STANFORD, Calif. - After some early-season shuffling, the Stanford offensive line has come on strong. Not only has the unit helped junior Bryce Love run for an FBS-best 1,240 yards, the Cardinal ground game ranks first in the country with an 8.1 yards per carry average. Love's 10.5 per average leads the nation.
During the current three-game winning streak, No. 23 Stanford is averaging 309.7 yards per game on the ground and has produced 10 touchdowns. Despite facing 7-plus defenders in the box 82 percent of the time, Cardinal runners average 6.03 yards before contact per rush, tops in the country (the national average versus 7-plus defenders is 3.14).
Additionally, for the first time since 2011, the offensive line has gone three consecutive games without surrendering a sack.
These accomplishments are notable given that Stanford played at No. 24 Utah last Saturday night, which boasted the top run defense in the Pac-12 and featured a big, physical front line. The Utes had allowed only 87 yards rushing per game, but the Cardinal collected 196 in a 23-20 victory.
Stanford's offensive line was named to the midseason watch list for the Joe Moore Award, which identified notable performances in games played through Oct. 7. Criteria includes toughness, effort, consistency, technique and finishing.
"They have gotten better and better every week," said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. "It says a lot about what coach (Mike) Bloomgren has done with that group. We have a certain amount of maturity and two younger guys who have the ability to be special."
Here is Shaw's assessment of his starters:
True freshman left tackle Walker Little: "He is playing against really tough competition in some tough environments and is playing really well. He doesn't look like a freshman out there."
Fifth-year senior left guard David Bright: "His versatility has really saved us, and allows us to have a true freshman at left tackle. Now you have your fifth-year senior captain right next to your young freshman just to make sure your communication goes really well."
Senior center Jesse Burkett: "You try to use the word brilliant very cautiously, but Jesse is so doggone smart. Being able to see things and make calls -- particularly the last couple years with inexperienced quarterbacks and making sure the protection is going the right way. He makes a lot of good decisions and has gotten stronger and more physical."
Sophomore right guard Nate Herbig: "He has really settled in and is a budding star who plays above his age. We missed him against Arizona State, but he played one of his better games against Utah, which we needed. Size for size, he was actually in a fair fight."
Senior right tackle A.T. Hall: "Much more consistent and much better than he was a year ago. He has really grown."
Overall, Shaw was pleased with his quarterback play against Utah, although he is striving for better success on first down and red-zone possessions that result in touchdowns. Senior Keller Chryst is expected to start Saturday night against Oregon.
"I thought both quarterbacks gave us a winning performance," Shaw said. "I still anticipate Keller Chryst starting. He has earned that. K.J. Costello will get playing time. We'll decide when and how."
Shaw said they sparked the offense with their arms and legs.
"Both guys made field position-changing plays, both guys did a great job with their legs in the running game, both made a couple difficult throws," said Shaw. "I thought Keller, in particular on third down, stepped up in the pocket with a lot of guys around him and made some big-time throws to Trent Irwin to convert some third downs. Those were NFL throws."
Hall said the quarterback switches have not been a difficult adjustment for the line.
"If I'm being completely honest, I don't even realize half the time when there's a change because I'm so focused on my job and what us five (linemen) have to take care of up front," he said. "We just listen to what they say and go with it. Their cadences really aren't that different. We block for whoever is back there and give it everything we have, because everything begins and ends in the trenches."
Love also leads the country in yards per carry after contact with more than 600.
"I wish I knew how and we could coach that," Shaw said. "Since his freshman year, we've been saying the first guy doesn't get him. He bounces off, runs through the first arm tackle, he makes the first guy miss and some of them don't even get a chance to touch him. It's uncanny."
Even more so after watching game film.
"Physics-wise, it doesn't really make a lot of sense," said Shaw. "He got hit this past game by a guy that weighs about 240, and the guy bounced off. He shouldn't bounce off. He just shouldn't. He (Love) does a great job with his off arm, does a great job with his stiff arm, he does a great job with his hesitations and acceleration. He can step at a guy and take three steps before that guy takes one. So if that guys hesitates, he has just created separation. It's natural instinct."
As was the case with Toby Gerhart, Stepfan Taylor, Tyler Gaffney and Christian McCaffrey, Shaw and his staff monitor Love and other players during the week in practice and limit contact.
"Our desire is to keep him fresh during the week and let him play on Saturdays," he said.
Starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and outside linebacker Pete Kalambayi must sit out the first half against Oregon after being ejected for targeting against Utah.
"The good thing is we do have some depth," said Shaw. "Curtis Robinson and Casey Toohill have been playing well. You may see Jordan Fox, who has continued to improve every week. Inside, Jovan Swann has been playing very well and Mike Williams has gotten some playing time. And you may see Thomas Schaffer."
First-year Oregon head coach Willie Taggart coached running backs at Stanford from 2007-09 and helped develop Gerhart. Taggart moved on to become head coach at Western Kentucky and the University of South Florida.
"Willie and I have always gotten along since the day we met," said Shaw. "Both of us are pretty mild-mannered. We've always been conversational.
"We've touched base periodically since he left. We've had really good conversations in the offseason about different things. I was really excited for him to get back out here in the conference. He takes his job seriously, does the right things and is a good family man."
Extra Points … Starting wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside has returned to practice and is expected to play ... Senior inside linebacker Joey Alfieri attended Jesuit in Portland, the same high school that produced former Cardinal two-way standout Owen Marecic. The latter has returned to The Farm and is a first-year medical student.
Quotable ... "It's awesome to have somebody back there who will take advantage of the little creases that you give him and be able to do something special with the ball." - A.T. Hall on Bryce Love