The Bootleg talked with Gaffney after a recent practice to get his perspective on the
team’s rushing performance against California and what it’s like to run the Wildcat.
The Bootleg: What would your assessment of the run game against Cal be?
Tyler Gaffney: It was good. We got enough—the big plays weren’t there, they were hanging
back a lot, but we were getting enough yards to open up the pass, which obviously worked. We
had little mistakes in catching passes but it felt good.
Can you talk a little bit about playing in the Wildcat? It seems like you’re the only one
out of the four running backs who runs that formation.
TG: Coach Shaw came up with it in the spring and mentioned it to me. We came out in the
summer and worked on it a little bit. I liked it, he said he liked me running it, and we kept with it
and now we’re here today.
Do you ever throw passes out of that formation?
TG: I haven’t. I’ve never thrown a pass. I don’t think the arm is ready for that.
It seems like you’ve been using it less recently. Is that the case?
TG: We haven’t really needed it, I guess. But it’s still in the game plan—it’s been in the
game plan every week—and sometimes we resort to it and sometimes we don’t.
Can you talk a little bit about Manti Te’o? Are you worried at all about going up against
him?
TG: He’s very good. He’s the top linebacker in the nation—one of the top. But he’s just
another player—you can stop him. We have guys that we trust that can stop him. He is on the
back of everyone’s mind, but he’s not too much of a concern.
What’s the toughest defense you’ve played so far?
TG: I don’t know, to be honest. They’re all a blur at this point. I can only remember Cal, if
anything.
What do you think of the new uniforms?
TG: They’re awesome. Stanford doesn’t do this kind of thing a lot, but these uniforms are
pretty damn cool.
Do you think it will have any effect on recruiting?
TG: Maybe. If a guy’s trying to come to a school, though, for a uniform, or choose any
school for a uniform, then we don’t know if we want that guy.
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