The Cardinal carries high hopes into the 2010 season following its 8-5 campaign of 2009. Toby Gerhart, the bruising running back who waged a strong Heisman Trophy candidacy in 2009, has moved on to the NFL. But talented quarterback Andrew Luck returns, as do a number of other potent weapons from coach Jim Harbaugh's offense.
How well Stanford performs could ultimately rest in the hands of a defense that struggled mightily for most of last season. Longtime NFL assistant Vic Fangio has been brought in to remedy the situation
In 2009, Stanford managed its first winning season and first bowl appearance since 2001. The campaign ended with a 31-27 loss to Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl — a game Luck missed because of a finger injury.
Coach Jim Harbaugh's Cardinal will next try to nail down its first bowl victory since 1996. But to do so, the team will have to navigate its way through a formidable Pac-10 Conference schedule in addition to playing non-conference games vs. Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
Stanford opens its season Sept. 4 against Cal State Sacramento, then starts conference play the next week at UCLA.
Luck Likely to Carry Larger Load
In just one season at Stanford, Luck transformed himself into a first-round NFL draft prospect. The 6-foot-4 235-pound redshirt sophomore has size, strength, agility and a solid arm. In 2009, Luck completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns with 13 interceptions against only four interceptions. He also rushed for 354 yards and a pair of TDs.
Luck's emergence was one of the main reasons Stanford ranked among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision leaders in scoring (35.5 points per game) and total offense (427.6 yards). But the Cardinal had the big, durable Gerhart to carry the load, and he responded by topping the FBS in rushing yards (1,871).
But Stanford now has a highly untried cast of running backs, and it's likely to depend more heavily on the arm — and perhaps legs — of Luck. He was, after all, Stanford's second-leading rusher last season.
Stanford Experienced at Receiver, Offensive Line
Stepfan Taylor (314 yards, 2 TDs) performed soundly while backing up Gerhart last season. He can be expected to get more carries in 2010, but not nearly as many as Gerhart. Jeremy Stewart and Tyler Gaffney could also be in the mix.
Matters will be made easier by the return of Chase Beeler, David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin and Andrew Phillips — four of Stanford's five starting offensive linemen from 2009. That line, incidentally, allowed only seven sacks last season — second fewest in the FBS.
Also back are wide receivers Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu. Whalen paced the Cardinals with 57 catches for 926 yards. The more-explosive Owusu had 37 catches for 682 yards, averaging 18.4 yards per catch and hauling in a team-best five TD passes.
Owusu also ranked fifth nationally in kickoff returns with a 31.5-yard average and scored three TDs. He'll be part of a seasoned special teams crew that also includes kicker Nate Whitaker. punter David Green and punt returner Richard Sherman.
But Can Cardinal Play Defense?
Fangio is a 24-year NFL veteran who has served as defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. Most recently, he was a special assistant and linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens under Harbaugh's brother John.
Stanford ranked 90th nationally in total defense last year, when defensive coordinating duties were shared by Ron Lynn and the since-departed Andy Buh. The Cardinal was especially vulnerable against the pass, allowing 264.8 yards per game to rank 110th of 120 FBS teams.
One of Fangio's first moves has been to install a 3-4 defense. Defensive ends Thomas Keiser (team-high 9 sacks) and Case Baker will be outside linebackers in the new system. The inside backers include productive sophomore Shayne Skov and Owen Marecic, formerly a standout fullback.
Other key returners include safety Delano Howell, cornerbacks Richard Sherrman and Johnson Bademosi, linebacker Chike Amajoyi and defensive lineman Sione Fua.
Indiana Player Heads Stanford's 2010 Recruiting Class
Stanford is bound to get at least some help from its incoming freshmen this year, and one who could provide immediate help is Blake Lueders. The defensive end from Indiana was ranked No. 10 nationally at his position by Scout.com.
Stanford's recruiting class was ranked No. 24 by Scout.com and No. 26 by Rivals.com. Other standout members of the group include quarterbacks Brett Nottingham and Dallas Lloyd, running back Anthony Wilkerson, defensive backs Ricky Seale and Devon Carrington, and offensive lineman Dillon Bonnell.
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
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