Sometimes, a good old-fashioned ass whooping is the best motivator.

In 1990, Stanford was finally turning things around and finding some success behind players like Jason Palumbis, Ron George, Dave Garnett, Tom Williams, Glyn Milburn, Chris Walsh, Chris Dalman, Darrien Gordon and John Hopkins (to name more than a few). The 1991 season began with high hopes and a very brutal, front-loaded schedule to kick things off.

It was after a rough start out of the gates, combined with an injury to starting quarterback Jason Palumbis, that all eyes turned to an unknown, unproven young QB named Steve Stenstrom.

As hopeful a prospect as the new quarterback was, the team started 1-3. Try to imagine that kind of record in these successful days, and the panic it may cause. Back then, all seemed lost, but Denny Green knew otherwise.

He gave a rousing speech after a crushing defeat, claiming, "We are now the Now Boys, the legend begins (a nod to historical Cardinal squads like the Vow Boys or the Wow Boys). I’m certain Coach Shaw remembers this moment well, as he was in the locker room wearing #84. Stanford went on to win the rest of their games that season --- and would have beat Georgia Tech in the Aloha Bowl game had the officials called either of two illegal blocks on the punt return late in the 4th quarter. It didn’t help that "Touchdown" Tommy Vardell broke his collarbone early in the match. The point here, is that the team came together and turned things around. I think every season brings about one to three of these moments, where a unified purpose is renewed to move forward.

The Pac-12 conference is extremely competitive this year, and I get the feeling that nobody is going undefeated out here in the Wild West for a good long while. A loss for the Cardinal seemed inevitable. A blowout loss like the one Stanford suffered on a Friday night in Seattle was a surprise, but perhaps it will serve purpose.

Moving on to Washington State, after having been thoroughly outplayed in every facet of the game by the charged up Huskies, we get to find out a lot about the team’s resolve, character, and determination. It’s only after a failure that you really get to learn about the inner fortitude, and I think the Cardinal will bounce back in a big way. Everybody cross your fingers that our two starting corners will make a strong return for this one, considering that pass-happy Cougar offense.

There is still a lot of season to go, and many ups and downs are inevitable. As it’s been said (and written) many, many times, Stanford will go where the running game takes us, but we are going to need a more consistent pass rush to get far. It would be great if the Tight Ends were more involved in the passing game, and for Bryce Love to get more touches to take some heat off the WildCaff.

So many people have been asking me if I think Chryst should get to play for more than one series in the next few games, and my answer is that only Coach Shaw’s opinion matters for that question. It’s the same for any sort injury details or status, the question is pointless, since it’s only his decision that will affect the game. That’s that way it is, and the way it should be. Still, it’s kind of funny how Harbaugh brought about the usual hockey injury jargon (upper body injury, etc.) into the football fold.

BEAT WSU!