Final Thoughts: Stanford 40, Virginia Tech 12

In a game that was evenly matched through the first 30 minutes, the Cardinal came out and utterly dominated the second half. Andrew Luck could barely miss, hitting nine of 10 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and Stanford’s running backs torched the VaTech defense. Meanwhile, Tyrod Taylor had a pretty miserable half under center for the Hokies; it seemed that Stanford defenders were in his face on every play almost right after the ball was snapped.

The victory wraps up the best season in Stanford football history—the program has reached 12 wins for the first time. Andrew Luck, with his four touchdown performance, was named the Orange Bowl MVP.

2:22 remaining, fourth quarter

Stanford will punt away to the Hokies on fourth down. Luck’s stat line for the second half: 9-of-10 for 201 yards and three TDs.

5:00 remaining, fourth quarter

Tyrod Taylor just got sacked on two consecutive plays by the Stanford defense. The Hokies’ pass protection has totally broken down, and they’re about to punt back to Stanford once more. This game is officially over; there’s really not much more to say about it.

6:05 remaining, fourth quarter

TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Luck connects with Fleener again, this time on a 38-yard touchdown pass over the middle. Fleener was wide open, and just waltzed into the end zone after catching Luck’s pass. A good Whitaker PAT puts Stanford up, 40-12.

This game has turned into a blowout. I, for one, didn’t anticipate anything close to this level of dominance from the Cardinal. Virginia Tech fans are leaving the stadium in droves, while the Cardinal faithful celebrates in the stands. Andrew Luck has thrown for four touchdowns today in the Orange Bowl, the most by a QB in the bowl since Rex Grossman tossed four for Florida in 2002.

7:39 remaining, fourth quarter

After a sack of Taylor by Alex Debniak, VaTech faced a gigantic fourth-and-45. The Hokies chose to just punt it away, and the ball is now back in Stanford’s hands on its own 28-yard line. With a 33-12 lead, Stanford will go on to win the Orange Bowl, barring some sort of miracle. Harbaugh will go back to Stanford’s bread and butter, the running game, to keep the clock and the ball moving.

8:40 remaining, fourth quarter

A personal foul penalty on Virginia Tech for a chop block gives the Hokies a second-and-25 on the Stanford 47-yard line. With 8:40 remaining, and being backed up that far, the Hokies need a big play very soon; if Stanford gets the ball back now, this game will be over.

10:00 remaining, fourth quarter

It looks like the Hokies have some fight left in them. They’re inside Stanford territory, and Taylor is making good passes over the middle to move the football.

12:23 remaining, fourth quarter

TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Andrew Luck throws a 58-yard bomb to Coby Fleener. Fleener got open behind the VaTech defense, and Luck drilled him with a floater. After escaping from his lone pursuer, Fleener had a clear run into the end zone. After a good PAT, Stanford leads, 33-12.

That play could be the dagger in the heart of the Hokies. Stanford holds a commanding three touchdown lead here in the fourth quarter, and unless Virginia Tech’s offensive coaches find some way to poke holes in the Cardinal defense, it’s going to be nearly impossible for them to come back in this one. All the momentum rests with Stanford at this point; if VaTech doesn’t score on its next drive, I would be ready to say this game is over.

End of the third quarter: Stanford 26, Virginia Tech 12

Stanford undoubtedly seized the momentum in that quarter, getting two touchdowns in two vastly different ways: one on a one-yard run from Marecic and another on two quick-strike plays that went 97 yards in 29 seconds. The Cardinal opens the fourth quarter driving into VaTech territory, and if it can continue to burn clock and add to its scoring tally, it could make it very difficult for the Hokies to climb back into this contest (though, given the quick-strike abilities of VaTech, nothing can be ruled out).

Stanford’s defense, as much as its offense, made the difference in that quarter. Delano Howell’s great interception set up one touchdown, and Tyrod Taylor barely has any time to make plays after the snap before Stanford defenders are in his face.

2:40 remaining, third quarter

LB Shayne Skov breaks up a VT pass on third-and-3, forcing the Hokies into another punt to Drew Terrell. Terrell takes a fair catch at the Stanford 13-yard line, where Andrew Luck will get the ball back.

Stanford’s defense shut down the VaTech offense once again on that drive, and if Luck & Co. can come out and score on this drive, it will put the Hokies in a three-score hole heading into the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, Virginia Tech has shown flashes of brilliance in this game, and a comeback can’t be ruled out at this point.

On this next drive, look for Stanford to execute one of its classic grind-it-out, clock killing drives that hammer the opposing defensive front. The Hokies have shown some ability to stop the run, and they’ll need to do that here to give their offense another shot to put this team back in the game.

4:38 remaining, third quarter

The Hokies escape an early third-and-15 with a great pass from Taylor to Boykin on the sideline. Hokies driving at their own 35-yard line.

6:08 remaining, third quarter

TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! After Stepfan Taylor broke a massive 57-yard run from Stanford’s 3-yard line, Luck throws a deep bomb to a wide-open Coby Fleener over the middle for a touchdown. Nate Whitaker drills the extra point, giving Stanford a 26-12 lead. That drive took 2 plays and went 97 yards in 29 seconds.

Stanford just absolutely hammered the Virginia Tech defense, with two big plays right in a row. The Hokies had no idea what hit them, and the momentum is squarely on Stanford’s side. If VaTech wants to get back in this game, it has to come out and respond on the next drive; however, with the way Stanford’s defense has been playing, that could be very difficult.

6:15 remaining, third quarter

INTERCEPTION, STANFORD! Delano Howell makes an interception on a deep Taylor bomb intended for Jarrett Boykin. The catch looked incredible; Howell leaped up and came down with the ball, which was badly underthrown by Taylor. Stanford will start on its own 3-yard line.

That play could really swing the momentum in Stanford’s direction. Just as Taylor made that throw, I was getting ready to type how good the VaTech offense looked; it was moving the ball pretty methodically against Stanford’s defense, and Taylor was doing his best Houdini impression, constantly escaping the grip of Stanford’s blitzing front seven. After its last debacle when backed up into its own end zone, however, look for conservative play calling here.

8:47 remaining, third quarter

TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Owen Marecic runs it in on third down from one-yard out to give the Card its third touchdown of the game. A missed Whitaker PAT makes it Stanford 19, Virginia Tech 12.

A great drive by Stanford is capped by a Marecic touchdown run. The Cardinal offense looked clinical on that drive, moving the ball consistently with an occasional big pass from Luck to one of his receivers. However, that missed PAT could prove critical. Stanford is now up by only 7 points, and the difference between 7 and 8 points is pretty big. If the Hokies score a touchdown now, they only need to convert the extra point to tie, but if the Card had an 8-point lead, the Hokies would have needed a two-point conversion to tie.

11:00 remaining, third quarter

Stanford is inside the VT red zone. Coby Fleener made an excellent catch in the flat and ran down the sideline for a few extra yards, and jumped clear over a VT defender before being forced out. Luck then threw a pass over the middle to Ryan Whalen, who got the Card to the one-yard line.

13:21 remaining, third quarter

Stanford forces VaTech into a quick three and out. The Hokies punt to Drew Terrell, who takes the ball to the Stanford 41-yard line. Andrew Luck and the offense will take its first crack of the second half at the VaTech defense.

Stanford’s defense was very strong on that drive, once again getting good pressure in the backfield. On third down, Taylor actually had a wide open receiver after corner Richard Sherman slipped, but badly overthrew him as be was being harried by Stanford linebackers.

Stanford is now driving on offense; Luck has his unit inside VaTech territory, and is completing accurate throws across the middle to his tight ends, especially Konrad Reuland.

15:00 remaining, third quarter

Virginia Tech will start with the ball in the third quarter. A short return gets it to its own 21-yard line for the Hokies’ first drive of the second half.

Some photos from the first half:

Halftime: Stanford 13, VaTech 12

Now it’s time for my halftime thoughts, organized in no particular order.

Both offenses have been far from perfect

The Stanford and Virginia Tech offenses both have a lot they can improve upon when they come out for the second half.

Stanford got pushed around on the offensive line at times, and Andrew Luck has had to scramble more than the Cardinal offensive coaches would like. The mistake on the safety could also prove costly in the long run, but there’s no way of knowing for sure right now.

On the Virginia Tech side of the ball, Stanford’s defense has done a good job getting a lot of pressure on Tyrod Taylor, forcing him to scramble and make poor throws on the run. Taylor has broken a couple of big runs, but his running ability has been more or less contained.

The team that commits the fewest mistakes in the second half will win this game

Both teams made critical mistakes in the first half, and I think the team that minimizes its mistakes will gain a decisive advantage. Stanford made two big mistakes: the holding penalty on the final VaTech drive that allowed the Hokies to get their final field goal, and the inexplicable safety by Derek Hall in the first quarter. If the Cardinal can stay disciplined and mistake free, and if the defense can force the Virginia Tech offense into a few key errors, then it stands a strong chance of winning this game.

This game could have a wild finish

So far, the Orange Bowl has lived up to its billing. Though a bit more defensive than most had anticipated, it’s a close contest between two teams that are pretty evenly matched, with plenty of big plays and key stops to go around. I’d be pretty surprised if either team comes out and dominates the second half; rather, I think we’re looking at a game that could go down to the wire.

0:03 remaining, second quarter

FIELD GOAL, VIRGINIA TECH! Chris Hazley kicks a 37-yard field goal through the uprights to give the Hokies three more points. Stanford still leads, 13-12. The ensuing kickoff will end the half.

0:30 remaining, second quarter

A questionable holding penalty gives VaTech a first down at its own 29-yard line with 30 seconds remaining in the half. A Stanford DB was called for holding, but the pass from Taylor (who was being chased down by Stanford defenders) looked uncatchable out-of-bounds.

0:55 remaining, second quarter

Stanford is forced into a fourth-and-5 by the VaTech defense on its own 47-yard line. The Hokies took a timeout to stop the clock. David Green’s punt goes out of the end zone for a touchback. The Hokies will take over on their own 20-yard line with 47 seconds left in the half.

2:30 remaining, second quarter

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! The Hokies go for it on fourth-and-one, but Matt Masifilo stops Darren Evans to give the Cardinal the ball back. Stanford leads, 13-9, starting at its own 30-yard line.

4:32 remaining, second quarter

INTERCEPTION, VIRGINIA TECH! The Hokies pick off an Andrew Luck pass near the middle of the field, and will start with the ball at their own 46-yard line. Stanford still leads, 13-9.

5:31 remaining, second quarter

Stanford forces Virginia Tech into another fourth down and another punt. The Card played some solid pass defense on that last drive, keeping Taylor from completing a pass on third down that would have given the Hokies a first down. The Card will start with the ball at its own 33-yard line, and will bid to expand its slim 13-9 lead over VaTech.

Stanford’s defense looked strong in forcing the Hokies into another punt. Taylor has been unable to really make a lot of plays with his legs; the Cardinal has successfully been able to contain him in the backfield and is forcing him to make bad throws when put under pressure. If those trends continue, it would really help the Card walk away with a win.

6:32 remaining, second quarter

TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Luck throws a 25-yard strike across the middle of the field to TE Zach Ertz on a third-and-8 play. The PAT is blocked, giving Stanford a 13-9 lead.

The Cardinal offense looked quite good on that drive, mixing power runs and short passes to keep the VaTech defense on its toes. Luck threw an excellent strike on third down for the touchdown; it was a very accurate pass, put in a place that only Ertz could get to it. Ertz then fought through a tackle to get into the end zone for a score.

8:52 remaining, second quarter

Stanford gains a first down on a short slant route from Luck to Konrad Reuland.

9:00 remaining, second quarter

Stanford faces a critical third-and-2 on its own 43-yard line. The Card has gone back to the run on this drive, and while it’s been gaining decent yardage, it hasn’t broken anything big on the Hokies.

10:22 remaining, second quarter

TOUCHDOWN, VIRGINIA TECH! In a great display of his athletic ability, Tyrod Taylor throws a pass on the run while falling out of bounds, completing it with a perfect strike in the end zone for a VaTech touchdown. A good PAT makes it VT 9, Stanford 7.

That last play is hard to describe in words here. The Stanford defense had Taylor on the run, and just as it seemed as though two defenders were going to run him out of bounds on the left sideline, he turns and fires a strike into the left side of the end zone to give the Hokies a touchdown and a two-point lead. VaTech moved the ball methodically against the Cardinal defense on that drive; if the Stanford offense does not come out and respond, the momentum will rest firmly with the Hokies.

13:00 remaining, second quarter

Virginia Tech is driving, deep inside Stanford territory. The Card looked to have held it on third down, but a pass interference penalty gave the Hokies a first down and new life. Score still stands at 7-2 in favor of Stanford.

End of the first quarter: Stanford 7, Virginia Tech 2

As first quarters go, that one was pretty sloppy and uninspiring for both offenses. Aside from that one burst from Jeremy Stewart, Luck’s offense went nowhere fast against a swarming VaTech rush. Meanwhile, Tyrod Taylor has been effectively contained by Stanford’s linebackers, but the Hokies could make some adjustments and find some more offensive success. The safety was pretty inexcusable, and killed any positive momentum Stanford might have had heading into the second quarter.

0:59 remaining, first quarter

SAFETY, VIRGINIA TECH! Stanford was backed up in its own end zone on third down, and Luck was going down for a safety. Luck managed to get the ball off, but it was swatted by VaTech DT John Graves. However, Stanford RT Derek Hall caught the ball in the end zone and fell down for the safety. Stanford 7, VaTech 2.

That was an inexcusable mistake by Hall. Had he let the ball go or swatted it to the ground—doing anything besides catching it—it would have been an incomplete pass and Stanford would have had to punt on fourth down (barring a VaTech player catching the deflection, which would have been a touchdown). You can be sure he’s getting an earful on the sideline right now.

3:30 remaining, first quarter

Stanford continues to get excellent pressure on Tyrod Taylor; he was just sacked for an 11-yard loss by Owen Marecic, forcing his offense into a third-and-20 situation. On third down, Taylor scrambled away from the oncoming Stanford rush and gained 14 yards on the ground, but the Hokies are still forced to punt. On the punt, Drew Terrell is tackled on the five-yard line, giving Stanford 95 yards between itself and the end zone.

Stanford’s defense has looked downright fantastic in this first quarter, executing its gameplan to contain Tyrod Taylor with near perfection. Owen Marecic and the rest of the linebackers will need to keep this performance up, since the Hokie defense has also looked strong (barring that one big Stewart run).

6:16 remaining, first quarter

TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Senior running back Jeremy Stewart takes the ball 60 yards through a gaping hole in the VaTech defense to the house for a touchdown. A made PAT from Nate Whitaker puts Stanford ahead, 7-0.

The Cardinal got back to the basics of its offense on that drive, running the football straight at the Hokie defense and combining it with short passes to either side of the field. Stewart’s run was spectacular, and a great play to get him back in the Stanford rushing rotation. Stewart was sidelined with an ankle injury after the first game of the season, and never managed to get a lot of carries during the season. That 60-yard run was also the longest of his career and the longest run in Stanford’s bowl history.

8:15 remaining, first quarter

Stanford’s defense forces VaTech into a fourth-and-8. Terrell fair catches the punt at Stanford’s own 14-yard line.

The defense again looked very good on that drive, getting a ton of pressure on Taylor and stopping the Hokies’ running attack. The Card also came out running on the first play of the next drive; it looks like Harbaugh may go back to the ground-and-pound combined with short, accurate throws from Luck.

Stepfan Taylor has already distinguished himself as well, catching a few short screens from Luck as well as being Stanford’s primary running back.

9:07 remaining, first quarter

Stanford is forced into another punt by the Virginia Tech defense. The Cardinal tries a fake punt, but it loses a yard and turns the ball over on downs to Virginia Tech.

The early signs from these first two drives are worrisome for Stanford. On that last drive, the Virginia Tech front seven was able to get significant pressure on Andrew Luck, forcing him to scramble out-of-bounds for a loss on first down. All season, Stanford’s strength has been its offensive line; if that unit starts to slip, the Card could be looking at a long night on offense. The fake punt was a risky gamble, but given that Stanford was already into Virginia Tech territory, one that wouldn’t seem too foolhardy.

11:15 remaining, first quarter

Stanford forces Virginia Tech into a quick punt, but the Hokies get a false-start penalty, so they punt it a second time to return man Drew Terrell. The sophomore gets a good return for 25 yards, and the Cardinal will start with the ball near midfield for its second offensive drive.

Stanford’s defense looked excellent on that early VaTech drive. It got a lot of pressure on Tyrod Taylor, forcing him out of the pocket and into poor throws. While Taylor’s speed allowed him to escape the Stanford rush, look for the Cardinal to continue throwing blitzes his way until the Hokie offense proves it can overcome them.

12:30 remaining, first quarter

Stanford is forced into a punt by the Virginia Tech defense. A David Green punt puts the VaTech offense at its own 31-yard line for its first drive of the game. The punt only went for 31 yards—not the type of performance Stanford is looking for on special teams. Tyrod Taylor might be able to do some significant damage after starting with such good field position.

14:30 remaining, first quarter

Stanford opens up with a bang, with Andrew Luck running for 11 yards before sliding down. The Cardinal offense looks good in the early going, but it’s too early to read into its performance.

8:30 p.m. EST, Pregame

Both teams are now on the field. From my vantage point here, Sun Life Stadium seems pretty full, although big sections of its upper bowl are fairly empty. Unsurprisingly, the stadium seems decidedly pro-Virginia Tech, but there is a very large Stanford contingent taking up just under half of the lower bowl. Judging from when each team ran onto the field, the Hokies brought the louder fans.

Virginia Tech won the toss and deferred to the second half, so Andrew Luck and the Stanford offense will start the game with the ball. It’s time to kick off the Orange Bowl!

8:20 p.m. EST, Pregame

With pregame festivities in full swing on the field, including a paratrooper demonstration from the U.S. Air Force’s Wings of Blue, an interesting tidbit of news just came via Twitter. According to NBC Bay Area, the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band has been banned from performing at halftime of the Orange Bowl, even though each school’s marching band traditionally performs at halftime of any bowl game, BCS or no. The report from NBC claims that Orange Bowl organizers feared that the band’s bawdy tactics would embarrass the bowl. In order to be fair to both schools, Virginia Tech’s band will not perform at halftime either.

So, the two performances we just saw from each school’s band will be the last time we see them on the field tonight. Of course, the bands will still be in the stands throughout the game.

7 p.m. EST, Pregame

With the Discover Orange Bowl set to kick off in 90 minutes, it’s time to preview tonight’s matchup between the Stanford Cardinal and the Virginia Tech Hokies. You can read this week’s Stanford Daily preview here, as well as a statistical breakdown of the matchup.

Both the No. 4 Cardinal (11-1, 8-1 Pac-10) and the No. 13 Hokies (11-2, 8-0 ACC) enter the game riding hot streaks. Stanford is going for its eighth consecutive win; its only loss this season came on the road to then-No. 4 Oregon, 52-31, on Oct. 2. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech dropped its first two games of the season, to then-No. 5 Boise State and James Madison, an FCS program, before winning 11 straight games to capture the ACC crown.

The two programs have never played each other before tonight’s game. Today also marks the first time that the Orange Bowl has matched the Pac-10 and the ACC.

Though the two teams should provide for a compelling game, rampant speculation on the future of Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has dominated much of the conversation leading up to tonight’s game. Several NFL teams, especially the San Francisco 49ers, are believed to be interested in hiring Harbaugh after the Orange Bowl. Harbaugh would also be the primary target of the University of Michigan, if (as expected) it fires current head coach Rich Rodriguez.

According to Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, Stanford has offered a raise to Harbaugh, to significantly increase his salary (currently estimated at around $1.25 million annually). Money alone may not be sufficient to keep Harbaugh at Stanford, though; despite this year’s successes, the Cardinal football program will never provide the kind of stage that Harbaugh would have at Michigan or with an NFL team.

Harbaugh himself has denied to make any comment. In a press conference on Sunday, he said, “I just talk about the job that I have and none others.”

The only factor that might keep Harbaugh on the Farm (at least in my view) is that he will never face the kind of pressure and high expectations that come with a high-profile coaching gig. The expectation at Michigan is to compete for Big Ten and national titles on an annual basis; the expectation at Stanford is to play good, middle of the Pac-10 football regularly and occasionally challenge for a Pac-10 title and a berth in the Rose Bowl. Nevertheless, it will still be seen as a coup if Bowlsby manages to convince Harbaugh to stay.

Sun Life Stadium is slowly filling up as we approach one hour before kickoff. Virginia Tech is sporting white jerseys and orange helmets, while Stanford is going with its traditional red home jerseys. Tune in at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST, as the game kicks off.

6:30 p.m. EST, Pregame

We preview the Orange Bowl from the field at Sun Life Stadium.

6:25 p.m. EST, Pregame

View of the Orange Bowl before kickoff. The Stanford endzone is undeniably very cool.

6:20 p.m. EST, Pregame

Daily football expert Jacob Jaffe gives his prediction for today’s game:

The Hokies are better than any team the Cardinal has beaten, but Stanford is also better than any team Virginia Tech has beaten. Both coaching staffs are excellent at game planning, and both figure to make adjustments to stifle the strengths of their opponents. Stanford is the more complete team, though, and this will be the difference tonight. Virginia Tech’s defense has relied too much on turnovers, and the Cardinal will not give up the ball as easily as the Hokies’ ACC opponents. Stanford’s offense and defense are both incredibly balanced, and the defensive balance will do just enough against Tyrod Taylor and the Virginia Tech offense to allow the offense to pull away, earning the Cardinal its first BCS bowl victory. Stanford 38, Virginia Tech 27

12 p.m. EST, Pregame

Welcome to The Stanford Daily’s coverage of tonight’s Discover Orange Bowl, live from Miami, Fla. We’ll start blogging 90 minutes before kickoff, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PST, and continue to bring you score updates, live stats and instant analysis throughout the game.

Stanford is getting ready for its first BCS bowl game since the 2000 Rose Bowl, while Virginia Tech is in its third Orange Bowl in the past four seasons. The Cardinal earned an at-large berth by virtue of its No. 4 ranking in the final BCS standings, while the Hokies won the ACC’s automatic Orange Bowl slot with a victory over Florida State in the ACC Championship Game.

You can read our pregame coverage here, including our main preview of tonight’s matchup and a statistical comparison of Stanford and Virginia Tech.