Confirming speculations that the open offensive coordinator position would be an internal hire, head coach David Shaw officially announced today that Run-Game Coordinator Mike Bloomgren will take over as Stanford football’s new Andrew Luck Director of Offense.
There was a point in mid-October when Stanford’s goal of claiming the Pac-12 crown seemed a world away. The Cardinal was coming off a tough overtime loss to Notre Dame, a result that was decided by one of the more controversial calls in college football this season. The Fighting Irish had handed the Cardinal its second loss of the year and the once vivid memory of its upset over USC back in late September was fading fast in the rearview mirror. With a host of ranked opponents still left on the grueling backend of its schedule, the outlook on Stanford’s postseason fate at the midpoint of the season was far less sunny than Pasadena.
Football Head Coach David Shaw was named the 2012 Pac-12 Coach of the Year on Monday when the conference awards were announced—24 players earned individual honors as well. In just his second year as Stanford’s head coach, Shaw has now won the award for two straight years. Only three other coaches in conference history have earned the honor in back-to-back seasons.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Stanford football program officially jumped the shark. How exactly did the Cardinal leap from the land of the normal to the… Continue Reading »
While the dust hasn’t even settled from the Stanford football team’s shootout in the Fiesta Bowl, it’s never too early to start looking ahead to 2012.
Three tight ends, seven offensive linemen, few spread formations. The highest time of possession in the conference. No funny pictures. No need for YouTube videos that explain the offense. Just results. So how does one of the nation’s most potent offenses come together without the flashy style and weird formations the Ducks have made so popular?
This week, Stanford (8-0, 6-0 Pac-12) takes on lowly Oregon State (2-6, 2-3). But when you’re deep in the hunt for the national championship, nobody wearing cardinal and white is going to overlook the Beavers.
The No. 7 Cardinal (6-0, 4-0 Pac-12) has yet to make a mistake offensively in the red zone, scoring on all 31 of its drives inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Stanford’s 100-percent conversion rate makes it just one of three teams in the nation that has yet to be stopped inside the 20-yard line on offense this season, along with Mid-American Conference rivals Western Michigan and Ball State.