Paul Myerberg

USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE — Breaking down No. 14 Stanford's 20-13 win Saturday at Washington:

THE BIG PICTURE: Those crucial flaws seen so brightly in Stanford's earlier loss to USC were again evident in the Cardinal's seven-point victory at Washington, which had its own faults yet remained within 30 yards of tying the game late in the fourth quarter. The offense again failed in key scoring chances: Stanford missed a 46-yard field goal and fumbled it away during a red-zone trip early in the fourth quarter. The running game continued to find tough sledding inside the box, leaving quarterback Kevin Hogan as the team's primary tool between the tackles.

Most of the Cardinal's big-play gains came on broken plays in coverage, leaving a receiver open along either sideline, more than 10 yards removed from the nearest defender. While the defense again carried the day — this defense seems absolutely vintage — the offense is missing a crucial ingredient: a killer instinct. Against a young Washington team still finding its way under Chris Petersen, an elite defense, one big play on special teams and a mediocre offense was enough to carry the day.

WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT: With one month of the season complete — with Stanford now 3-1, 1-1 in Pac-12 play — it's fair to ask the question: Does this team have what it takes to unseat Oregon in the North Division? The Ducks' body of work has been impressive; that win against Michigan State stands as the most impressive victory of the nonconference season. Stanford, meanwhile, has been vulnerable in each of its two dates with Pac-12 competition.

One thing is clear: Stanford's offense must improve before taking on Notre Dame next Saturday, let alone the Ducks — on the road — on Nov. 1. In specific, Stanford must locate more cohesiveness up front, long the offense's clear strength but a weak link through four games. Perhaps the offensive front is young enough to project steady improvement during the next month.

THE DECIDING PLAY: It seemed like just a matter of time before Petersen opened up his bag of tricks to aid a sputtering offense. The moment came with less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter: Facing fourth down near midfield, UW opted for a fake punt, dialing up linebacker — and occasional running back — Shaq Thompson, who had scored on a fumble return during the second quarter. Thompson's foray into the Stanford coverage team failed, giving the Cardinal possession on the UW side of midfield and setting up quarterback Kevin Hogan's go-ahead touchdown run with 4:29 left in the game.

KEY STAT: Washington went into halftime tied with Stanford despite achieving almost nothing of consequence offensively. The Huskies had just seven first downs and 90 yards of offense and had accumulated 60 yards in penalties. Despite the box-score disadvantage — and thanks to linebacker Shaq Thompson's heady strip and score in the second quarter — UW and the Cardinal left for the locker rooms deadlocked at 13-13.