Plenty of guys go out on top of their profession.

 

Ted Williams hit a home run in the last at-bat of his career. Bobby Jones retired after winning golf’s Grand Slam. Jim Brown walked away from football after making nine straight Pro Bowls.

 

But it’s not often that superstars get a chance to repeat a perfect send-off.

 

For a Stanford fan, the only thing that comes to mind may be former Stanford quarterback John Elway, who retired after winning his second Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

 

But now, it’s Andrew Luck’s turn to see if he can leave college football with one last BCS bowl victory on his record.

 

In Luck’s final game, he’ll try and steer the No. 4 Stanford football team (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) past the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, which features two of the nation’s best offenses and is expected to be one of the season’s best matchups.

 

Despite this being his last game in cardinal and white, the redshirt Junior from Houston said he hasn’t spent too much time reflecting on what will be the climax of his college career.

 

“I’m trying not to get too nostalgic and looking back and getting emotional about things because that will hinder the game,” Luck said. “But I understand it is shortly coming to an end of the college career.”

 

Luck gained national fame last year after he passed up the NFL draft for the opportunity to win a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship, but this time, there won’t be any dramatic returns to The Farm after a BCS bowl win. Even though he fell a hair short of both the national title and the Heisman this season, Luck says he doesn’t rue his decision to return.

 

“No regrets for sure,” he said. “Which is not to say I have enjoyed every minute. There are things you wish you didn’t have to go through. But no regrets.”

 

That said, Luck still has a chance to knock off a Cowboy team that many believe was snubbed out of the national title game to add a final feather to his cap before he heads to the NFL.  In order to do that, though, he’ll likely have to spur the Cardinal offense to put up points at a frenzied pace, as Oklahoma State has lit up the scoreboard like a pinball machine this season.

 

The Cowboys are second in the nation in both points scored, with 49.3 per game, and total passing yards, with 386.3, and have an excellent running game that is easily overshadowed by the potent passing combination of senior quarterback Brandon Weeden and junior wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

 

Weeden, a 28-year-old former minor league baseball player for the New York Yankees, has been nearly flawless this season, completing 72.6 percent of his passes for 4328 yards and 34 touchdowns in the Cowboys’ pass-happy attack.

 

“I think he can make all the throws, monster arm,” Luck said of his quarterback counterpart. “He definitely understands what they are trying to accomplish and I think how he fits into that role… You can tell he has a mastery of the offense.”

 

Weeden’s excellence can also be attributed to Blackmon, who tallied 1336 yards and 15 touchdowns this season en route to winning his second consecutive Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver.

 

“He is the best receiver in the nation,” said Stanford head coach David Shaw. “He is great after the catch. He is a big, physical kid. He makes tough catches look easy.  As soon as his feet hit the ground to jump up to make a catch, he is at full speed… We don’t talk about stopping guys like him; we talk about trying to contain them.”

 

Corralling Blackmon will be a particularly critical point for the Stanford defense, which has had some difficulty stopping big-time receivers this season – for example, USC’s Marqise Lee and Robert Woods combined for 16 catches, 183 yards and two touchdowns, Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd had eight catches for 92 yards and a touchdown, and Cal’s Keenan Allen had six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown.

 

The Cowboys’ pass attack is also complimented by sophomore running back Joseph Randle, who rushed for 1193 yards and 23 touchdowns this year, something that will only heighten the already tall task for the Cardinal defenders.

 

“Traditionally, [with] any defense, you always want to stop the run and make them one dimensional. That’s the huge task, is making them one-dimensional, stopping the run first and taking down the pass,” said senior defensive tackle Matt Masafilo. “The key is for us to be relentless, because [Weeden] does get the ball out quick. “

 

While the Cardinal defense will certainly have its hands full with the Cowboys, Luck also mentioned that the Cardinal offense will need to protect the football at all costs if it expects to win, as Oklahoma State leads the nation with 42 takeaways.

 

“They take a knock for giving up yards.  But when they need to make a play, they make a play… When their team needs a swing, it seems to come from an interception or fumble or a good play from the defense,” Luck said. “We are going to have to be very fastidious about taking care of the football.”

 

Luck has already set a high bar for statement games after leading the Cardinal to a 40-12 victory over Virginia Tech in last year’s Orange Bowl, and with the Cowboys potent offense and opportunistic defense, it won’t be easy to repeat last season’s BCS performance – a performance that would have been a perfect send-off to the NFL.

 

So while Luck has not had his ideal season – no national championship, no Heisman – he has been afforded the rarest of opportunities: the chance to go out on top once again.

 

In typical fashion, though, Luck doesn’t quite see it that way.

 

“I don’t approach the football game trying to make a statement,” he said. “I just want to win.  If that’s the statement in itself, great.”

 

The Cardinal and Cowboys will kick off the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. at the University of Phoenix Stadium at 5:30 p.m. PST today.