Irish American quarterback Kevin Hogan will lead Stanford at Rose Bowl

Unlikely star Hogan bring the Cardinals to Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years

On November 10, Hogan saw his first time starting for the Cardinal against the then-ranked Number 13 Oregon State. He threw a touchdown pass that brought the Cardinal to victory with only 5:07 remaining. Hogan found his hot streak. He played integral roles in the overtime upset of Oregon, and a win over UCLA in pouring rain which gave Hogan the MVP honor for the evening and spot in the Rose Bowl.

Said Hamilton of the pleasant surprise that Hogan turned out to be: “I can't say there was a defining moment in practice or training camp that led us to believe this kid could go out and beat four Top 25 teams, be the MVP of the Pac-12 championship game and lead us to the Rose Bowl. Talent prevailed. He has 'it,' and I define 'it' as instincts and talent. You cannot coach those two attributes."

Hogan started making waves on the field though with impressively quick plays and improvisation, notes Hamilton. "The dynamic we were missing the most was the quarterback's ability to improvise."

Despite Hogan’s impressive contributions to the Cardinal, he remains quiet yet self-assured, much to the dismay of many reporters who would like to pick his brain. When asked if someone had told him in August that he would be starting in the Rose Bowl, he only said "I don't know. That'd be cool?”

And when asked if he felt any nerves prior to the game at the number 1 ranked Oregon, Hogan coolly responded, "No. It's just football."

"He's awesome. He's just cold-blooded," said Cardinal offensive tackle David Yankey. "Nothing fazes him. He's cold-blooded, and I love it."

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised," Shaw said of Hogan's emergence. "But he got there a lot faster than I thought he would."

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Nster.com