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2013 Rose Bowl: Stanford's Kevin Hogan could be key against Wisconsin

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan wasn't named the starter until the 10th week of the Cardinal's season, but when he was, made the most of the opportunity. Hogan went 4-0 as a starter, including a victory over No. 1 ranked Oregon on the road.

By Aaron Torres
Ezra Shaw

It took Stanford 10 games to insert Kevin Hogan as their starting quarterback, but once they did, his play helped the Cardinal clinch a spot in Tuesday's Rose Bowl against Wisconsin. Hogan went 4-0 as a starter, including an upset at No. 1 ranked Oregon and a Pac-12 title game win over UCLA.

This week Stanford head coach David Shaw explained to reporters why he waited so long to put Hogan into the starting line-up. Here are Shaw's quotes, via the San Jose Mercury News:

"Trust me, I've answered 10 different versions of that question. The bottom line? He was not ready to play," said Shaw, who credited offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton with finding the best way to explain it: "Do you want fine wine or grape juice? Sometimes you have to let a player mature."

Hogan, who redshirted as a freshman last year has certainly matured in his first full season on the field. He threw just one pass in Stanford's first eight games of the season, before eventually splitting time with Josh Nunes under center against Colorado on November 3.

The following week Hogan was named the starter and never looked back. He finished the regular season with 973 yards and nine touchdowns, and all four of his starts resulted in wins.

Hogan's most recent start- against UCLA in the Pac-12 title game- put Stanford in the Rose Bowl, where they'll face Wisconsin on Tuesday. Game-time is set for 2:00 p.m. PT on ESPN.