Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Sometimes, it’s all a matter of perspective. Seven wins for one team looks like progress, while it’s seen as a major disappointment and a step backwards for another program. That’s the case in the Foster Farms Bowl matchup between Stanford and Maryland.
Maryland surprised many people in their inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference. The Terrapins finished the season with a 4-4 record in conference, good for third place in the East division. Maryland’s season was highlighted with a narrow 20-19 victory over neighbor Penn State in a game in which there was a pregame skirmish and Maryland’s captains refused to shake the hands of Penn State’s captains during the coin toss.
Meanwhile, Stanford has been a premiere program the past three years since David Shaw took over for Jim Harbaugh. Shaw’s teams had appeared in three straight BCS bowl games and won at least 11 games in his three seasons in charge of the Cardinal, but Stanford took a major step back this year.
The defense was still rock solid, but the Cardinal’s offense was horrendous for a majority of the year. Stanford was able to salvage their season and postseason eligibility with its best two performances of the season. First, Stanford defeated rival Cal 38-17 to retain “The Axe” for the fifth straight season. The following week, the Cardinal ended UCLA‘s bid for the Pac-12 South title by trouncing the Bruins 31-10 at the Rose Bowl.
In this matchup, the Terrapins will face a huge task in trying to score points against the vaunted Cardinal defense. Stanford is second in the country in points allowed, giving up an average of 16.0 points per game, while Maryland averages 29.1 points per game. If Kevin Hogan and the Stanford offense perform like they did in their last two games, it will be a long day for Maryland.
Hogan, who underperformed for most of the season, helped spark the Cardinal’s offense, going 31-for-39 over the final two games for 448 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another on the ground.
With Maryland having to travel across the country and Stanford being able to play in its own backyard, this will be a tough matchup for the Terrapins. The Cardinal’s defense should harass quarterback C.J. Brown with constant pressure, and the Terrapins won’t be able to muster much on the ground against a Stanford front that only allows 111.8 yards per game.
In the end, the Cardinal will ride their defense once again, while the offense will generate enough points to win comfortably in front of Stanford’s home fans.
Prediction: Stanford 27, Maryland 10
Patrick Leiva is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your network on Google.
