut against Virginia in UCLA's season opener. He struggled in a narrow victory over BYU, but in his last two games he has completed 41 of 68 passes for 564 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

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Stanford beat then-No. 8 UCLA 31-10 at the Rose Bowl last season in a stunning upset in the final game of the regular season. Hogan was brilliant in that game. Given UCLA's issues on defense, he might put up even bigger numbers this time.

A win would set Stanford up nicely for the second half of the season. The Cardinal's next three games will be against Washington, Washington State and Colorado, which have a combined record of 9-7. Stanford will play its last three games at home against Oregon, No. 23 California and No. 14 Notre Dame.

The Cardinal is 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12, the only team in the North Division with an unblemished conference record. Rival Cal is 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12 after suffering a tough loss to No. 4 Utah.

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--QB Kevin Hogan picked apart UCLA's defense in Stanford's 31-10 victory over the Bruins last season. He completed 16-of-19 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 46 yards on seven carries. Hogan has been on a roll in recent weeks, and it would not be a surprise to see him replicate that kind of efficiency against a UCLA defense that has been decimated by injuries.

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--RB Christian McCaffrey rushed for 64 yards on 11 carries against UCLA last season. Those were big numbers at the time as McCaffrey emerged in the final weeks of the regular season, but he could do far more damage this time against the Bruins' porous run defense. McCaffrey is third in the Pac-12 in rushing at 120.2 yards per game. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the past three games, becoming the first Stanford player to do so since Tyler Gaffney in 2013.

--RB Remound Wright has seven rushing touchdowns in the past three games. He now ranks ninth all-time at Stanford with 20 career rushing touchdowns. He rushed for two touchdowns against UCLA last season.

--LB Blake Martinez will play a big part in trying to slow down UCLA RB Paul Perkins, who is fourth in the Pac-12 in rushing at 115.4 yards per game. Martinez has led Stanford in tackles in all five games this season. He has recorded 10 or more tackles in every contest and led all FBS players with 63 total tackles before the bye week.

SERIES HISTORY: UCLA leads Stanford, 45-38-3.. The Cardinal has won seven in a row in the series, including a 31-10 victory last season at the Rose Bowl.

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QUOTE TO NOTE: "We didn't stop anything they wanted to do. They wanted to throw, they threw. They wanted to run, they ran." -- Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, following a 55-17 loss to Stanford.

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