For decades Stanford fans became familiar with a script of how games would play out, especially against ranked or highly regarded opponents. The Cardinal quarterback would lead the offense in a high-scoring game, but the defense couldn't make a critical stop, and time would run out. How the 41-38 loss to Washington State played out Saturday was like walking through a time machine. Stanford's coaches made the right call to go a pass-first strategy with a faster pace to get KJ Costello and the offense in a rhythm early. The result was that the offense scored 28 points in the first half and the positive momentum was clearly visible among the players. Stanford's offense stalled to only 10 points in the second half, but 38 points ties the highest scoring output of the season. The Cardinal defense couldn't make a critical stop when needed in the final 1:25 of the game. Washington State's Gardner Minshew made minced meat of Stanford's defense and there was a feeling of inevitability that he was given too much time for a go-ahead drive. The parts that looked familiar from Stanford's video archives was a defense trying , but too often failing, to limit big plays -- Washington State had nine of at least 15 yards and three of at least 33 yards -- and an offense that needed to go through the air to keep up. It nearly worked. But the fact it didn't put the Cardinal in chase position for the North Division title and not much optimism that the leader (the Cougars) will crash.

Offense Overall Pass O Pass Block Run O Run Block Hall 76.3 (70) N/A 85 N/A 68.4 Little 75.8 (72) N/A 89.2 N/A 64.6 Costello 75.3 (72) 76.1 N/A 58.8 N/A Love 74.8 (36) 57.5 81.4 81.4 60 Smith 71.3 (68) 70.5 71.3 N/A 58.6 Dalman 68 (31) N/A 59.4 N/A 70.3 Harrington 67.9 (12) 57.7 66.8 N/A 69 JJAW 66.8 (52) 66.1 N/A N/A 60.4 Heimuli 65.3 (4) 77.7 N/A N/A 58.7 Irwin 63.4 (54) 63 N/A N/A 61.1 Burkett 61.3 (70) N/A 56.9 N/A 61.6 Hamilton 60.7 (52) N/A 75 N/A 53.4 Scarlett 60.1 (15) 57.4 78 58.7 N/A Williams 60 (2) N/A N/A N/A 59.3 Chaffin 60 (2) N/A 68.1 N/A 60 N. Wilson 60 (3) N/A 71 N/A 59.3 Fanaika 58 (63) N/A 72.8 N/A 57.4 Fisk 57.9 (17) N/A 71.5 N/A 53.8 St. Brown 57.9 (13) 54.3 N/A N/A 80.9 M. Wilson 56.3 (6) 56.9 N/A N/A N/A Powell 51.6 (3) N/A 68 N/A 59.7 Speights 50.3 (21) 55.7 78.6 50 60 Parkinson 48.2 (54) 48.5 N/A N/A 60.3

After the game fifth-year center Jesse Burkett credited the faster pace of play calling and getting to the line for helping the Cardinal better counter Washington State's pre-snap movement. The Cougar defensive linemen often did their shift and the Cardinal had plenty of time left before the snap. That was a factor that helped create clean pockets and the best combined performance by Stanford's tackles Walker Little and A.T. Hall this season. And it was Stanford's best overall pass blocking grade (87.3) since UC Davis (90.8) and the top score against an FBS opponent. It helps that Washington State pass rush terror Hercules Mata'afa is gone, but that rating was accomplished without Nate Herbig (79.3 season pass blocking grade) and rotating Drew Dalman and Devery Hamilton at right guard.

Little's score is his third straight in the 80s and it's been an improving number each week. He has played through a shoulder injury and weathered a frustrating series of games. He has the skill set to excel in an offense that throws the ball 40 or more times in a game. Costello's stat line ( 34-of-43 for 323 yards and four touchdowns) suggested it should be a score higher than 75.3. But playing quarterback is not fair and grading the position can largely be determined by a couple plays in a game. Costello's fumble gave Washington State a short field to score a touchdown. That play also dramatically affected Burkett's grade because it was his man who caused the fumble. Also, Costello's much discussed checkdown throw to Bryce Love on fourth and three was a major negative play in his column. It was a throw short of the sticks, with no pressure that warranted the decision. He also missed Colby Parkinson up the seam on a drive that surrendered Stanford's chance to go up 38-31 in the fourth quarter rather than trail by that score. Love's best run offense grade of the season was largely the result of one play: The 43-yard run out of shotgun on first down. Six of the previous seven first-down plays were pass attempts. Arcega-Whiteside's overall run block grade was solid, but he put in a great effort to help set Love loose on that 43-yard gain. There is a hard line of separation after Arcega-Whiteside, Smith and Irwin in receiving yards and pass offense grades. They accounted for 303 of Costello's 323 yards. The frustrating part of Parkinson's low grade (58.8 for the season) is that there have been times Costello has forced the ball to him for incompletions and also times he's missed seeing Parkinson when he's open. The grades from the Washington State game reinforce what has long been apparent this season: Pass blocking is the line's strength; Costello doesn't have to be great for the passing game to be and it's difficult to stop Stanford's top trio of pass catchers. And it showed that in a supporting role the run game can be effective (5.2 YPC) if there are enough times Stanford breaks its formational trends.

Defense Overall Run D Tackling Pass Rush Coverage Fox 74.6 (51) 68.9 80.1 62.1 77.9 Toohill 72 (23) 63.4 76 62.1 72 Adebo 69.7 (70) 65.7 83.5 N/A 69.1 Buncom 68.6 (70) 49.2 81.7 60 72.5 Murphy 65.7 (70) 70.5 53.3 60 64.1 Okereke 65 (67) 69.2 55.6 61.6 62.1 Booker 64.5 (24) 63.2 22.2 68.9 60 Williams 63 (33) 63.6 71.9 59 60 Jackson 61.2 (55) 61.6 72 59 60 Fox 60 (1) N/A N/A 59.9 N/A Eboh 58.4 (25) 60 N/A N/A 58.2 Reid 58.2 (64) 61.7 41.6 59.4 52.7 Barton 57.7 (51) 86.2 68.3 62.1 45 Swann 56.5 (31) 69.8 69.7 55 N/A Branch 53.3 (20) 62.6 25 46.7 56.7 Antoine 51.4 (70) 68.4 42.5 N/A 48 Holder 45.6 (45) 65 42.6 N/A 44