Pac-12 Football: Stanford's Train Horn Will Be Silenced by Washington State

The echo of Stanford’s signature train horn following every touchdown could soon be lost in translation when Washington State figures out the Cardinal’s apparent vulnerabilities. For the most part, their defense is quite sturdy, although it is known to crack under pressure and malfunction from time to time.

Consider last Saturday’s upset where two Cardinal defensive backs completely failed their assignment. Such folly gave Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson the opportunity to find tight end Ben Koyack in the end zone for the winning touchdown. As tragic as the blown coverage was for Stanford, the strength of the defense has always been the linchpin of its success.

Now, their offense is another story. That’s where Stanford is most vulnerable. Their 45-0 blowout against UC Davis in Week 2 should be disregarded. Their 35-0 win against Army in Week 4 doesn’t count either. Those numbers are skewed simply because of the ridiculous matchups. Realistically, UC Davis and Army shouldn’t have even been on the same field as Stanford.

The matchup against much more competitive programs such as USC and Notre Dame told an entirely different story on the scoreboard. The Trojans held the Cardinal to only 10 points whereas Notre Dame allowed it only 14 points and 1.5 yards per carry. Of course, both resulted as a loss for the Pac-12 champions.

Of the many weaknesses on the Cardinal’s offense, the offensive line is often unreliable. The overwhelming pressure of a rushing defense makes QB Kevin Hogan susceptible to constant sacks and turnovers. Yes, he is still capable of creating big plays when it counts, but he lacks consistency.

Recent Stanford defeats have shown that shutting down Ty Montgomery poses a huge threat for the Cardinal. This includes limiting his production by kicking away from the Stanford WR on special teams. To add to their often failing offense, Stanford’s running backs aren’t nearly as productive as they’d like to be.

If Washington State capitalizes on these precious anecdotes consistently for four full quarters of football, the outcome will inevitably weigh in their favor. Surely coach Mike Leach and the Cougars have watched the tapes and made the proper adjustments that will expose Stanford’s vulnerabilities.

These adjustments included relinquishing special teams coordinator Eric Russell from his duties following kicker Quentin Breshears’ missed 19-yard field goal which cost them the game against California.

To sweeten the pot, a win against Stanford will look good on Connor Halliday’s resume, considering the fact that he recently broke an NCAA record by throwing 734 yards in a single game. If Washington State pounds away at Stanford’s offense and takes advantage of their self-inflicted wounds, the celebratory Cardinal horn will quietly fade into the winds of disappointment.

Mark Boone is an NCAA-Football/Pac-12 Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkBoone99, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.