PASADENA, Calif. -- Deciding whether to enter the 2014 NFL Draft was the last thing on Stanford left guard David Yankey's mind, not after the Cardinal were stopped on fourth-and-1 by Michigan State to end the 100th Rose Bowl.
"Right now I'm just thinking about the whole game and everything," Yankey said. "I'm not even thinking about the future. In the coming days and weeks we'll figure all that out."
The fullback dive by Ryan Hewitt was stuffed by linebacker Kyler Elsworth and defensive end Shilique Calhoun.
"I took a shot at it. Kyler was able to get there a little bit quicker than me," Calhoun said.
The final stop proved to be the summation of a disappointing outing for what was regarded as one of the best offensive lines in college football. Running back Tyler Gaffney had runs of 16 and 47 yards in the first quarter, but his other 19 carries netted just 28 yards.
"A team like that is going to adjust," quarterback Kevin Hogan said. "They filled the holes and ran through the gaps and did a good job. They had a great game plan for us."
The Cardinal finished with 162 yards on the ground, its second-lowest total this season. That inability to run the ball consistently kept Stanford in third-and-long situations all afternoon, allowing the Spartans' vaunted No Fly Zone secondary to take control.
"Big respect to that offensive line," Calhoun said. "They are a great group of guys. All through the game they kept playing tough, but we're a fearless team. We want to be the aggressor. We were happy to accept the challenge."
"They were the No. 1 defense in the nation for a reason and they were able to play their style," Yankey said. "All credit to them."
None of the other notable Stanford draft-eligible juniors, a group that includes safety Ed Reynolds, wide receiver Ty Montgomery and linebacker A.J. Tarpley, made any announcement about the future Wednesday.
Tarpley told the Bootleg he would make a decision in the next 10 days, while defensive end Henry Anderson said a determination whether to return for his senior season would be coming soon.
Those around the program expect Yankey and Reynolds to move on, with the rest returning to try and defend their Pac-12 championship for a third consecutive season.
Yankey (6-foot-5, 313 pounds) is regarded as one of the top guards that could be available in the draft, showing good power and footwork in Stanford's trademark power running game. He also has experience at left tackle.
But none of that pedigree came through when Stanford needed it, Hewitt ending up a half-yard short behind Yankey's side of the line.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
