Technically, Christian McCaffrey made the wrong decision early in Stanford’s 26-13 win over Kansas State: He fielded a punt perilously close to his own end zone, surrounded by defenders -- typically a no-no on both fronts.

"There's a reason why there are no 97-yard punt returns," Stanford coach David Shaw said after the game, smiling. "And that's because you should not catch the ball on the 3-yard line."

But even when McCaffrey does something technically wrong, it ends up spectacularly right.

The highlight of McCaffrey's night came as he spun and slipped out of certain doom, breaking eight tackles on a 97-yard score. A penalty nullified the touchdown, but the point was made: with a skill set like McCaffrey's, oftentimes it's best not to play by the book.

"Wow, that was the best punt return that doesn't count that I've ever seen," Shaw said. "He's a special young man, and sometimes they're so special that they override their own mistakes."

And it is precisely McCaffrey's ability to override mistakes that is Stanford's trump card this season, especially as it acclimates to new faces at key positions during its challenging early-season stretch.

The Cardinal offense showed both a perfect side and an inept one during its season-opening victory over the Wildcats. New starting quarterback Ryan Burns was a flawless 9-for-9 for 124 yards in the first half.

"He did awesome," McCaffrey said. "I think he handled himself great. He made some awesome reads and some awesome checks."

But after that efficient start, in which Stanford kept Kansas State as off-balance as defenses in the height of the Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan eras, the Cardinal managed only 1.8 yards per play in a third quarter. That, combined with a fumble on a botched Burns-to-McCaffrey handoff, allowed the Wildcats back into the game.

Matters got truly hairy in the fourth, but that's when McCaffrey -- on cue -- overrode mistakes. He ripped 41 yards through a crease and into the end zone, restoring order to seal Stanford's win.

"I saw a big hole, and the rest was green grass," McCaffrey said.

It's fair to call McCaffrey the Cardinal's get-out-of-jail-free card -- and a devastatingly effective one at that.

With so many trusted players gone at key positions -- see the likes of Hogan, Joshua Garnett, Kyle Murphy, Graham Shuler, Austin Hooper, and Devon Cajuste -- Stanford expected to face an adjustment period on the offensive end. Friday's uneven efficiency was just the first sample of that challenge: Now, after a bye week, the Cardinal face the five-game gauntlet of USC, UCLA, Washington, Washington State, and Notre Dame.

Those are certainly not forgiving training grounds for a crew filled with fresh faces.

But the luxury of McCaffrey's presence -- he finished with 126 rushing yards on 5.7 yards per carry even in the teeth of a Kansas State defense that was very clearly focused on him -- will undoubtedly continue to give Stanford a crutch during the transition. The return of backfield mate Bryce Love, which may come against USC in two weeks, should further ready the Cardinal for the challenge.

"We've just set the bar for where we are and now in two weeks it's got to be higher," Shaw said. "I don't know how high we can get it, but it's got to be higher than it was [Friday]."

The first half against Kansas State especially showed that Stanford might have the potential to be even more explosive than 2015, when it averaged a conference-best 40.9 points per game in Pac-12 play. That's how steady Burns was, offering the perfect complement to McCaffrey's explosiveness.

The Cardinal challenge now is consistently applying that efficiency moving forward. That road won't be easy, but Stanford may not have to follow the speed limit on it. That's the luxury of having a player like McCaffrey, who's showing that the standard way of doing things doesn't necessarily apply to him -- or his team, for that matter.