2010 Stanford Football
Preview for www.collegefootballzealots.blogspot.com
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the
Stanford team?
Strengths:
Obviously, it helps to start out with QB Andrew Luck (#12), Scout.com’s 2009
National Freshman of the Year, who should be even better in 2010 with a year of
playing experience under his belt. Luck will benefit greatly from the return of
most of the offensive line [plus outstanding senior fullback Owen Marecic (#48)] that paved the way
for NFL-bound Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart. Defensively, outside linebackers Thomas Keiser (#94), who led the team
with 9.0 sacks in ’09, and Chase Thomas
(#93) are solid, but they are changing positions in the transition to a 3-4
defense. KR Chris Owusu (#81) has sprinter-class speed and is a
legitimate threat to score any time a team decides to kick to him. He averaged
31.5 yards per return and took three back for TDs in the first four games of the
2009 season. One simply can't underestimate the dramatic impact of a
superior kick-return game. Stanford finished third in the country in
kickoff return average last year and enjoyed its first winning season in
eight years. The other four schools in the top five in kick return average
produced a combined record of 51-3! Everyone knows field position is
half the battle!
Weaknesses: Offensively, there are not a lot of
holes, even with the departure of the amazing Gerhart and his 28 rushing TDs.
Depth in the defensive front seven, which lost standout veterans Erik Lorig, Ekom Udofia, Will Powers, and
Clinton Snyder, remains a legitimate concern. The young
secondary, which lost a ball-hawking playmaker in veteran safety Bo McNally (#22) to graduation, needs to improve its pass coverage
(Oklahoma managed an alarming 20 passing first downs in the 2009 Brut Sun Bowl
using their backup quarterback), but overall, the group could experience a
moderate upgrade. We simply can't meet our ambitious team goals while ranking
98th in the FBS in pass efficiency defense and 110th in
passing yards allowed. In fairness, the 2009 Stanford defense certainly played
very well at times, but you can't surrender an average of more than 400 yards
per game (and a total of 23 passing touchdowns) and expect to win every week. If
the 2010 spring game is any indication, new Defensive Coordinator Vic
Fangio, a very experienced NFL veteran, seems determined to produce
dramatic improvement in 2010. One
clear goal for this coming season will be to achieve a vast improvement in the
Cardinal's turnover margin (17/17). During the 2009 season, 36 FBS
defenses, managed to generate at least 25 total turnovers. If you ask me, that
ought to be on the whiteboard as a reasonable 2010
goal.
Looking
at the schedule, who will be the first major test and
why?
Not
to disrespect to our opening FCS opponent Sacramento State (they are moving
toward becoming FBS and conceivably could end up in the WAC), but the first true
test should be Game 2 against UCLA
at the Rose Bowl, a traditional conference rival with similar overall talent,
although I expect Stanford’s veteran offensive line to compare favorably and
make the difference in the game. The two programs cross paths a lot on the
recruiting trail and many of Stanford’s players come from Southern California,
so it will be seen as a statement-making opportunity by each school. As Cardinal
fans will painfully recall,
Stanford essentially gave away the game in Pasadena two years ago,
settling for a field goal with 2:31 left and then miserably surrendering a
last-minute 87-yard game-winning drive against a decidedly mediocre Bruin
quarterback in Kevin Craft (Kevin who?). “Air Cardinal” managed
all of 51 net passing yards in that contest, which won't happen again with
Andrew Luck around. That dramatic and disappointing result at UCLA could well
represent the most devastating loss of the Jim Harbaugh era and looking back, it
cost the program a bowl appearance in 2008. Time for some good old-fashioned
gridiron redemption.
What
team on the schedule do you fear the most?
As
our dynamic fourth-year Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has said, “We bow to no program!” The revitalized
Stanford Football program has worked very hard to upgrade its talent and be the
team others need to fear. Still, everyone worries about something. I guess we
would dread the thought of losing to Sacramento State. Unlikely, but on any
given Saturday… That would “look” pretty bad and provide an early season
buzz-kill. Oregon will be a tough
challenge and Autzen Stadium is certainly an exciting, if not intimidating place
to play. I would say we ”respect” the Ducks more than “fear” them, but getting a
win at Oregon is never a picnic at the pond. A team that should fear us? Wake Forest. We feel we were the better
team last fall and our guys will be looking to prove themselves this September
18th in the highly-anticipated rematch at Stanford Stadium. That game should be
well-worth the price of admission.
Who is the best
player on your team that nobody talks about?
I
don't know if “nobody talks about him”, but on defense, redshirt junior Thomas Keiser (#94) is a very good football player. Don't
call him "Tom", it is "Thomas". Not sure if he will answer to "Tommy Boy".
Offensively, 6-6, 250-pound TE/WR Coby Fleener (#82) rarely gets a mention, but he is a matchup nightmare and is
solid as a brick wall (just ask former USC safety Taylor Mays). There are not
many true fullbacks in college anymore, but Owen Marecic (#48) is legit. It is fun
to watch him not just block, but demoralize would-be tacklers. Sure-handed,
hard-working WR Ryan Whalen (#8), a
former walk-on, doesn’t get much press outside of the Bay Area. Sure, he wasn't
Texas’ Jordan Shipley, but Whalen came close to producing 1,000-yards receiving
on a team that primarily ran the ball! Expect good things.
Others
deserving greater recognition include fast-rising redshirt sophomore offensive
tackle Jonathan “Moose” Martin (#73)
and redshirt sophomore pass-rushing specialist Chase Thomas (#93). Perhaps the most
tantalizing inside “buzz” has been about towering, but athletic 6-8 redshirt
freshman TE Levine Toilolo (#11) and
his ridiculous red-zone skills. And while he hasn’t seen the field much,
redshirt sophomore Alex Debniak
(#51) is a remarkably fast linebacker who runs the ball too well not to get
some carries – he could be a great candidate for critical short-yardage
situations as well.
Who
is the best offensive player on the team?
Of
the skill players, QB Andrew Luck
(#12). We would not trade him for another current college quarterback.
Skills, arm-strength, brains, leadership, desire – the young man is the real
deal, the complete package. Of the “Bigs”, it would be hard to rank anyone above
outstanding OG David DeCastro
(#52).
Who
is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
That
would probably be sophomore ILB Shayne Skov (#11), because of the strength and aggressiveness Shayne brings to the
field. His enthusiasm is infectious and he is fun to watch. Still has a lot of
remaining upside. The interior d-line group has a couple of formidable studs in
Matt Masifilo (#98) and Sione Fua (#92). These guys are the
backbone of the defense – when Masifilo was out with injury in 2009, the defense
struggled, then improved noticeably when he returned. That has been our
challenge on defense in recent years, not failing to have some quality players,
but just not having enough veteran depth. He has a long way to go, but we might
want to mention ever-intriguing junior
Delano Howell (#26). If Howell, who switched to defense last year, can
improve his coverage skills dramatically, one would have to include the
hard-hitting sophomore safety among the difference-making defensive players. All
of these guys are pretty good bets to play on Sundays.
What player(s)
needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach its full
capability?
It is hard to make up
for the loss of a once-in-a-generation player like Toby Gerhart (#7). We need to reload
with one or both of our terrific sophomore running backs, Stepfan Taylor (#33) and Tyler Gaffney (#25). One of these two
will have to carry a big part of the load for a team that will prefer to stick
with its well-established, smash-mouth style-of-play. Personally, I think Taylor
already has the look of a 1,000-yard rusher. Gaffney, a gifted baseball player
as well, is a tenacious competitor with tremendous potential as a feature back.
We are certainly
hoping for a break-out season from TE Konrad Reuland (#88), but
realistically, it will be nearly impossible to replace graduated TE Jim Dray (#83). The
fact is, we may actually be stronger at the TE position overall with the
availability of talented redshirt freshmen Zach Ertz (#86) and Levine Toilolo (#11) and
the continued emergence of Coby Fleener (#82), who might well be a
legitimate force in the NFL some day. However, as for having a truly
complete TE that was dominant in the run game, able to catch the ball in
the red-zone, and most importantly does not mark for opposing defenses whether
we are running or passing, Jimmy Dray will certainly be missed.
Fifth-year senior James McGillicuddy (#74), a Bootleg favorite, could be the
key to the overall performance of the o-line in ‘10. To get to “full
capability”, it would help to find a greater number of reliable targets for
Luck. We hope to see the emergence of Jamal-Rashad Patterson (#21) or Doug Baldwin (#89) as a fiery, big-play third
receiver. A third-down, multi-purpose back with some serious wiggle would be
helpful as well. Fifth-year senior CB/RS/WR Richard Sherman (#9) is a bit of a
wildcard, a dynamic playmaker who needs to put it all together and have a
monster final year. Personally, I would like to see #9 occasionally at WR. The
Cardinal’s most interesting trump card could come from the successful design of
an optimal role for versatile fifth-year senior QB/WR Alex Loukas (#15), a very skilled
athlete who might allow Stanford to mix it up a bit. Yes, he may see some reps
at safety, but don't be surprised if #15 slips in at QB at some point and nearly
single-handedly wins a game for us. He is, if anything, a fascinating
“x-factor”.
Who
is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year (freshman,
redshirt freshman or JUCO)?
JUCO?
Well, technically, Konrad Reuland
briefly attended a junior college after transferring from Notre Dame, but he
never played football at Saddleback. The last “JUCO player” we had transfer to
Stanford, Blaine Maxfield, arrived
on campus back in 1996. It just isn’t a pool from which our program, from an
academic standpoint, realistically can expect to draw. Redshirt freshman
CB/RB/RS Usua Amanam (#5), the 2008
MaxPreps.com Division I State Player of
the Year (Calif.) and 2008 GoldenStatePreps.com Northern California
Player of the Year, is a very special athlete. He was out last year with an
injury, but should be 100% and ready to turn some heads wherever he ends up on
the field. Of the incoming freshmen (and you never really know anything until
you actually see the kids in fall camp)…well, put it this way, the Cardinal
coaching staff liked incoming RB Anthony Wilkerson even better than 2009-10 Gatorade National Football
Player of the Year Malcolm Jones (UCLA). He is no lock to redshirt in 2010.
In
thinking about the offensive newcomer that might provide the highest impact, it
might surprise some that we would suggest Jordan Williamson, an incoming freshman
place-kicker from Austin, TX. There is a pretty good chance that
Williamson will see the field in 2010. He will certainly be in competition for
the kick-off job. The 150-pounder was absolutely crushing the ball at Stanford’s
kicker camp a year ago. If you think Nate Whitaker (#39) has a big leg (and
indeed he does)....just wait until you see this skinny, but strong-legged lad
from the Lone Star State.
You
asked about this year, but looking out a bit longer-term, Cardinal fans should
keep an eye out for incoming freshman Darren Daniel from Alabama. He had a
fairly modest recruiting profile, but he is a tremendous athlete who could
emerge as the best offensive player on the team at some point. Another future
star is David Yankey from Georgia,
who headlines a stellar four-man class of incoming freshmen offensive
linemen.
Who
is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year (freshman,
redshirt freshman or JUCO)?
This
one is easy - true freshman ILB Blake
Lueders, who originally had committed to Notre Dame before seeing the light.
The Indiana native certainly passes the “eyeball test” with flying colors – dude
already looks like an upperclassman. The Stanford staff is pretty excited. Given
the uncertainty of the current depth chart, redshirt sophomore Harold Bernard (#28) and true freshman
safety Devon Carrington could get
into the mix at safety. We have corners with some experience, but redshirt
freshman Terrence Brown (#6) and
true freshman cornerback Keanu Nelson will have a chance to impress in the fall.
What are your
thoughts on adding Utah and Colorado to the
Pac-10?
Hey,
the current reality is that every college athletic program is desperate to
generate more money. We might have preferred keeping things the way they
have been for the past 32 years. If the “Pac-12” conference officials can figure
out a way for us to continue to play traditional rivals USC & UCLA every
year and makes sure the newcomers understand that you only get four downs in the
Pac-12, I think we may end up liking it, especially if the conference gets a
dedicated network deal. We have some fairly recent football history with both Utah (1989, 1995, 1996) and Colorado (1977, 1987, 1990, 1991,
1993). During basketball season, it should make for some world-class ski/hoops
vacation combos. Other than the mega-money, I don’t think many alumni and fans
really wanted to be in the same conference with Texas and Oklahoma, for a
variety of reasons. We'd rather just meet them in the post-season.
Gut
feeling on the team’s final record at the end of the regular season and what
makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Assuming
the health of our starting QB, the Cardinal should be able to play with anybody.
One challenge will be to adjust to four new members of the coaching staff. To
me, a “successful season” would involve playing everyone tough, improving our
defense, having a winning record in-conference, and getting to another
upper-tier bowl game. Optimistically, I can see anywhere from 8-4 to 10-2 in the
regular season, assuming average attrition from injuries. It is a little hard to
predict how much our defense can improve in the first year of transition to a
new scheme, but the future looks promising. Special teams should continue to be
a major team strength. Not long after he first arrived, Jim Harbaugh boldly predicted that Stanford would be in
a BCS game by 2010. Probably a bit of a stretch, but with a little luck and a
lot of “Luck”, it could happen. After all, Stanford was about three very
make-able plays away from being 11-1 during the 2009 regular season, losing
agonizing nail-biters to Wake Forest, Arizona, and California. Motivation should
not be a problem. Coach Harbaugh likes winning.
We appreciate the
initiative "KevinCFB" showed in stimulating this fun Q&A session. For
more college football previews, please visit www.collegefootballzealots.blogspot.com
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