Both quarterback Andrew Luck and head coach David Shaw took home some new hardware on Monday, as Luck was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and Shaw was selected as the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
Thanks to Luck’s sustained excellence, Stanford completed another 11-1 season in Shaw’s first season leading the Cardinal. Under Shaw’s leadership, the Cardinal recorded back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in school history and crafted an offense that currently ranks fifth nationally in scoring (43.58 points per game) and 10th in total offense (480.92 yards per game).
Luck, who broke his own school record with 35 touchdown passes in 2011, is only the fifth player ever to be named the conference’s offensive player of the year in consecutive seasons, joining USC’s Reggie Bush and Charles White, Washington State’s Ruben Mayes and Stanford’s John Elway as the only players to do so.
Luck also broke Elway’s record for most touchdown passes in school history, set a new mark in total offense with 10,218 career yards and now ranks first in school history with 31 wins as a starter.
In addition, Luck’s recognition means the Cardinal has now taken home the award in three consecutive years, after Toby Gerhart won the award in 2009.
Joining the quarterback on the Pac-12’s all-conference first team were tight end Coby Fleener, right guard David DeCastro, left tackle Jonathan Martin, outside linebacker Chase Thomas and safety Delano Howell.
Running back Stepfan Taylor, defensive end Ben Gardner and kicker Jordan Williamson followed by making the Pac-12’s all-conference second team, and nine Cardinal players received honorable mention—linebacker Max Bergen, offensive linemen David Yankey and Cameron Fleming, fullback Ryan Hewitt, defensive tackle Matt Masifilo, wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Drew Terrell, safety Michael Thomas and tight end Levine Toilolo.
Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks was named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year, while USC receiver Marqise Lee and Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas shared Offensive Freshman of the Year honors. USC’s Dion Bailey was named the conference’s Defensive Freshman of the Year.
– Jack Blanchat