This past Saturday, the Washington Huskies managed only a measly 2.7 yards per play, but Stanford's offense and kicking game both bumbled their way to performances so shaky that the Cardinal were flirting with defeat until the final gun.

That description of Stanford's 20-13 victory probably sounds familiar because it has applied to a bevy of recent Cardinal games. Stanford has done a plethora of things well over the past two seasons, but offensive performance in scoring range is not on the list of positives.

Stanford's Red Zone Performance QB/Year RZ Scoring Efficiency RZ TD Efficiency Andrew Luck (2011) 97% 77% Josh Nunes (2012) 74% 52% Kevin Hogan (2012) 100% 73% Kevin Hogan (2013) 90% 53% Kevin Hogan (2014) 63% 42%

This might seem preposterous given the current struggles, but when it came to red zone scoring efficiency in 2011, Stanford was the nation's No. 1 team. Fast-forward less than three years to experience the jarring drop-off: The Cardinal have tumbled to No. 121 in that category (and there are only 128 FBS teams).

In 2011, Stanford scored on 97 percent of its trips to the red zone. Through two Pac-12 games so far this season, the Cardinal have converted red zone opportunities into points only 50 percent of the time (Icing on the cake: Against USC, Stanford managed only 10 points despite reaching the Trojans' 35-yard line nine times).

But while the numbers are gruesome, the ending of the game in Seattle should make Stanford optimistic about carrying offensive improvement into South Bend. Though it seemed an invisible brick wall was protecting Washington's end zone for three-and-a-half quarters (a bulldozer named Ty Montgomery rammed through it once), the Cardinal appeared to rediscover their formula of red zone success in one late drive against the Huskies.

Let Hogan be Hogan?

A surface-level look may associate Stanford's dramatic plunge in red zone productivity with Andrew Luck's departure to the NFL. Upon a closer look, though, the story here isn't that simple, because the offense's ability to score at close range didn't truly fall off a cliff until several games into Kevin Hogan's tenure. Case in point: Hogan actually pushed the Cardinal attack to a 100 percent red zone scoring rate after he took over in 2012. It wasn't until 2013 and this early 2014 stretch that Stanford turned into an inconsistent, bewildered mess when it approached the end zone.

The Cardinal lacked their usual tight end threat last year, and they're missing the 220-pound bell cow (Tyler Gaffney, now with the New England Patriots) that they'd grown accustomed to at running back this year. Though there's still enviable talent all over the offensive formation, it almost seems as if Stanford's shifts of positional strength the past two seasons have led to uncertainty in the pressure cooker of the red zone.

The current wishy-washiness in scoring range contrasts starkly with the simple, effective philosophy Stanford showed during Hogan's first year: Power runs bruised opposing defenses and lured them into overcommitment on the inside before well-timed play-action took full advantage of Hogan's athleticism and big targets on the outside. The Cardinal are now implementing a wide range of new looks and formations, but more hasn't meant merrier. It's been tough to identify Stanford's offensive backbone in the red zone, and Hogan's play there has suffered as he's been forced to deliver in situations outside of his comfort zone. The drastic statistical drop-off reflects this.

Some change was finally evident during that game-winning drive at Washington, though. The Cardinal simplified their approach in a 13-13 tie. For two pivotal plays, it felt like old times again: A rapidly-improving offensive line paved the way for 12 yards from Kelsey Young on the inside. From the 5-yard line, Stanford reintroduced its heavy-duty bunch formation, suckering Washington -- anticipating yet another interior run -- to the middle. That set the table for a deceptive yet beautifully simple play call, one that put Hogan right in his element of athleticism: He sprinted right and beat the lone Husky defender to the pylon for the game-winning score.

Stanford's return to its bread and butter let Kevin Hogan be Kevin Hogan, the athletic quarterback who has a nose for big plays whenever he's on the move against a defense preoccupied with the hand-off. More of the same will be critical in Saturday's showdown at No. 8 Notre Dame. Against a potent opponent, Stanford would be wise to avoid over-reliance on its defense, and that can only happen if its offense returns to a decisive, dominant 2012 form at close scoring range.