Joseph Beyda – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Sat, 13 Jun 2015 18:49:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Joseph Beyda – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Editor’s farewell: Thinking matters https://stanforddaily.com/2015/06/13/editors-farewell-thinking-matters/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/06/13/editors-farewell-thinking-matters/#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2015 18:49:52 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1102050 We need to put our world-class minds to work, not do what’s easy. We need to understand, not jump to conclusions. We need to compromise, not judge.

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Carry That Weight. SAE. The bridge protest. Brock Turner. Joe Lonsdale. Cedro RAs. Divestment. CAPS. FERPA. CS 106A cheating. Med school poisoning. SOCC endorsements. Swastikas. The Band. SAE again. Stanford softball.

That may read like a verse from “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” but that was 2014-15 at Stanford. And it’s only a shortlist.

Some of these events were just plain bad. But many were polarizing, either among students or between students and administrators. Whether you attribute this to activists coming out of the woodworks, administrators clamping down or student publications (old and new) stepping up, you have to agree that this year at Stanford was different.

As a result, discussions have sprung up during spring quarter about how we address the issues that have led to our increasingly divisive campus climate. We’ve heard arguments for listening and for violent resistance, for anonymity and against it.

After a year spent observing each of these events, first as The Daily’s executive editor and then as its editor in chief, I believe that what we really need is more thought.

I came to this conclusion as the result of professor Mark Applebaum’s legendary class “Rock, Sex, and Rebellion.” All quarter long, as we traced the history of rock music through incredibly diverse subgenres — from the blues to punk, from the British Invasion to hip hop — we were expected to identify what qualities, musical and cultural, each genre was “trading on.” A song was never “good” or “bad” because it came from a genre we didn’t enjoy; it was “good” or “bad” because of whether it succeeded in achieving its genre’s goals.

Last Wednesday, on my final day of classes (ever), Applebaum explained his reasoning for this. He wanted us to be able to appreciate music that we didn’t necessarily enjoy. He said that a person who loved country music but hated heavy metal should be able to understand the underlying values and preferences that motivated a person who loved metal but hated country, even if they didn’t share those values and preferences. More broadly, he argued, that’s how the world should work — that’s how we can solve the global problems we’re facing.

And that, to me, is the mindset the Stanford community needs to adopt. Every issue or incident on campus this year was complex, and these things became polarizing when we failed to appreciate the nuances of conflicting views.

Students, you have a decision to make. You can draw caricatures of administrators after an unpopular Title IX decision, or you can work with those administrators on a University task force that takes a major step toward sexual assault policy reform. You can bash someone on Yik Yak because you don’t believe their feelings of discrimination are justified, or you can take the time to talk to a member of that person’s community and understand his or her sensibilities. You can dismiss the claims of a retaliation victim as overly sensitive, or you can consider the implications for our community if reporting is discouraged.

Administrators, you have a decision too. I’m typically the last person to play the transparency card, and unlike some past editors in chief, I’ve found University officials responsive and interested in updating campus when something happens. But at the same time, encouraging a widespread and informed understanding of campus issues is a two-way street. For example, administrators confirmed that CAPS was understaffed, but the University would not provide CAPS’ budget to The Daily; even though we knew that it was a subunit of a subunit of Student Affairs, we were left to guess how much of Student Affairs’ $64.3 million went to mental health services. And while recent University statements on the Band and SAE concisely described the incidents that led to each group being sanctioned, no further details about these investigations’ findings were made public, fostering the fear among students of an overall administrative inquisition.

When it’s not bound by privacy laws, Stanford needs to be more willing to share ugly information. Yes, that means sacrificing its external image in the name of better informing internal conversations. But since even this difficult year on campus was fatal to neither the applicant pool (see: a record 81.1 percent yield rate) nor the donor pool (see: a $128 million projected surplus for 2016), haven’t we proved that Stanford’s public perception can afford to take a few knocks?

Lastly, The Daily has a decision. We can make the excuse that we’re busy Stanford students and just go through the motions, or we can put in whatever time it takes to uncover the tangled — but necessary — truth. More and more often, we’re choosing the latter; my successor, Ashley Westhem, is making investigative journalism her top priority for the fall.

A few years ago, I remember Ed Ngai (a fellow senior and former Daily editor in chief himself) telling me about some residential issue that students were upset about. He was appalled when I told him that I saw college as a place to take a break from such complicated details of adult life; while you’re busy taking 20 units and applying for 10 internships, you can just have the dining hall cook for you, assume the WiFi’s going to work and let someone else write the rules.

Looking back, I’m appalled that I felt that way too, and I wonder if that type of mindset is why the Stanford community didn’t productively address some of the complex issues and incidents it faced this year.

We need to put our world-class minds to work, not do what’s easy. We need to understand, not jump to conclusions. We need to compromise, not judge.

 

Thanks for reading,

Joseph Beyda

President and editor in chief, Volume CCXLVII

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Stanford softball in shambles after infighting, controversial resignation https://stanforddaily.com/2015/05/28/stanford-softball-in-shambles-after-infighting-controversial-resignation/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/05/28/stanford-softball-in-shambles-after-infighting-controversial-resignation/#comments Thu, 28 May 2015 11:14:33 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1101659 Stanford softball's collapse first became evident at the end of the 2014 season, when a faction of the team presented athletic director Bernard Muir with sweeping allegations against 18-year head coach John Rittman -- allegations that have since been disputed by at least half of the team. A group of parents and former players supported those allegations, which also implicated Rittman’s assistants and the team’s trainers. Just 18 days after that contingent met with Muir, Rittman resigned.

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Two weeks ago, Stanford softball did not hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the second consecutive season. After an NCAA tournament streak that lasted 16 years, this was more than just a crack in the facade. It was a sign of a crumbling foundation.

The collapse first became evident at the end of the 2014 season, when a faction of the team presented athletic director Bernard Muir with sweeping allegations against 18-year head coach John Rittman — allegations that have since been disputed by at least half of the team. A group of parents and former players supported those allegations, which also implicated Rittman’s assistants and the team’s trainers. Just 18 days after that contingent met with Muir, Rittman resigned.

Players who were not in that meeting with Muir have since contended that a thorough investigation was not conducted in response to the allegations, and that Rittman’s departure was forced.

The fallout from Rittman’s resignation has resulted in one of the worst seasons in program history, marred by infighting, the midseason departure of three seniors and questions surrounding Muir’s leadership.

 

The meeting with Muir

On May 12, 2014, a group of five parents and 10 players met with Muir. Six of the players had already left the team, graduated or finished their senior season, while the other four were eligible to return for the 2014-15 season.

Stanford softball coach John Rittman (in red) resigned on May 30, 2014 after allegations were brought against him and his coaching staff. (BOB DREBIN/isiphoto.com)
Stanford softball coach John Rittman (in red) resigned on May 30, 2014 after allegations were brought against him and his coaching staff by a group of players and parents. Other players would deny those allegations, but they said that they were not interviewed by athletic director Bernard Muir before Rittman’s resignation. (BOB DREBIN/isiphoto.com)

These “anti-Rittman” players told Muir that five players who supported Rittman’s staff had not been invited to the meeting. They also said they had received permission to speak on behalf of the team’s five freshmen, who were not in attendance; however, most of the freshmen later felt that their views were misrepresented in the meeting with Muir. One of the freshmen said she only had concerns about the team’s trainers but supported the coaching staff, while players at the meeting made allegations against both.

The Daily reached out to all 10 players who attended the meeting with Muir. Each either declined to comment or did not reply to an interview request; Stanford Athletics’ media relations department declined comment on behalf of one player who they said had declined similar requests in the past.

However, 23 pages of notes that were typed by a parent at the meeting — and later distributed to the rest of the team — detail the group’s wide-ranging allegations against Rittman, his coaching staff and the team’s trainers.

The transcript included claims of two NCAA violations, mishandling of alcohol-related incidents, gossiping by assistant coaches, an inappropriate nickname for a player, favoritism, incompetent trainers and depression among players on the team. Players also alleged that trainer Brandon Marcello had made inappropriate comments, touched players’ legs and sides, showed favoritism toward those he found attractive and had an inappropriate relationship with a player.

The player in question called the claims against her “disgusting and untrue.” Marcello and Rittman both declined to comment for this story.

“I appreciate the opportunity to provide further comment,” Rittman, now an assistant coach at Kansas, said in a statement to The Daily, “but I would like to remain in the present and would be happy to talk about my role with the Kansas softball program.”

Click the image for a detailed breakdown of the anti-Rittman group's allegations, and pro-Rittman players' rebuttals to those claims. (DURAN ALVAREZ/The Stanford Daily)
Click the image for a detailed breakdown of the anti-Rittman group’s allegations, and pro-Rittman players’ rebuttals to those claims. (DURAN ALVAREZ/The Stanford Daily)

At the end of the meeting, Muir said that it was the first time he had heard most of the allegations. A parent said that information had previously been brought to Senior Associate Athletics Director Kevin Blue, who supervised the softball program. Both Muir and Blue declined to comment for this story.

On May 12 and May 14, 2014, Blue met with a total of five pro-Rittman players at their request. Though they were concerned that the other meeting was taking place, they did not know what had been alleged, so they said that they didn’t think it was necessary to meet with Muir at the time.

The players said that Blue asked them their thoughts on specific coaches and trainers, but would not say what claims had been made by the anti-Rittman group.

“We told him it was kind of hard to dispute things that we didn’t know were being said,” said then-junior Cassandra Roulund, one of the players who met with Blue.

According to the pro-Rittman players, Blue ended both meetings by assuring them that no rash decision was going to be made, while promising that the investigation would be thorough.

“We felt really reassured that what we did was going to be fine,” said then-junior Hanna Winter, “but we definitely were misled.”

In the 16 days between the second meeting with Blue and Rittman’s May 30, 2014 announcement to the team that he would resign, the pro-Rittman players said they only heard from administrators once more, in an email from Muir about players-only group therapy meetings with a professional counselor. The private meetings focused on group dynamics and favoritism — but not on other allegations that were made against Rittman — and their content was not shared with the administration.

The day that Rittman resigned, a parent who was in the May 12, 2014 meeting with Muir distributed the 23 pages of typed notes that he said covered “some of the things” from that initial session.

Pro-Rittman players were blindsided by most of the claims that had been made about Rittman, his assistant coaches and players who were not in the room. Winter said she had never heard from her teammates about many of the concerns they raised in the meeting with Muir; Roulund added that players were unfairly spoken for, and some of the attendees had told stories from when they weren’t even on the team. Roulund said she thought the meeting was “a witch hunt.”

“There were just little things that I think they were just trying to bring up to see if anything would work, anything would stick, anything would grab the attention of the AD in order to make the story better, or make change happen, or get Coach fired,” Roulund said. “A lot of these had nothing to do with Coach. They were just things that were brought up to try to make a story.”

 

Coaching changes

As a result of the allegations, Marcello became the subject of a Stanford-initiated Title IX investigation conducted by an outside attorney. The investigator interviewed 26 players, coaches and athletic staff. The player who was accused of having a relationship with Marcello was asked by the investigator if the relationship was sexual in nature; she said it was not.

“I don’t ever want to take away [from] how women feel about sexual harassment,” the accused player told The Daily. “As a woman, I respect that, and as a woman, I would stand up for women.

“But I was one of the women they used in these accusations, and I can tell you that it’s absolutely not true. And seeing the other side of that, and seeing the result, and the consequences of these false accusations, is just heinous, and horrendous, and it’s just unfair.”

Trainer Brandon Marcello (right) was accused of inappropriate comments and contact with Stanford softball players, and an inappropriate relationship with one player. The player in question called the claims against her "disgusting and untrue." (KYLE TERADA/Stanford Athletics)
Trainer Brandon Marcello (right) was accused of inappropriate comments and contact with Stanford softball players, and an inappropriate relationship with one player. The player in question called the claims against her “disgusting and untrue.” (KYLE TERADA/Stanford Athletics)

On July 11, 2014, the investigator presented her findings to Stanford’s Title IX coordinator, Catherine Criswell, who sent a final decision letter to players on Aug. 6, 2014. The investigation found that it was more likely than not that Marcello “engaged in persistent unwelcome conduct that in the aggregate created a sexually hostile environment,” and that he “failed to maintain appropriate boundaries with several players.”

“While the inappropriate conduct may only have been directed at certain students and while some students may not have subjectively felt offended by this conduct,” the letter said, “this conduct nevertheless had the effect of creating a hostile environment based on sex for the softball team as a whole, thereby depriving students of the full benefits of and participation in the softball program.”

As a result, Marcello was removed from his position.

Criswell’s letter, which came more than two months after Rittman’s resignation, also cleared Rittman and his staff of wrongdoing related to the sexual harassment allegations. It said that the team would have new coaches and trainers for 2014-15 “for reasons unrelated to the Title IX case.” Stanford did not retain Rittman’s two assistant coaches.

Rittman has not publicly discussed why he suddenly left Stanford. In response to previous media requests, University administration has said it is legally required to keep personnel matters confidential.

Pro-Rittman players believe the longtime coach was pressured to leave. Roulund said that in the period between the meeting with Muir and Rittman’s departure, associate head coach Claire Sua-Amundson told her that she thought the administration was going to “clear house.” Sua-Amundson declined to comment for this story.

On April 9, 2015, a letter signed by 16 parents representing nine players was sent to University President John Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy, claiming that “Muir’s failure to perform adequate due diligence led to Mr. Rittman’s forced resignation and the termination of his staff.” None of the nine players had participated in the meeting with Muir, and four of them were members of the freshman class that the anti-Rittman players had claimed to speak for.

Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir (above) has come under scrutiny for his handling of the investigation into allegations against John Rittman and his staff. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)
Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir (above) has come under scrutiny for his handling of the investigation into allegations against John Rittman and his staff. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)

Bettina Winter, Hanna’s mother and the author of the letter, told the Palo Alto Daily News that she “would like to see Bernard fired.”

She claimed that Muir has denied any connection between the meeting with players and parents and Rittman’s departure. However, in a response to Winter’s letter, Jeff Wachtel, a senior assistant to Hennessy, wrote, “We cannot comment on the details of the investigation. I can confirm for you that we conducted a thorough investigation and our best judgment was to make changes in the coaching staff.”

Yet Pro-Rittman players maintained that the investigation could not have been thorough if players who supported the coach were not interviewed about the allegations.

Roulund and Hanna Winter said they also believed that the fact Rittman resigned rather than was fired indicated little about the nature of that resignation.

“He cares so much about the girls, that if he was told people were unhappy, he was probably very easily pushed out,” Roulund said.

Still, Roulund and Winter argued, had administrators done a better job of verifying the allegations, the administration would have found discrepancies between the anti-Rittman claims and other players’ views. Roulund and Winter doubted that Rittman would have been pressured to resign had the athletic department recognized this.

 

A blank slate?

In 1997, Rittman had taken over the fledgling Cardinal program and transformed it into a perennial NCAA Tournament participant. Stanford had only missed postseason play twice in Rittman’s 18 years as head coach, in his first and last seasons. He had reached two Women’s College World Series and produced 16 All-Americans during his tenure.

Stanford softball coach Rachel Hanson (center), hired to replace Rittman, struggled to erase the divisions present on the team at her arrival. (ARIEL HAYAT/The Daily Californian)
Stanford softball coach Rachel Hanson (center), hired to replace Rittman, struggled to erase the divisions present on the team at her arrival. (ARIEL HAYAT/The Daily Californian)

Now Rittman was gone, and his replacement — former Dartmouth head coach Rachel Hanson — struggled to erase the team’s divisions. The program’s culture continued to deteriorate during her first season at Stanford, which ended with Roulund, Hanna Winter and another pro-Rittman rising senior, Leah White, quitting the team.

When she took over, Hanson had just led the Big Green to its first Ivy League title in program history. Her nine years of head coaching experience had been at Dartmouth and the University of Dallas, making Stanford her first head coaching stop in an elite softball conference.

Hanson’s step up was quickly complicated by the aftermath of the allegations made against the previous coaches and trainers. One of the players who participated in the meeting with Muir left the team; another player, freshman pitcher Carley Hoover, transferred to LSU. Asked by The Daily at the time, Hoover declined to elaborate on her decision to leave Stanford. But a year later, her father — who declined to comment for this story — was among those who signed Winter’s letter supporting Rittman.

Just as pressing as those departures was the rift in the team that had been created by the allegations against Rittman and his staff. Pro-Rittman players felt unfairly spoken for — and spoken of — by their teammates who had met with Muir. They said the accusations that one player was an alcoholic and that another had a relationship with Marcello were the most damaging.

In the meeting, a player claimed that when she reported an underage teammate who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol before a game, the teammate was not disciplined and the coaches told the reporting player that she shouldn’t have come forward. Anti-Rittman players claimed that the teammate — who was not in the room — had a drinking problem, and that it was an “outlet” for the issues with the coaches.

Pro-Rittman players, however, said that the player who may have been hung over before a game was in fact disciplined; they claimed she was sent home by the coaches that day and later had to apologize to the team. Though the player in question declined to comment for this story, pro-Rittman players insisted she did not have a drinking problem. (Her parents were among those who signed Bettina Winter’s letter in support of Rittman.) Pro-Rittman players also contended that the team’s seniors, not the coaches, decided that this issue should have been handled by the team and not by Rittman’s staff.

The anti-Rittman players’ allegations about Marcello’s relationship with a player also drove the two sides apart. In the anti-Rittman players’ meeting with Muir, they said that Marcello and the player would often get coffee and that she sometimes dropped food off at his house late at night. One meeting participant called their relationship “sickening” and said she thought the player was using the interactions to gain playing time.

The player in question described Marcello as a mentor and said she often talked with him about their shared interests, but that they were never alone together. The weekly coffee meetings were open to the whole team and typically included Marcello, the player in question and two of her teammates, according to several players. The meetings focused on future life plans — Marcello termed them “Beans and Being.” The player said she would sometimes accompany teammates to Marcello’s house to drop off donuts, a team-wide requirement he had instituted for players who showed up to lifting sessions late and which she saw as a mild alternative to running or harsher punishment.

The rising senior class was the group most polarized by the allegations, and Hanson — who declined to comment for this story — attempted to address this. According to Roulund, Winter and White, Hanson gave each senior three options late last fall: They could discuss what had happened, ignore the issues without letting them affect on-field performance or leave the program without a scholarship. All of the anti-Rittman seniors chose the first option, while all of the pro-Rittman seniors chose the second one.

After considering their responses, Hanson presented the choice again to both the juniors and the seniors, with two modifications. Ignoring what had happened was now off the table, she told them, but the players’ scholarships would be honored if they opted to leave the program. Faced with a decision between discussing the problems and quitting softball, every player chose the former, though Winter said she did so “begrudgingly.”

Roulund, White and Winter described the three resulting “feeling meetings” with upperclassmen right before the season, in which players could only make statements that concerned themselves and began with “I feel.” The meetings were moderated by Hanson, not a professional counselor, which Roulund, White and Winter said made them uncomfortable because of the content of the meeting with Muir. All three players felt that the meetings were ineffective in bringing the two sides together.

“It felt like the coaches were the judge and jury, and we were just trying to make our point to them,” Roulund said. “I don’t know if there was even a benefit coming out of it other than just trying to get the coaches on your side, because all of us returners knew why we were upset at each other.”

“If we were to have those meetings, it should have been done with a professional, not with [Hanson],” Winter added.

After the group therapy sessions arranged by Muir the previous May, multiple players said that athletic department administrators should have arranged similar sessions with a professional counselor.

Hanson had offered the returning players a blank slate, telling them she did not want to judge them on the past. But some pro-Rittman players struggled to move past what had happened to Rittman, and Roulund, White and Winter said that as a result, the new coaching staff began to gravitate toward the anti-Rittman group.

“Every time we were at the field it was a reminder of how it used to be, and how certain people on the team had fully betrayed us, and how they had ruined our family and what we had,” Winter said.

“We did seem like the outcast troublemakers from [the new coaches’] perspective, because we were unhappy,” Roulund said. “From the beginning, we just felt like we were treated like delinquents. Everything that we were doing, every mistake that we made, was seen like an act of defiance against the coaches, when it wasn’t.”

Several players said that Hanson’s lack of sympathy for the pro-Rittman players’ dissatisfaction contributed to a sense that the season was being used as a waste year to get rid of the seniors.

Leah White (right), who missed only three starts over her first three seasons, saw her playing time diminished after Hanson suspended her for violating the team's new "family time" rule. (ZETONG LI/The Stanford Daily)
Leah White (right), who missed only three starts over her first three seasons, saw her playing time diminished after Hanson suspended her for violating the team’s new “family time” rule. (ZETONG LI/The Stanford Daily)

This was exemplified on the first weekend of the season, pro-Rittman players said, when Hanson made an example of White. Hanson instituted a new “family time” rule that strictly determined when players could interact with relatives. For the season-opening Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona — White is from nearby Phoenix — family interaction had been limited to the 15-minute walk from the game to the bus.

After the first leg of a doubleheader on Feb. 6, 2015, the Cardinal’s game against North Carolina was delayed for two hours. Some players passed the time by listening to music or checking their phones. White was hitting balls off a tee when her brother came up and started talking to her through a chain-link fence.

That’s when Hanson approached. “What do you think you’re doing?” she said. “I thought you were better than this.” Hanson went to talk to the other coaches, and Roulund heard Hanson tell them, “I don’t care whether we win this game or not. We’re going to learn a lesson tonight.”

White was benched against North Carolina, and despite apologizing to Hanson at breakfast the next day, she was held out of the team’s next two games.

As a junior, White had started every game, finished second on the team in batting average (.356) and ended the season on a 54-game errorless streak. She finished fourth or better on the team in batting average in each of her first three seasons, was twice named to the All-Pac-12 second team and earned three NFCA All-West Region second team selections.

Beginning with the Kajikawa Classic, however, White’s playing time dipped during her senior year. Before the confrontation in Tempe, White had started all but three of Stanford’s games over her first three seasons. In 2015, she started 33 out of 43 games before quitting the team. She said that being in and out of the lineup hurt her confidence and accounted for her drop in batting average to .264 (sixth-best on the team).

“You need to feel the confidence coming from your coaches,” White said. “You need to feel like they want you to do well, and I definitely did not get that this year, whatsoever.”

Ultimately, the family time policy became more lenient as the season went on, but several players said that it was not enforced consistently.

“I just feel like [White] was made an example of,” Winter said. “It was almost Coach Hanson’s way of being like, ‘If you defy me, this is what happens.’ First of all, it doesn’t make any sense to make yourself a leader in that way…and you also ruined a career just to prove dominance. That’s wrong.”

Roulund, White and Winter also felt unfairly targeted by a policy that involved new pitching coach Megan Langenfeld. Langenfeld — both a pitcher and a left-batting power hitter — had won the 2010 Women’s College World Series with UCLA, hitting over .700 and setting a WCWS record for slugging percentage (1.529) in the process. The three-time All-American also hit .527 her senior year and set the UCLA single-season record for slugging percentage (1.085). Roulund, White and Winter all batted left-handed as well, so they often asked for hitting help from Langenfeld instead of their right-handed hitting coach, Dorian Shaw.

A couple of weeks into the season, however, Langenfeld said she could no longer offer them pointers. When Roulund asked Hanson about this, Hanson said that players were only allowed to go to her or Shaw for hitting advice.

Once Roulund, White and Winter quit the team, Hanson abandoned this policy.

 

‘A shit year’

With the situation between the two sets of returning players unresolved and tensions between the coaches and some pro-Rittman players mounting, another group was caught in the crossfire: the freshmen.

Hanson mentioned to the younger players that the upperclassmen were dealing with issues, but multiple freshmen who spoke to The Daily on the condition of anonymity said they didn’t fully understand what was going on before the season. One freshman noticed that who she chose to socialize with was perceived as taking a stance on an issue she knew little about.

“You feel like every move you make is calculated,” she said. “Everyone’s watching.”

The freshmen were initially taken in by the anti-Rittman group, but those who spoke with The Daily said that most freshmen became closer with the pro-Rittman players after they learned what had happened the previous spring. One freshman said that for her, the turning point was seeing the notes from the initial meeting with Muir when anti-Rittman players made their allegations.

Senior Cassandra Roulund (above) said that new coach Rachel Hanson saw the pro-Rittman players as "outcast troublemakers" because they were unhappy with Rittman's departure and betrayal by some teammates. (SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily)
Senior Cassandra Roulund (above) said that new coach Rachel Hanson saw the pro-Rittman players as “outcast troublemakers” because they were unhappy with Rittman’s departure and betrayal by some teammates. (SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily)

As the freshmen began to understand the team dynamic, they also noticed a cultural clash between the team and its new coach.

Several players considered Hanson controlling, with rules such as the family time policy and an 11 p.m. curfew on road trips that they felt demonstrated a lack of trust in players’ maturity. Policies like these had not existed under Rittman, the coach who recruited them a year earlier. The curfew forced players who were staying up late to finish their homework to go into the bathroom for light. Eventually, the team convinced Hanson to let them work in the lobby, but they were required to ask permission and say how late they would be there.

“We’re all adults in a hotel; we don’t have any means of leaving,” one freshman said. “She really tried to do everything that she could to show she could control us.”

In another instance, Hanson addressed the team after a game in which Roulund, Winter and others had asked teammates and coaches for pointers in the dugout. Hanson told her players that there were “energy suckers” (those who asked for help and took away teammates’ focus from the game) and “energy givers” (those who cheered), and that she expected them to be the latter.

Some players did not feel that Hanson embodied this standard herself. Early in the season, Hanson was overheard telling a trainer before a game that it would be “a shit year.” Before long, the entire team knew what had been said, and word got back to Hanson.

She addressed the team before the following day’s game, clarifying that she was referring to team culture and not talent. Hanson apologized that she had been overheard, but even when a player spoke up and argued that it should never have been said in the first place, Hanson insisted it was necessary in that moment. She also turned the incident back on her players, telling them to “grow up” and approach her sooner if they had concerns.

“You have to live by your own example,” one player said, referencing Hanson’s “energy sucker” policy.

Though the team was above .500 in nonconference play at the time that Hanson called the season “a shit year,” her phrase quickly became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Stanford was doomed by injuries to both of its pitchers that forced position players into the circle, but players said they lost motivation due to the program’s worsening culture and their growing dissatisfaction with Hanson. The team eventually lost 15 straight games over a month-long span and finished last in the Pac-12 with a 2-22 conference record. And despite returning all nine starters from a team that barely missed the NCAA tournament, Stanford’s team batting average dropped from .316 to .277.

Early in the season, players discussed a walkout to send a message to Muir, though this never panned out, as they were nervous that he would react by cutting the team’s funding or ending softball as a varsity sport. For Roulund, White and Winter, however, the program’s issues were too much to ignore during the team’s series against then-No. 1 Oregon.

Ducks head coach Mike White had once been a Stanford softball parent, but his daughter Nyree had left the Cardinal team for personal reasons midway through the 2014 season. Though Mike White was not present in the May 12, 2014 meeting with Muir, in the meeting a player referenced a letter that his family had sent alleging problems with the program and demanding change. And Roulund, Leah White and Winter claimed that during the “feeling meetings” in winter 2015, an anti-Rittman player had said that a member of the White family had asked her father to serve as their liaison during the meeting with Muir.

The father of the anti-Rittman player denied this to The Daily and declined additional comment; the anti-Rittman player did not respond to interview requests. When contacted through Oregon’s athletic communications office, Mike White did not respond.

After a surprisingly close 5-4 Oregon win in the first game of the series on April 18, 2015, the two teams lined up for the postgame high-five. When the three pro-Rittman players came to Mike White, they walked past him without saying a word or high-fiving him.

“I didn’t even want to be on the same field as Mike White,” Roulund said.

He turned back to the three players and began yelling. “Wow, classy!” he shouted, loud enough for both teams and parents in the stands to hear. “Grow up! Like I had anything to do with it!”

Mike White then confronted Hanson. “Good luck with your players,” he was overheard saying.

Senior Hanna Winter (above) was one of three players who chose not to high-five Oregon head coach Mike White, who they felt had been involved in Rittman's resignation. (FRANK CHEN/The Stanford Daily)
Senior Hanna Winter (above) was one of three players who chose not to high-five Oregon head coach Mike White, who they felt had been involved in Rittman’s resignation. (FRANK CHEN/The Stanford Daily)

To Roulund, Leah White and Winter, Mike White’s response was somewhat validating.

“What coach would freak out that much from not getting a high-five from players?” Winter said. “That just goes to show, from our point of view, how guilty he is.”

The three players also thought that Hanson’s response was an overreaction. “What kind of shit was that?” she asked them. “Do you want to explain yourselves?”

The players told Hanson they felt uncomfortable high-fiving Mike White, and later apologized to her. They believed that she was aware of their concerns about Mike White’s involvement in the allegations against Rittman, as Hanson was present in the “feeling meeting” when this was discussed.

Hanson told the three players that they would be benched for the next day’s game.

Roulund, Leah White and Winter said they knew they had done something wrong, but they and other players said that they felt that the punishment didn’t fit the crime. For Winter, Hanson’s decision ended a 217-game start streak that she had built over three and a half years, beginning with the first game of her freshman season. Players believed that Hanson had chosen not to stand up for Roulund, Leah White and Winter, but rather to demonstrate to Mike White that they would be punished.

“That’s just the epitome of the season to me,” another player said.

The next day, Roulund, Leah White and Winter quit with three weeks left in the season.

 

Stanford reached the NCAA tournament 16 times in Rittman's 18 years as head coach. It has never finished over .500 with another coach. (DURAN ALVAREZ/The Stanford Daily)
Stanford reached the NCAA tournament 16 times in Rittman’s 18 years as head coach. It has never finished over .500 with another coach. (DURAN ALVAREZ/The Stanford Daily)

The dust settles

The Cardinal finished the season 17-37, their worst record since 1995.

The week before the three players left the team, Bettina Winter sent the letter signed by 16 parents to Stanford President John Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy.

“In essence, Mr. Muir allowed a small group of well-organized disgruntled parents, angry about the lack of playing time for their daughters, to take control of the leadership of the team,” the letter read. “This should not be the way Stanford handles its varsity teams. If it continues Stanford will not and should not continue to receive the high regard and respect it currently enjoys.”

“Had this been a men’s sport,” it continued, “the firing of the coaching staff would never have happened because these complaints consisted of vague uncomfortable sexual feelings (not involving the coaches), depression, lack of medical care (not in the coaching staff’s control) and general unhappiness especially over perceived favoritism. No group of people, however small or large, would have succeeded in unseating a highly reputable coach of a men’s sport with eighteen seasons on his resume. We believe that the handling of this matter demonstrates that Stanford is applying differing standards in the manner in which it treats men’s sports and women’s sports. As you know such differential treatment violates both the spirit and obligations of Title IX.”

The response sent by President Hennessy’s office to the letter provided little new information, though it claimed the administration would “work on a constructive course of action.”

“The atmosphere surrounding the Softball team over the last year has been very divisive, and this has been deeply troubling to many of us on campus including the athletic department leadership,” it said.

In May, Senior Associate Athletics Director Earl Koberlein — who now oversees softball instead of Blue — reached out to the three players who had quit to set up a meeting. Roulund thought it was a nice gesture, but called it “too little, too late.” The players said they have not yet responded.

It remains to be seen whether Hanson can repair the relationship with her returning players. One freshman said that she was “miserable” and felt she had compromised athletics for academics in coming to Stanford.

“When you don’t care about the game you’ve devoted your entire life to, something’s wrong,” she said.

Multiple players said they had considered transferring or quitting, and the freshman said that most of the team is unhappy. She claimed that some players are bound by money and others by their Stanford education, but that she already regretted her decision to join the Cardinal softball program.

“If there was a freshman coming here, if I could let them know not to come, I would,” she said.

Among players, confidence in Hanson’s ability to rebuild the program remains low after she presided over the team’s first sub-.500 season since Rittman took over in 1997. Those concerns extend to recruiting. The nation’s top pitching prospect, Kelly Barnhill, chose Florida over Stanford in October; another top pitcher in her class, Kelly Winegarner, had verbally committed to Stanford before Rittman left, but ended up playing for Northwestern.

“Honestly, I don’t think Coach Hanson is qualified enough to be coaching at this level,” one freshman said. “[She’s] in over her head.”

However, Roulund and Hanna Winter said they didn’t expect another coaching change this offseason. Winter said she thought that while Hanson had done more wrong than Rittman, she didn’t deserve to be fired, and that two coaching changes in as many years would make Stanford an unattractive landing spot for potential candidates.

Most of the players who were involved in the meeting with Muir or whose parents signed the letter have left the program, but the effects of the controversy remain.

“The sad thing is, a recruit is coming here in the hopes of elite athletics and prestigious academics,” one player said, “not knowing that they are about to sacrifice so much for so little.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Corporate security officers discuss technical ideas for the future https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/13/corporate-security-officers-discuss-technical-ideas-for-the-future/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/13/corporate-security-officers-discuss-technical-ideas-for-the-future/#respond Sat, 14 Feb 2015 06:54:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1095751 In a panel on Friday afternoon, the chief security officers of five Silicon Valley companies argued for user-safe technology and warned of the cybersecurity challenges faced by small and medium businesses.

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In a panel on Friday afternoon at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, the Chief Security Officers of five Silicon Valley companies argued for user-safe technology and warned of the cybersecurity challenges faced by small and medium businesses.

Moderated by Amy Zegart, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the co-director of CISAC, the discussion centered on technical ideas for a secure future.

 

Safety, not security

In a panel moderated by Amy Zegart (left), Facebook Chief Information Security Officer Joe Sullivan (right) and four others discussed technical security ideas. (CATALINA RAMIREZ-SAENZ/The Stanford Daily)
In a panel moderated by Amy Zegart (left), Facebook Chief Information Security Officer Joe Sullivan (right) and four others discussed technical security ideas. (CATALINA RAMIREZ-SAENZ/The Stanford Daily)

A guiding theme for the event was finding ways to motivate behavior that promotes cybersecurity, especially for consumers.

Scott Charney, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of trustworthy computing, advocated for technologies that prevent users from having to become security experts. For example, terms of service agreements have shown that users will click ‘OK’ on almost anything, so the burden placed on consumers should be minimized.

Yahoo Chief Information Security Officer Alex Stamos agreed that greater attention has to be paid to the user.

“We’re really good at building secure products, but that’s not the fight anymore,” Stamos said. “We need to build safe products.”

Melody Hildebrandt, Palantir’s global head of cybersecurity, argued that there isn’t enough information for consumers to make informed decisions. Cars have safety ratings and food has nutritional info, she noted, but Internet-facing products lack an analogue.

“Most consumers don’t know the questions to ask,” Hildebrandt said.

 

Small and medium businesses

The panelists claimed that small and medium businesses face an uphill battle when it comes to cybersecurity. Stamos presented the recent Sony Pictures Entertainment hack as an example, arguing that SPE operates as a relatively small subsidiary of Sony.

Large corporations like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Facebook — each represented on the panel — are at an advantage because their cloud computing infrastructures require centralized security skills and resources. Facebook Chief Information Security Officer Joe Sullivan said that smaller businesses would be safer if they utilized cloud services and enabled optional security features.

The growing requirements of cybersecurity can also represent a barrier to entry for new companies. While Paypal grew up with relatively inexperienced hackers in the earlier days of the Internet, Stamos explained, new mobile payment apps are immediately confronted with experienced adversaries.

 

Future mindset

When the discussion turned to which technology would follow two-step authentication, Stamos asserted that “passwords are done” and Charney pointed to hardware-centric forms of authentication. Eric Grosse, the Google vice president for security engineering, brought along smart cards that he said he used as stocking-stuffers for his family over the holidays.

Zegart ended the event by asking each panelist to offer cybersecurity advice to CEOs. Hildebrandt focused on the importance of preparation.

“You’re going to be breached,” Hildebrant said. “Do you have a plan for it and a plan you’re confident in?”

Sullivan concluded by emphasizing the importance of leadership from executives.

“How a company approaches security is shaped from the top,” he said. “When the tone from the top is right, the company makes the right risk decisions repeatedly.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Obama’s executive order aims to increase information sharing about cyberthreats https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/13/obamas-executive-order-aims-to-increase-information-sharing-about-cyberthreats/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/13/obamas-executive-order-aims-to-increase-information-sharing-about-cyberthreats/#respond Sat, 14 Feb 2015 03:02:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1095736 President Barack Obama called for increased information sharing about cyberthreats in the executive order he signed onstage at Memorial Auditorium on Friday.

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President Barack Obama called for increased information sharing about cyber threats in the executive order he signed onstage at Memorial Auditorium on Friday.

MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga spoke in a plenary panel on Friday morning and participated in a business leaders roundtable with President Obama. He said that the executive order is a step in the right direction, but that legislation will be needed. (CATALINA RAMIREZ-SAENZ/The Stanford Daily)
MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga spoke in a plenary panel on Friday morning and participated in a business leaders roundtable with President Obama. He said that the executive order is a step in the right direction, but that legislation will be needed. (CATALINA RAMIREZ-SAENZ/The Stanford Daily)

The order, which Obama discussed in a roundtable with business leaders shortly after his keynote address, intends to facilitate collaboration between private sector companies and between those companies and the government.

According to MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga, a participant in the roundtable, the order addresses a “patchwork of issues” that dis-incentivize businesses from self-declaring cybersecurity breaches.

He told reporters that currently, companies risk legal or regulatory action after they have informed the public of such an attack. They are also subject to Freedom of Information Act requests and may have to provide raw information lost during a breach — including customers’ personal data — to law enforcement agencies.

The executive order encourages the creation of standardized Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs), a potential step toward legislation to protect businesses who voluntarily share information.

According to Banga, the flow of information goes in both directions. Banga noted that the government currently cannot inform businesses if they are under attack because it would give the company a competitive advantage. He said that Obama’s executive order — which gives companies access to classified threat information — may change that policy.

“The president doesn’t view this as a one-off,” Banga said. “He is very deeply aware of the issues.”

White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel told reporters that the executive order promotes the sharing of data that is very technical in nature, such as malware indicators and bad IP addresses.

“I think what you’re seeing is a realization across a growing swath of American companies that the only way to address this problem is in partnership with each other and with the government,” Daniel said.

Last spring, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission issued guidance that sharing cyber threat information was not a basis for antitrust concerns. However, Daniel said that some companies want liability protection as well, which is built into Obama’s legislative proposal.

Banga called for a legislative solution.

“An executive action can only take you this far,” he said.

 

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Lyons reportedly confirms Michigan transfer https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/11/lyons-reportedly-confirms-michigan-transfer/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/11/lyons-reportedly-confirms-michigan-transfer/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2015 08:41:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1095424 Senior corner Wayne Lyons plans to transfer to Michigan for his fifth year of eligibility, Rivals reported on Tuesday. Though speculation surrounding Lyons has been swirling for some time, he reportedly texted Rivals that “there is some truth to the rumors” and that he will take a visit to Ann Arbor. There has yet to […]

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Senior corner Wayne Lyons plans to transfer to Michigan for his fifth year of eligibility, Rivals reported on Tuesday.

Senior corner Wayne Lyons will be heading to Michigan for his fifth year of eligibility. (JIM SHORIN. SPO)
Senior corner Wayne Lyons will reportedly be heading to Michigan for his fifth year of eligibility. (JIM SHORIN/stanfordphoto.com)

Though speculation surrounding Lyons has been swirling for some time, he reportedly texted Rivals that “there is some truth to the rumors” and that he will take a visit to Ann Arbor.

There has yet to be an official confirmation from Lyons, Stanford or Michigan.

This is not the first time a member of the Stanford football program has been rumored to join Jim Harbaugh at Michigan since he was hired in late December. Just days after Harbaugh became the Wolverines’ head coach, it was widely reported that Director of Football Sports Performance Shannon Turley would rejoin him in Ann Arbor.

Those claims were later refuted, and Turley remains with the Cardinal. However, Lyons’ reported text message is a much more direct indication that he may be leaving the Farm than the Turley rumors were. Adding to the speculation, Michigan recently hired Lyons’ mother as its director of player development.

Contact Joey Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Obama will come to Stanford for Friday’s cybersecurity summit https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/07/obama-will-come-to-stanford-for-fridays-cybersecurity-summit/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/07/obama-will-come-to-stanford-for-fridays-cybersecurity-summit/#comments Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:12:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1095207 President Barack Obama will come to Stanford on Feb. 13 to address the White House Summit on Cyber Security and Consumer Protection, University spokeswoman Lisa Lapin told The Daily on Saturday.

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President Barack Obama will come to Stanford on Feb. 13 to address the White House Summit on Cyber Security and Consumer Protection, University spokeswoman Lisa Lapin told The Daily on Saturday.

President Barack Obama will come to Stanford for Friday's White House Summit on Cyber Security and Consumer Protection. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Barack Obama will come to Stanford for Friday’s White House Summit on Cyber Security and Consumer Protection. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

According to Lapin, the last time a sitting U.S. president came to Stanford for business was in 1975, when Gerald Ford dedicated a new law school building.

Friday’s event is closed to the public, but Lapin expects that there will be a lottery for Stanford students who would like tickets to the summit. Details will be made available within a couple of days.

Cybersecurity has become a growing priority for the Obama Administration. In October he launched the BuySecure initiative, which includes reforms such as securing payment systems and preventing identity theft. Obama also spoke about cybersecurity in his State of the Union address on Jan. 20.

“No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids,” he said in the address.

The White House Summit, which was announced on Jan. 13, will include senior federal government officials, CEOs from various industries, law enforcement officials, consumer advocates and Stanford faculty members and students who are researching cybersecurity issues. According to the summit’s official website, panels at the event will discuss issues such as public-private collaboration on cybersecurity and secure payment technologies.

Stanford founded its Cyber Initiative last November, with the help of a $15 million grant from the Hewlett Foundation.

“Our increasing reliance on technology, combined with the unpredictable vulnerabilities of networked information, pose future challenges for all of society,” University President John Hennessy told Stanford News at the time.

 

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Letter from the editor: The conversations that matter https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/04/letter-from-the-editor-the-conversations-that-matter/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/02/04/letter-from-the-editor-the-conversations-that-matter/#respond Thu, 05 Feb 2015 05:26:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1094976 Above all else, we’re rethinking how we reach you, our readers. For most of our organization’s long history, it was enough to drop off stacks of papers across campus each morning. Even more recently, it was enough to post our articles online and let readers stumble upon them. We recognize that media doesn’t work that way anymore, especially not for an audience as busy as the Stanford student body.

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When I think about The Stanford Daily, I think about community.

For 122 years, The Daily has provided the Stanford community with its news and a center of campus discussion. For the last decade or so, The Daily has provided the greater online community with a window into the Farm. And for the last four years, The Daily has provided me with a community of awesome, motivated people who have shaped my Stanford experience. (If I got married tomorrow, at least a couple of staffers would be groomsmen.)

But as we continue to move into an era of technology and communication, those communities — and how they consume information — are all changing in their own ways. The Daily is changing with them.

Above all else, we’re rethinking how we reach you, our readers. For most of our organization’s long history, it was enough to drop off stacks of papers across campus each morning. Even more recently, it was enough to post our articles online and let readers stumble upon them. We recognize that media doesn’t work that way anymore, especially not for an audience as busy as the Stanford student body.

You shouldn’t have to find The Stanford Daily; we should find you.

Hopefully, you’ll see that vision take form over the next four and a half months. We’re redoubling our commitment to digital media, between our various social media channels, our daily email digest and our upcoming mobile app. We’re refining our outreach on this campus, everything from how our paper is distributed to how we involve graduate students in our coverage and staff.

At the same time, we won’t stray from our core. A week like last one — with the upsetting stories about Brock Turner, Joe Lonsdale and Silicon Shutdown — once again convinced me of The Daily’s value to this campus in conducting responsible, professional journalism. We’ll continue to act as a hub for conversations about the issues that really matter to this community. Volume 247 will be about bringing those conversations directly to you.

Thanks for reading.

Joseph Beyda ’15

President and editor in chief, Volume CCXLVII

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu

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Men’s gymnastics comes up just short in its upset bid against top-ranked Sooners https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/26/mens-gymnastics-comes-up-just-short-in-its-upset-bid-against-top-ranked-sooners/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/26/mens-gymnastics-comes-up-just-short-in-its-upset-bid-against-top-ranked-sooners/#respond Tue, 27 Jan 2015 07:56:42 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1094386 No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics came within three points of upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday, eventually finishing second in a four-team meet at Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal lost ground to the Sooners on the rings, and sophomore Akash Modi’s meet-best 90.150 in the all-around wasn’t enough for Stanford in the 440.550-437.550 defeat. Fifth-year senior […]

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No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics came within three points of upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday, eventually finishing second in a four-team meet at Burnham Pavilion.

Fifth year senior Sean Senters (center)
Fifth year senior Sean Senters (center) tied for the highest vault score in a four team meet last Saturday. (NATHAN STAFFA/The Stanford Daily)

The Cardinal lost ground to the Sooners on the rings, and sophomore Akash Modi’s meet-best 90.150 in the all-around wasn’t enough for Stanford in the 440.550-437.550 defeat.

Fifth-year senior Sean Senters tied Oklahoma’s Josh Yee for the best vault score of the afternoon (15.400), building on individual victories in the event each of the previous two weeks. Stanford also posted the two top scores in the parallel bars: Modi’s 15.450 and senior Brian Knott’s 15.300.

No. 6 Cal placed third with a score of 423.550, while No. 10 Nebraska came in last with 418.050.

The Cardinal have two weeks off before their next competition, a dual meet at Michigan on Feb. 7. The No. 5 Wolverines have won two consecutive national titles and are coming off a 444.700-436.350 loss at No. 4 Penn State on Saturday.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

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Stanford in the NFL: Sherman sounds off on Deflategate https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/26/stanford-in-the-nfl-sherman-sounds-off-on-deflategate/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/26/stanford-in-the-nfl-sherman-sounds-off-on-deflategate/#respond Tue, 27 Jan 2015 07:55:44 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1094401 With Super Bowl week officially here, Seahawks corner Richard Sherman ’10 is once again at the center of the NFL media circus. In his first media session of the week on Jan. 25, Sherman said that he didn’t think the New England Patriots — the Seahawks’ Super Bowl opponent — would be punished for using […]

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Richard Sherman ’10 (right) sounded off on the “Deflategate” situation involving the New England Patriots, and allegations surrounding under inflated footballs. Sherman challenged the impartiality of commissioner Rodger Goodell in his comments. (BOB DREBIN/stanfordphoto.com)

With Super Bowl week officially here, Seahawks corner Richard Sherman ’10 is once again at the center of the NFL media circus.

In his first media session of the week on Jan. 25, Sherman said that he didn’t think the New England Patriots — the Seahawks’ Super Bowl opponent — would be punished for using deflated footballs in the AFC title game.

“Not as long as [Patriots owner] Robert Kraft and [NFL commissioner] Roger Goodell are still taking pictures at their respective homes,” Sherman said, referencing a photo the Patriots tweeted on Jan. 17. “Talk about conflict of interest.”

“Deflategate” has taken the NFL by storm leading up to Sunday’s game, as deflated footballs are easier to throw and catch. Each team uses its own set of 12 footballs on offense, and 11 of the Patriots’ balls were found to be significantly below the required air pressure at halftime.

If New England is found responsible for letting air out of the footballs, potential punishments include a fine, a loss of draft picks or a suspension for head coach Bill Belichick.

Earlier last week, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck ’12 — who was on the other side of the field for the AFC title game — downplayed the role of the deflated footballs in the lopsided 45-7 Patriots win.

“Things in the media tend to be blown out of proportion a little bit,” Luck said. “You can’t take anything away from them being a heck of a team.”

However, Luck made bigger headlines when he was asked about the transition from being eliminated in the playoffs to playing in the Pro Bowl.

“The energy is sort of sucked out of you,” Luck said. “You do feel deflated.”

***

Luck was taken with the first overall pick in the Pro Bowl by one of his AFC South enemies, JJ Watt, who called him “the neckbeard with the arm.” He completed 9 of his 10 passes for 2 touchdowns in the game.

Three Stanford alums will likely be active for Sunday’s Super Bowl: Sherman and Doug Baldwin ’11 for the Seahawks, and Cameron Fleming ’14 for the Patriots.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Corner Wayne Lyons will stay at Stanford for fifth year https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/15/corner-wayne-lyons-will-stay-at-stanford-for-fifth-year/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/15/corner-wayne-lyons-will-stay-at-stanford-for-fifth-year/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2015 23:36:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1093928 Senior corner Wayne Lyons announced on Thursday that he would spend a fifth year at Stanford.

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Senior corner Wayne Lyons announced on Thursday that he will spend a fifth year at Stanford.


Lyons played in each of the Cardinal’s 41 games from 2012-14 and split starting time with classmate Ronnie Harris last season. He finished 2014 with 30 tackles, 3 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

The architectural design major’s return is much-needed news for a Stanford secondary that already lost both of its starting safeties — fifth-year senior Kyle Olugbode and senior Jordan Richards — to graduation and its top corner — junior Alex Carter — to the NFL Draft this offseason. Lyons will be counted on to form the core of the 2015 defensive back unit, which will also return Harris, junior safety/nickelback Zach Hoffpauir and freshman corner Terrence Alexander.

Lyons was projected by some outlets as a late-round draft pick, but he has yet to make a huge splash nationally after coming to Stanford as the seventh-best corner recruit in the country.

After playing in his first two games as a true freshman, Lyons broke his foot and was forced to redshirt. Upon Lyons’ return in 2012, head coach David Shaw claimed that he had the potential to become one of the top defensive backs in the country.

Lyons started every game at corner in 2013, compiling 69 tackles and making a pair of key interceptions in a late-season win against Notre Dame. Upon the arrival of famed defensive backs coach Duane Akina last offseason, Lyons began improving in press coverage in particular, according to his position coach.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Wednesday roundtable: Takeaways from the 2014 season https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/07/wednesday-roundtable-takeaways-from-the-2014-season/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/07/wednesday-roundtable-takeaways-from-the-2014-season/#respond Wed, 07 Jan 2015 08:26:29 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1093415 Reflecting on the Cardinal’s 8-5 season and the recent news of Andrus Peat’s and Alex Carter’s early declarations for the 2015 NFL Draft, we asked football writers Joseph Beyda, George Chen and David Cohn: What were the biggest takeaways from the 2014 Cardinal football team and how does the team look heading into 2015?

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Reflecting on the Cardinal’s 8-5 season and the recent news of Andrus Peat’s and Alex Carter’s early declarations for the 2015 NFL Draft, we asked football writers Joseph Beyda, George Chen and David Cohn: What were the biggest takeaways from the 2014 Cardinal football team and how does the team look heading into 2015?

Joseph Beyda: As the 2014 season rolled on, it felt like each week brought another dose of inexplicable for Cardinal football. Ten points on five red zone trips against USC? Check. Another gut-wrenching defeat in South Bend? Check. A no-show loss against an ASU team that Stanford dominated twice in 2013? Check. Three near-perfect games — including a top-10 win — to cap Stanford’s worst season in half a decade? Check, check and check.

Looking back, though, the 2014 Stanford football team is simple to explain. The Cardinal defense managed to execute week in and week out; the Cardinal offense didn’t.

I’m sure David Shaw is tired of saying that word, “execute.” The keys on my laptop that spell it out have become worn down this season. I think George captured the lesson of Stanford’s Jekyll-and-Hyde offense best in his column yesterday: The Cardinal can’t afford to play below their potential if they want to succeed.

So what does that mean heading into 2015?

Well, other than Andrus Peat, Lee Ward and potentially Kevin Hogan, Stanford returns the same exact offense that dominated Cal, UCLA and Maryland. The Cardinal need that unit to play like it’s a year older — to move past the chop blocks, the fumbles and the staring-down-of-receivers — as it began to in its last three games. Stanford also needs Lance Anderson’s well-oiled machine — the defense and its veteran coaching staff — to crank out this year’s set of replacement backfield partiers, just as it did to everyone’s surprise last season.

If those two things happen this offseason, we’ll look back on 2014 as a maturing year for Cardinal football’s next push to the top. That’s not the end of the world. But if they don’t, we’ll look back on 2014 as the year Stanford lost its foothold among college football’s top programs.

The pressure’s on.

George Chen: As I outlined in my column yesterday, I’m worried about the direction that Stanford football is trending towards. What we missed the most this year was the blue-chip mentality that’s come to be associated with the Cardinal the last five years. Without a clear-cut leader on offense, no one rallied the troops when the offense disappeared. And with veterans like Jordan Richards, David Parry and Henry Anderson departing, the question of who will step in to fill the void on defense is a legitimate one.

I do think the fan base needs to temper down their expectations a bit, especially with how deep the Pac-12 is right now. Oregon will always be Oregon, USC is rising with all of their scholarships back and UCLA may be pretenders on the national stage but they’re still tough to beat with Jim Mora at the helm. I’m not saying that Stanford won’t win another Pac-12 championship within the next five years, but that should not be the expectation. Like Joey said, poor execution was a big reason for why the offense struggled this year, but you also can’t overlook the inexperience on the offensive line and the lack of a workhorse running back.

David Cohn: I completely agree with Shaw’s assessment of this 2014 season, as this season was a lesson in how small the margins can be in college football. The Card lost to USC, Utah, and Notre Dame by three points, which ultimately means a mere four points is the margin between a possible 10-2 record, and the Card’s actual 8-5 mark.

If Stanford wants to re-establish its position among the top teams in the conference, it will need to establish more consistency on offense, particularly against the elite teams in the conference. This means that Kevin Hogan, or, if he decides to leave, his successor under center, needs to maintain a certain level of consistency at the position. This does not mean that Hogan has to shred every defense like he shredded Cal, UCLA and Maryland’s defense, but he has to avoid the performances he turned in against Notre Dame and Utah, because as we saw this year, the offense will go as Kevin Hogan goes.

Secondly, the defense will have to remain an elite unit for the Cardinal to be competitive in 2015. While it will be very difficult to replicate this year’s standout performance, talented young contributors such as Peter Kalambayi and Harrison Phillips will have the opportunity to build on this season alongside experienced and outstanding veterans such as Blake Martinez and Kevin Anderson.

Ultimately, especially on defense, next season will present the challenge that each new season brings, namely challenging the Card’s ability to reload through the “Next Man Up” philosophy.

Contact Joseph Beyda, George Chen and David Cohn at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu, gchen15 ‘at’ stanford.edu and dmcohn ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

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Star left tackle Andrus Peat leaves for NFL Draft https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/06/star-left-tackle-andrus-peat-leaves-for-nfl-draft/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/06/star-left-tackle-andrus-peat-leaves-for-nfl-draft/#respond Tue, 06 Jan 2015 22:43:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1093375 Junior left tackle Andrus Peat, recently named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News and SI.com, declared for the 2015 NFL Draft on Tuesday.

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Junior left tackle Andrus Peat, recently named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News and SI.com, declared for the 2015 NFL Draft on Tuesday.

Junior left tackle Andrus Peat (center) announced on Tuesday that he would leave school early and enter the NFL Draft. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)
Junior left tackle Andrus Peat (center) announced on Tuesday that he would leave school early and enter the NFL Draft. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)

“It’s been a long and hard decision,” he said in a Stanford Athletics release. “I’m excited and ready to take the next big step of my life.”

Peat joins classmate Alex Carter, who last week announced his decision to leave school early, in the draft. Each has a father who played in the NFL.

Chosen as the 2014 Morris Trophy recipient in a vote by opposing Pac-12 defensive linemen, Peat started his final 27 games for the Cardinal and was the team’s only returning starter entering last season.

He came to Stanford as the headliner of a historic 2012 offensive line recruiting class and was listed as a top-10 recruit nationally by several recruiting services. The hype surrounding the psychology major has not let up in the three years since, as he is widely projected as a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

In Peat’s absence, junior right tackle Kyle Murphy may move across the line to play left tackle next season. Freshman Casey Tucker, who saw action this season, is another potential contender.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Conflicting reports on whether strength coach Shannon Turley will rejoin Harbaugh at Michigan https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/04/report-strength-coach-shannon-turley-will-rejoin-harbaugh-at-michigan/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/04/report-strength-coach-shannon-turley-will-rejoin-harbaugh-at-michigan/#respond Mon, 05 Jan 2015 00:20:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1093237 A Scout.com report on Sunday claimed that Director of Football Sports Performance Shannon Turley would rejoin former Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh, but other reports refuted the claim later that night.

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Scout.com report on Sunday claimed that Director of Football Sports Performance Shannon Turley would rejoin former Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, potentially signaling a huge blow for a Stanford program that failed to win 10 games for the first time since 2009 this season.

However, reports by ESPN and others later Sunday night asserted that Turley would return to the Farm. No official statement has been made by Turley or Stanford Athletics.

A Scout.com report on Sunday claimed that Director of Football Sports Performance Shannon Turley (above) would rejoin former Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh, but other reports refuted the claim later that night. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphoto.com)
A Scout.com report on Sunday claimed that Director of Football Sports Performance Shannon Turley (above) would rejoin former Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh, but other reports refuted the claim later that night. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphoto.com)

Since coming to the Farm with Harbaugh in 2007, Turley has been credited by players and coaches alike as one of the most instrumental figures in the team’s resurgence. His innovative training program, which emphasized “functional movement” over pure strength, drastically cut down the injuries that plagued Stanford football in the years before his arrival. According to statistics he kept, Stanford suffered 26 injuries in 2006 that required season-ending or postseason surgery, but just 24 such injuries from 2008-12.

“It wasn’t all just about heavy weights, getting bigger, getting swole,” former Cardinal running back Anthony Kimble ‘08 told The Daily for “Rags to Roses: The Rise of Stanford Football.” “He really talked about wear on your body, flexibility, making your body more dynamic.”

After the initial reports that Turley would head to Ann Arbor, several current and recent Stanford players took to Twitter  to reiterate Turley’s importance to the program.

Junior safety Zach Hoffpauir tweeted “#MoneyTalks,” likely in regards to the belief that Michigan offered Turley a higher salary than Stanford was willing to match.

The initial Scout.com report cited a Michigan recruit who claimed that Turley would be joining Harbaugh’s new staff.

Fox’s Bruce Feldman also reported on Sunday that Harbaugh is trying to bring Stanford defensive coordinator Lance Anderson to Ann Arbor.

Besides his role at the helm of one of the nation’s top defenses in 2014, Anderson served as the Cardinal’s recruiting coordinator from 2007-13. Like Turley, he first came to Stanford with Harbaugh, and like Turley, he is considered a cornerstone of the Cardinal program; in an interview for “Rags to Roses,” Harbaugh told The Daily that Anderson was perhaps the most important member of his staff at Stanford because of his role in the recruiting process.

“Really, the key guy is Lance Anderson in all of this,” Harbaugh said. “Above everybody in my opinion.”

However, FootballScoop claimed on Twitter that Stanford head coach David Shaw is feeling good about his chances to retain Anderson.

 

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Jordan Morris announces return to Stanford for junior season https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/02/jordan-morris-announces-return-to-stanford-for-junior-season/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/01/02/jordan-morris-announces-return-to-stanford-for-junior-season/#respond Sat, 03 Jan 2015 00:58:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1093219 Stanford sophomore and U.S. Men’s National Team member Jordan Morris will be returning to the Farm for a third year.

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Stanford sophomore and U.S. Men’s National Team member Jordan Morris will be returning to the Farm for a third year.

Sophomore All-American Jordan Morris (above) will return to Stanford for a third season instead of heading to the MLS, he announced on Friday. (JIM SHORIN/stanfordphoto.com)
Sophomore All-American Jordan Morris (above) will return to Stanford for a third season instead of heading to the MLS, he announced on Friday. (JIM SHORIN/stanfordphoto.com)

Many expected that the All-America forward would opt to play professionally for his hometown Seattle Sounders, but Morris instead chose school over the MLS in a press release on Friday.

“Here I am provided the unique opportunity to both play the game I love and learn at one of the world’s great universities,” Morris said in the statement. “Playing professionally is a dream of mine and I feel that Stanford will prepare me extremely well to realize that goal, but also for life after soccer. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to represent this university both on and off the field and look forward to working with my teammates to make our 2015 season a success.”

Morris’ 14 points (4 goals, 6 assists) were second on a 2014 Stanford team that won its first Pac-12 title in 13 years. The Cardinal later made a heartbreaking overtime exit in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“We are very excited that Jordan is committed to his future here at Stanford. He is an outstanding person and an exceptional soccer player,” head coach Jeremy Gunn said in a statement. “We are left with no doubt that when the time is right Jordan will move on to become a very successful professional athlete.”

Morris made his USMNT debut in November, coming on as a substitute in a 4-1 American loss to Ireland, to become the first active collegiate player to play in a game for the squad since 1995. He was named an NSCAA First Team All-American on Dec. 12.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Devon Cajuste will return to Stanford for fifth season https://stanforddaily.com/2014/12/31/devon-cajuste-returns-to-stanford-for-fifth-season/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/12/31/devon-cajuste-returns-to-stanford-for-fifth-season/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2014 20:32:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1093206 Senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste announced on Wednesday that he would return to Stanford for a fifth season.

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Senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste announced on Wednesday that he would return to Stanford for a fifth season.

The Cardinal’s second-leading receiver made his decision public on Twitter the day after the team’s dominant 45-21 win over Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl, in which he scored a pair of touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste (left) presented a significant mismatch on the Cardinal offense over the last two seasons. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)
Senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste (left) presented a significant mismatch on the Cardinal offense over the last two seasons. The 6-foot-4-inch receiver will look to add to his 11 career receiving touchdowns in his final campaign. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

Cajuste caught more touchdowns (six) than any other Stanford player in 2014, and his 557 receiving yards were second only to the 604 posted by classmate Ty Montgomery.

He came to Stanford in 2011 as a three-star recruit and one of the first players from New York City to make his way to the Farm in decades. After redshirting as a freshman, Cajuste recorded his first career catch in 2012 before breaking onto the scene as Stanford’s second-leading receiver as a junior.

On a 2013 Cardinal offense that had lost three tight ends to the two previous NFL drafts, the muscular, 6-foot-4 Cajuste became Stanford’s primary threat in the intermediate-to-deep passing game. Often creating a mismatch when he lined up as a slot receiver, Cajuste set a school record in 2013 for yards per catch (22.9). In the Pac-12 Championship Game against Arizona State, Cajuste racked up 120 receiving yards — on just two catches.

Cajuste’s production dipped somewhat as a senior, primarily due to the emergence of Stanford’s three sophomore tight ends and the team’s overall struggles on offense. But he still took over games from time to time, catching three touchdown passes against Army and posting the only 100-yard receiving game for a Stanford player all season at Oregon.

Cajuste missed two games in 2014: the Cardinal’s season-opening win against UC Davis, for violating team rules; and Stanford’s 26-10 loss at ASU, due to an injury (suspected to be a concussion) sustained the previous week.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Beyda: On the road with Stanford football https://stanforddaily.com/2014/12/02/beyda-on-the-road-with-stanford-football/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/12/02/beyda-on-the-road-with-stanford-football/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2014 06:00:51 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1092811 “WHOOOOO’S GOOOOOT MYYYYY BACK?” I heard booming from underneath my feet last Friday afternoon, as the players in the Stanford tunnel prepared to make their entrance into the Rose Bowl Stadium. I replied with a couple of stomps on the metal bleachers, and at that moment, I had a feeling that it would be a […]

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“WHOOOOO’S GOOOOOT MYYYYY BACK?” I heard booming from underneath my feet last Friday afternoon, as the players in the Stanford tunnel prepared to make their entrance into the Rose Bowl Stadium. I replied with a couple of stomps on the metal bleachers, and at that moment, I had a feeling that it would be a good day.

That it was, as Stanford went on to its shocking 31-10 victory against No. 8 UCLA. When the Stanford lead continued to balloon as the game went on, my dad and I, dressed in Cardinal red, could only look sheepishly at my mom and sister, sitting next to us in Bruins baby blue.

The big win helped salvage Stanford’s disappointing year — and redeem my travel plans for the 2014 season. In 16 previous years of watching Cardinal football, I’d been to just one road game other than Big Game, and that was a short drive to San Jose State; this season, I planned weekend trips to Washington, Oregon and UCLA, three difficult matchups that Stanford most likely wouldn’t sweep.

I’m not entirely sure why I had been so hesitant to go out on the road beforehand. It probably was the combination of a fear of being in enemy territory and stories of a brutal, chilly experience my dad had once survived in a miserable loss at Notre Dame. It’s bad enough to see your team lose, I’d reasoned, but it’s far worse to spend hundreds of dollars to risk living through the same thing on the road — not to mention the associated heckling of the home fans.

My experiences with the latter point were actually one of the biggest pleasant surprises of this season. Other than a single pregame “f*** Stanford!” from an Oregon student in Autzen Stadium, the only times I heard anything from opposing fans were when my “house divided” family unit walked as a pack around the Rose Bowl. “Now this is an interesting group,” one woman laughed as she passed us. “Girls, you can do better,” another UCLA fan joked to my mom and sister. Later, the all-UCLA family sitting in front of us helped my sister arrive at the conclusion that she could extort a shopping trip in exchange for the Bruins’ ugly loss.

I’d been on guard on that first trip to Husky Stadium, fearing everything on the continuum from harmless expletives to the type of violence endured by Giants fan Bryan Stow at Dodger Stadium a few years ago. But I didn’t feel unsafe at all in the three stadiums I visited. I’m not sure whether that owes itself to the civility of Pac-12 fans, but it was refreshing nonetheless.

Meanwhile, the other eventuality I dreaded — losing to Oregon, at Oregon — wasn’t nearly as dismal as I had expected. It certainly helped that Stanford hadn’t looked up to snuff all season and that no one traveling to the game with me expected a win against the Ducks. But because we made the road trip about more than the football game — I’ll remember it most for our stop at Crater Lake and getting caught in a small blizzard on the drive back to the hotel — it was easy to sit back, relax, and take in the fall colors of a Eugene evening as soon as the Cardinal fell too far behind. In that sense, it was actually a lower-pressure experience than your typical home game at Stanford Stadium.

So next season, make an excuse to travel to a Cardinal football road game. If experiencing another college town, coloring an enemy stadium red and not having to listen to TV commentators aren’t reasons enough, remember this: It’s always great to have your team’s back.

It turns out that Joseph Beyda showed up to more games this season than Stanford’s football team itself. Console the life-long Cardinal fan at jbeydat ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Whistleblowers: AxeComm defends the Big Game rivalry https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/21/whistleblowers-axecomm-defends-the-big-game-rivalry/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/21/whistleblowers-axecomm-defends-the-big-game-rivalry/#respond Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:00:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1092459 There are 109 hours before Big Game, and my ribcage is already rattling as if it were on the receiving end of a Patrick Skov hit. I’m standing a few feet from a Trancos freshman holding a cord attached to the valve of the Axe Committee’s train whistle as he yanks on it three times, […]

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There are 109 hours before Big Game, and my ribcage is already rattling as if it were on the receiving end of a Patrick Skov hit. I’m standing a few feet from a Trancos freshman holding a cord attached to the valve of the Axe Committee’s train whistle as he yanks on it three times, just after the clock tower strikes midnight on Tuesday, his birthday. I’d heard that whistle blow hundreds of times in Stanford Stadium, but I’d never felt it before, up close and personal.

As the Trancos delegation disperses, I’m left with about a dozen AxeComm members: students from all four classes, many of them wearing their AxeComm pullovers, all of them decked out in some sort of Cardinal garb. From “the birdcage,” AxeComm’s perch overlooking White Plaza this week, they serve as one of the last bastions of a storied rivalry that, at least among Stanford students, has begun to reek of irrelevance. Between the Cardinal’s four-game winning streak in the series, Cal’s 4-20 overall record from 2012-13 and Stanford’s resurgent rivalries with USC and Oregon, few current students buy into the animosity toward that school across the Bay.

“Not enough Stanford students get excited about beating Cal, but we do our best to spread that friendly rivalry,” said Sloane Sturzenegger ’16, AxeComm’s chairman. “The way the football season has turned out, this will be the most important game of the season…It is super important, and if we do our job by counting down properly, [we’ll make] people aware.”

He’s referring to the blasting of the train whistle in White Plaza, which takes place every hour during Big Game week. This year the countdown began at 4 p.m. on Monday, 117 hours in advance of Saturday’s game, the 117th in the rivalry’s history.

(Kristen Stipanov/The Stanford Daily)
The AxeComm has staffed the birdcage at White Plaza 24/7 since Monday 4 p.m., exactly 117 hours in advance of Saturday’s game to mark the 117th rendition of Big Game. (Kristen Stipanov/The Stanford Daily)

From then on, AxeComm staffs the birdcage 24/7. Only a few of AxeComm’s 35 members need to be at each shift, but the group tends to gravitate toward White Plaza all week long.

“I’m just hanging out. I love you guys so much,” proclaims Lark Trumbly ’17, who stops by around 12:10 a.m. A few minutes later, she reciprocates. “I’m actually here because I’m eating crackers,” she says, a box of saltines in hand.

I planned to sit in on one three-hour shift in the early hours of Tuesday morning. I wanted to embed myself in this rare hub of Big Game frenzy, sort of, as Daily opinions editor and AxeComm member Nick Ahamed ’15 explained most eloquently to my hosts, “like a war correspondent in Afghanistan.”

The birdcage does feel a bit like an outpost in a war zone. Ropes and caution tape are strewn about, tarps stretch over the structure’s metal frame and a ladder still stands in the corner from Monday afternoon’s setup. Christmas lights — all red and white, of course — hang from above, along with a “Beat Cal” banner. There’s a mini fridge, a microwave, four couches and a few tables. Quarters are tight; it’s not long until someone’s pizza crusts are knocked onto the ground. Prominently displayed out front early in the week, hanging from a noose strung firmly around its neck, was a giant teddy bear with plush stuffing leaking out of a few tears. (It was later removed due to student complaints of lynching imagery.)

And, of course, there’s the artillery. According to Sturzenegger, Caltrain took the whistle off one of its old trains and donated it in honor of the 100th Big Game, back in 1997. That spawned the customary three blows of the whistle after the Cardinal score at Stanford Stadium, as well as the White Plaza countdown leading up to Big Game.

After the final chime of the clock tower each hour, someone announces through a megaphone, “Attention White Plaza: please cover your ears.” That’s followed by the train whistle itself, an update on how many hours are left until Big Game and a resounding, “Beat Cal!”

AxeComm keeps Nitrogen tanks close at hand to fill the whistle, as well as oil to make sure the valve doesn’t get stuck. Around 12:20 a.m., Sturzenegger, who’s not on shift, stops by to check on his crew — and the train whistle.

“Hey guys,” he says disapprovingly, “the safety’s off.”

***

“There are 108 hours before Big Game,” announces a representative from Casa Zapata, the dorm tasked with blowing the whistle at 1 a.m.

A few minutes later, there’s cheering: Someone reads online that fireworks from AxeComm’s Big Game Rally, which was held earlier that night, caused some students studying in the library to “hit the floor.”

It’s at about this time that the AxeComm crowd starts reaching for electric blankets and snuggies, as temperatures sneak into the low 40s. Most of the remaining students came prepared with scarves and beanies, but they also aren’t quite sure what to do with the tin of hot chocolate powder sitting in the corner; there isn’t hot water nearby, and none of their cups are microwavable. In case things get really bad, AxeComm has a few kerosene heaters at its disposal.

Time and body temperature aren’t the only things that AxeComm members have to sacrifice this week. Drinking isn’t allowed in White Plaza, per University rules. Perhaps more relevant at 1:15 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, the birdcage has terrible WiFi reception, which is a problem for Luis Gardea ’17, a computer science student trying to finish up the crash reporter assignment for CS107. (“It’s okay, dude. It’s worth it,” he says as he struggles to connect to Stanford’s network file system, AFS.)

But the gig has its perks as well. Besides blowing the train whistle and keeping the Axe safe this week, AxeComm gets to watch games from the field and pump up students.

“It’s fun for me holding up a T-shirt and watching the crowd lose themselves,” said Mitch Hokanson ’16.

A political science student, Hokanson grew up in Long Beach as a Cardinal fan and the son of an alum. His first Stanford football game was the 2000 Rose Bowl loss to Wisconsin, and as a freshman 13 years later, his AxeComm responsibilities included marching in the Rose Parade and leading Stanford out onto the field for “The Granddaddy of Them All” against the Badgers. This time, the Cardinal won.

He is one of several AxeComm members who hold longtime allegiances to Stanford — and enmity toward Cal — including Sturzenegger, a Burlingame native who started coming to Cardinal football games as a kid.

They understand that they’re a rare breed. When I asked whether Stanford students care about the Cal rivalry, a defining element of Cardinal football throughout its history, the birdcage responded with a resounding, “No.”

“I feel like the only people who came here with an understanding of Stanford football grew up around here or had parents who went to Stanford,” Hokanson said. “People come to Stanford for school.”

As AxeComm waits for the top of the next hour, they munch on the stash of snacks that they expect will get them through at least the first half of the week. The provisions — free for any student who visits the birdcage — are impressive. They’ve got Granny Smith and Gala apples (whole and sliced); tea (iced and bagged); Doritos, Fritos and Cheetos; Goldfish, Cheez-Its and Pirate’s Booty; potato chips, tortilla chips and guac; Chewy and Nature Valley bars; fruit snacks and juice boxes; saltines and Wheat Thins; sour worms, M&Ms, Lifesavers and marshmallows; Milano cookies and Oreos; bananas and grapes; almond butter and Pop Tarts.

The most important snack, ordered just for the occasion: a bubble-wrapped packing envelope of blue gummy bears.

***

There are 107 hours before Big Game, and it’s my turn to blow the whistle. Besides “celebrities” such as University Provost John Etchemendy, President John Hennessy and head coach David Shaw, AxeComm tries to involve freshman dorms, nearby offices and community centers in the countdown. (They ask Condoleezza Rice every year, but she’s always “too busy.”) No one’s signed up for the 2 a.m. slot, so I jump at the chance.

I don protective headphones as one of the AxeComm members warns White Plaza. Then I flip the safety valve, stabilize the whistle with my foot and pull the cord.

Out blasts that familiar sound, the signal of victory brought to Stanford fans oh so many times over the last few years by the Toby Gerharts, Andrew Lucks and Jordan Williamsons of the world. After about a second, I loosen the tension on the cord, but the whistle keeps blowing. One second becomes two, which becomes three. I finally reach down and flip the valve back with my hand — guess it needed some more oil.

I overcompensate on the second pull, which is far too short, before letting out another protracted blast on the third. Switching the safety back on, I turn around sheepishly, ready to apologize for butchering the distinctive sound so badly and hoping I didn’t offend Storey House, the nearby student residence that gets woken up by the whistle every now and then. Instead, I’m met with a hearty, “Beat Cal!” from AxeComm.

Quickly, AxeComm falls back into homework. At 2:15 a.m. I’m asked to explain how an op-amp works; at 2:20 a.m., after much debate regarding Taylor Swift, a streak of Johnny Cash begins to flow out of Hokanson’s speakers. Soon, three people exclaim, “My name is Sue! How do you do!” in perfect unison.

The group of eight that’s left consists of a good mix of Big Trees — returning members — and Little Trees — typically freshmen — so around 2:30 a.m., the conversation turns to majors, after-college plans and hometowns. Sitting next to me, 15-year-old Albert Zhang ’17, who skipped high school, began at Cal last year and just transferred to Stanford, works on a math problem set. Selby Sturzenegger ’18, Sloane’s sister, asks Gardea about priority queues as she types away at her CS106B assignment. In the corner, someone dozes off. (“The cool people are the people who can sleep through the train whistle,” Sloane Sturzenegger explained.)

I ask the AxeComm members why they like being there. “Chillin’,” says one; “food,” notes another.

“It reminds me of rushing,” Hokanson explains. “I went in, and it’s like, ‘I want to spend more time with these guys.’”

The birdcage is a freshman dorm lounge under the stars. It’s home to a mishmash of personalities, backgrounds, ages, food cravings and music tastes, but it’s also the kind of home that brings drowsy people together at 2:45 a.m. on a Tuesday in November with something as silly as a train whistle.

I ask the members of AxeComm if they have a least favorite thing about Cal, and suddenly, the birdcage perks up. Even the guy napping in the corner stirs. People begin to characterize the enemy student population, launching into a discussion about UC admissions standards. Someone suggests that Cal students must have no personality if they were smart enough to get into Berkeley but didn’t stand out to Stanford or the Ivies. Another AxeComm member counters that Cal certainly has its fair share of weirdos.

The only person with her mind made up is Selby Sturzenegger. “Like, all of it,” she quickly responds to my question. “Is that not an acceptable answer?”

***

There are 106 hours before Big Game, and nobody realizes it until the clock tower strikes 3 a.m., the proverbial air raid siren that brings the birdcage to life in a heartbeat. Sean Means ’18 tosses aside his laptop and makes a beeline for the train whistle while another AxeComm member mans his battle station at the megaphone. I begin to pack my bag and take a sip from my water bottle, which, by now, is ice cold.

The first two blasts from the whistle sound fine, but the third quickly peters out — no one had refilled the Nitrogen. Most of AxeComm laughs while one member announces the countdown to White Plaza, which has long been empty, save for the teddy bear impaled on the Claw.

I stand up to leave, tiptoeing around the fallen pizza crusts still sitting at my feet from two hours earlier. From the birdcage, its outpost on the front lines of this week’s war, AxeComm’s chapped lips issue its battle cry once again. “Beat Cal!”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Seniors near end of their Cardinal careers as Senior Day approaches https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/11/seniors-near-end-of-their-cardinal-careers-as-senior-day-approaches/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/11/seniors-near-end-of-their-cardinal-careers-as-senior-day-approaches/#respond Wed, 12 Nov 2014 07:18:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1091902 With Senior Day approaching, the two-week stretch between Stanford’s loss to Oregon and Saturday’s showdown with Utah has given the Cardinal’s elder statesmen a chance to reflect and prepare to finish out their careers on a positive note. “It’s kind of surreal. Looking back at the whole career, it really flew by,” said fifth-year senior […]

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With Senior Day approaching, the two-week stretch between Stanford’s loss to Oregon and Saturday’s showdown with Utah has given the Cardinal’s elder statesmen a chance to reflect and prepare to finish out their careers on a positive note.

Fifth year senior Lee Ward (center)
Fifth year senior fullback Lee Ward (center) will have his family in the stands when he is honored on Senior Day this coming Saturday. Ward has not only achieved his goal of becoming a starter for the Card, but he also is a team captain in his final campaign on the Farm. (CASEY VALENTINE/isiphotos.com)

“It’s kind of surreal. Looking back at the whole career, it really flew by,” said fifth-year senior fullback Lee Ward. “It’s on my mind, but it’s not going to affect how I play.”

A Missouri native, Ward will also have the rare opportunity to play in front of his parents, who will be in town for the game.

Ward has certainly come a long way since walking onto the team in 2010, earning the captaincy and starting fullback job this season.

“I couldn’t envision it, but I set out goals when I first came in,” Ward said of his journey. “I had the goal of being a starter at some point and playing on this team. So having realized those goals and having them come true, I guess it’s not too big of a surprise because I made sure I put in all the work to achieve those goals.”

At 5-4, meanwhile, Stanford won’t be able to achieve many of the goals it had set at the beginning of the season. But the captains’ message to their team over the last week was simple.

“We have three games left. [Our goal] is obviously to win three games,” Ward said. “Just preparing mentally and physically for what we have ahead of us…lock in, and even though it’s the end of the season, give it our all.”

Up this week is a Utah team that ascended to No. 17 last week before a 51-27 loss to Oregon. According to Ward, the Cardinal are focusing on protecting Kevin Hogan against the Utes’ strong front seven, which leads the nation in sacks (43), and “spreading the net” against dynamic returner Kaelin Clay, who leads the nation in average yards per punt return (22.4).

***

Another fifth-year senior, kicker Jordan Williamson, is looking to build on his strongest performance of the season. He was 3-for-3 on field goals against the Ducks in the hostile confines of Autzen Stadium.

“I did feel like I was hitting the ball well,” Williamson said. “It’s hard not to get hyped up and feel good in an environment like that, where there’s just so many people and so much going on. It’s fun, and it’s easy to perform well when you’re out there having fun.”

After starting his season 5-of-10 on field goals, Williamson has now made six of his last seven kicks.

“I think a lot of it’s just been mental,” he said. “I did start off a little rocky and I think things are starting to pick back up and be where they should’ve been. And so you’ve just got to grow and move on.”

***

Asked to assess his running backs’ ability to break tackles, head coach David Shaw noted that senior Remound Wright has had the most opportunities, but that senior Kelsey Young and junior Barry J. Sanders probably break tackles on a higher percentage of their carries. Freshman Christian McCaffrey and senior Ty Montgomery are probably even more elusive if you count the passing game, he said.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

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Beyda: Mark Sanchez, Hashtag StanfordNFL and a whole lot of fantasy football https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/10/beyda-miller-sanchez-and-a-whole-lot-of-fantasy-football/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/10/beyda-miller-sanchez-and-a-whole-lot-of-fantasy-football/#respond Tue, 11 Nov 2014 04:59:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1091795 It was a stressful Sunday for me in The Daily sports crew’s fantasy football league. I thought I’d jumped out to a safe lead on Vignesh Venkataraman, who had five players on bye weeks.

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It was a stressful Sunday for me in The Daily sports crew’s fantasy football league. I thought I’d jumped out to a safe lead on Vignesh Venkataraman, who had five players on bye weeks and had started Brian Hoyer at quarterback for a grand total of seven Thursday-night points. But behind 41 points from Marshawn Lynch (four rushing touchdowns) and 27 more from the Cardinals D (two defensive scores), Viggy crept a couple of points ahead of me going into Monday night’s Eagles-Panthers game.

After being screwed over by a former Cal running back, the fate of my team — whose leading scorer on Sunday was former Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate — now rested squarely on the shoulders of a former USC quarterback, my recent waiver-wire pickup Mark Sanchez. I guess that’s what I get for naming my team “Hashtag StanfordNFL,” especially on Andrew Luck’s bye week.

If you’ve been playing fantasy football for a while, this all probably sounds pretty typical to you. The game is so fun because of the emotional swings elicited in each and every owner by players at a dozen NFL stadiums every week. No amount of analysis, research or experience can prepare you for each Sunday’s surprises, and no, the better team doesn’t always win.

But besides toying with my playoff hopes, this week’s craziness also drove home another point: Even though it wasn’t created by the NFL, fantasy football is perhaps the best marketing campaign in the history of mankind.

Fantasy football is perfect for the league because it increases both the breadth and the depth of the casual fan’s involvement. Of course, there are some ultra-fans who, even without fantasy sports, would scour Rotowire for six days each week and spend the seventh staring at a TV screen. But most followers of football or other sports are motivated by some sort of ownership — my city, my alma mater, my favorite player — even if only to justify to the rest of the world why they’re spending every waking hour watching multi-millionaires sweat.

But if fans just followed a couple of teams they felt attached to in those ways, things would be very inefficient for the NFL. It would be like watching just one episode of House of Cards each season or listening to just one song on Taylor Swift’s new album. What kind of model is that for the entertainment industry?

Fantasy football ensures that the NFL gets the biggest bang for its buck. By making me an owner of my very own team, the game enticed me into following all 32 teams in some way or another.

But that’s true for fantasy sports with other professional leagues, so what makes fantasy football special? I’ve tried fantasy baseball and hockey before, but they became too unmanageable because all of the players were in action every day or two. With fantasy football, though, I have a week to sit back and analyze what’s going on across the NFL — and I know that I’ll be at a severe disadvantage if I don’t.

Here’s an example: If you put them in a room, I probably couldn’t tell Lamar Miller from Lamar Odom, but in the process of replacing the struggling Toby Gerhart (an emotional, yet misguided, second-round pick) at running back, I learned all about Miller and the rest of the Miami Dolphins offense. Since then, he hasn’t just lifted me to a few key fantasy wins; he’s got me following the injury to Knowshon Moreno and the run-pass balance of the Dolphins’ offense. How’s that for a Bay Area native who usually splits his time between Stanford and the Sharks?

If that’s not enough to convince you of fantasy football’s power, let me remind you that a 17-year Stanford football fan started Mark Sanchez at QB this week. And Hashtag StanfordNFL won.

Joseph Beyda still mistakenly believes in the power of the Sanchize. Remind him of any game Mark started in the past four years to teach him a lesson at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Hoffpauir out, Parry questionable for critical showdown with Ducks https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/28/hoffpauir-out-parry-questionable-for-critical-showdown-with-ducks/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/28/hoffpauir-out-parry-questionable-for-critical-showdown-with-ducks/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2014 06:14:54 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1090819 Head coach David Shaw confirmed on Tuesday that junior safety/nickelback Zach Hoffpauir will miss this Saturday’s game at No. 5 Oregon, while fifth-year senior nose tackle David Parry remains questionable. Hoffpauir left the second quarter of the Cardinal’s 38-14 win against Oregon State with an injury. If Parry, who hurt his leg the previous week […]

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Zach Hoffpauir
Junior Zach Hoffpauir (right) will miss the Cardinal’s critical contest against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene on Saturday. Hoffpauir has 30 total tackles and three TFL to go along with four pass breakups. (JIM SHORIN/ stanfordphoto.com)

Head coach David Shaw confirmed on Tuesday that junior safety/nickelback Zach Hoffpauir will miss this Saturday’s game at No. 5 Oregon, while fifth-year senior nose tackle David Parry remains questionable.

Hoffpauir left the second quarter of the Cardinal’s 38-14 win against Oregon State with an injury. If Parry, who hurt his leg the previous week at ASU, is ruled out as well — the coaching staff should know his status for sure in the next couple of days — Stanford will be down two starters in the game in which its defensive depth will be tested the most heavily.

“He’s one of a kind,” said fifth-year senior inside linebacker A.J. Tarpley of Parry. “You’re not going to find a guy that gets more penetration and can physically manhandle someone like he can.”

The Cardinal survived similar attrition on the defensive line against the Ducks last year, when they were without then-fifth-year senior Ben Gardner, and they would look to a combination of freshman Harrison Phillips and junior Nate Lohn if Parry is unavailable.

Another freshman, Terrence Alexander, is expected to take many of Hoffpauir’s snaps at nickelback.

The only defense that has limited Oregon’s quick-strike offense in 2014 belongs to Arizona, which defeated the Ducks for a second straight year by holding them to just 24 points on Oct. 21.

“Oregon’s going to make their plays,” Shaw said. “They just are. Quarterback’s too good. Running back is too good. Receivers are too good. But [Arizona] kept those minimized.”

Shaw was particularly effusive in his praise of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, whose mobility, strength and intellect have taken him to the top of many Heisman and NFL Draft boards.

“Two years ago, the first time I saw him, I said, ‘Here’s the combination of Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck,’” Shaw said. “The last couple of years, he’s been the best player in college football. I really don’t think it’s been that close. There have been a lot of guys who people have fallen in and out of love with over the last couple of years; this guy has been consistent.”

Other than the Wildcats and the Cardinal, no team has beaten Mariota and the Ducks since 2011. In its four losses to Stanford and Arizona since the start of the 2012 season, Oregon has been held to just 21 points per game; in its 30 wins over that same stretch, Oregon has scored just over 50 points per game.

To keep the Ducks offense off the field, the Cardinal will turn to a running game that has struggled at times this season.

“We still need to run the ball,” Shaw said. “We still need to have some measure of ball control, just because it limits the number of possessions that the other team will have, because you don’t want to give that offense too many opportunities.”

***

Shaw expressed his support of the reforms adopted by the Pac-12 on Monday, including provisions to guarantee athletic scholarships for four years and cover medical expenses for injured athletes after they leave school.

“I think these changes are all the big ones that needed to have happened now,” Shaw said.

He mentioned that the reforms will make it easier for former Cardinal football players, specifically those who have left for the NFL and “are not making huge money,” to return to school to finish their degrees.

Along with the new Pac-12 reforms being releases this week, the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report was also released. Stanford University received a GSR of 98 percent in the latest report, including 20 teams with a 100 percent GSR. The rates are based upon classes entering from 2004-07 and graduating within six years.

Stanford football received a GSR of 99 percent. It is the highest mark in the Pac-12 and ranks second nationally among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions.

***

Junior center Graham Shuler was finishing some homework on Monday night when he, and the rest of the Cardinal’s starting offensive line, received a text message from left tackle Andrus Peat.

“‘We’ve got to play our most physical game,’” Peat’s message read. “’We’ve got to close our gaps. We’ve got to use our eyes. We’ve got to communicate.’”

“You get goosebumps a little bit,” Shuler said.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Practice Notes: Bloomgren comments on O-line play against ASU https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/21/practice-notes-bloomgren-comments-on-o-line-play-against-asu/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/21/practice-notes-bloomgren-comments-on-o-line-play-against-asu/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2014 06:56:34 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1090285 Despite head coach David Shaw’s insistence in Tuesday’s press conference that senior quarterback Kevin Hogan was not responsible for most of Stanford’s offensive struggles against Arizona State, and that better pass protection, in particular, was needed, offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren defended the play of the Cardinal offensive line later that same day. “In pass protection, […]

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Despite head coach David Shaw’s insistence in Tuesday’s press conference that senior quarterback Kevin Hogan was not responsible for most of Stanford’s offensive struggles against Arizona State, and that better pass protection, in particular, was needed, offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren defended the play of the Cardinal offensive line later that same day.

Coach David Shaw said Kevin Hogan (left)
Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan (above) said that the Cardinal need to hone in on their individual assignments on offense prior to Saturday’s game against OSU. (MIKE KHEIR/ The Stanford Daily)

“In pass protection, against a pretty aggressive front with a lot of different pressures last game, for the offensive line to not give up a sack was pretty good,” Bloomgren said after Tuesday night’s practice.

Yet Hogan was, in fact, sacked twice and hurried often against Arizona State. On a day that saw Shaw take the blame once again for Stanford’s offensive struggles, it was unclear whether the coaching staff was simply avoiding criticism of its players.

For example, Bloomgren also praised his offensive line’s success in the run game, though the Cardinal only netted 76 rushing yards (98, if you don’t count the two sacks) and averaged 3.5 yards per carry on Saturday. Arizona State came into the game with the nation’s 85th-ranked rush defense.

“We only had 18 called runs the other day, and there wasn’t a whole lot where there wasn’t a hole open,” Bloomgren said. “So I’d say that they’re doing a pretty good job moving people and doing what we want them to do.”

One offensive lineman who has caught the coaching staff’s eye is senior Brendon Austin, who lost the competition for the starting right guard job to junior Johnny Caspers during fall camp.

Austin played primarily as an Ogre before spending significant time at right guard during last week’s game, and Shaw said Tuesday that the battle between Austin and Caspers was raging once again. According to Bloomgren, Austin’s biggest improvements have come in pass protection.

***

Hogan said that he and his fellow team captains were sending a confident message to the team, noting that the Cardinal still control their own destiny and claiming that there was no reason to panic. However, he also claimed that the offense had to focus more on its preparation.

“People can just hone in on the details of their assignment,” Hogan said, “Just be more focused, locked in during practices and meetings and knowing exactly where they have to be, who they’re getting.”

In 2012, when Stanford lost a second game against Notre Dame, captain Chase Thomas was visibly upset the following week and channeled that disappointment into an eventual Rose Bowl run. Presented with that example, Hogan refused to single out any players who were taking particular ownership of the Cardinal’s struggles this time around.

“Everyone’s really taken it upon themselves,” Hogan said. “All the older guys who are playing, they really care. We all want this to end the right way. There’s no one person that’s caring more than anyone else.”

***

Shaw would not provide many hints as to the specific changes he would be making to the Cardinal offense, but Bloomgren confirmed that more designed runs for Hogan were on the horizon.

“Even just when we can get him to keep the ball in some of the red zone runs we’ve done historically, he’s been really good,” Bloomgren said. “And we do have to do more of those.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Beyda: A lifetime of Giant memories https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/20/beyda-a-lifetime-of-giant-memories/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/20/beyda-a-lifetime-of-giant-memories/#respond Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:07:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1090173 On April 13, two weeks after the start of the MLB season, I drove down to Monterey to visit my grandma’s grave. The last four months had been rough; I hadn’t known how to deal with the passing of a close family member for the first time.

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On April 13, two weeks after the start of the MLB season, I drove down to Monterey to visit my grandma’s grave. The last four months had been rough; I hadn’t known how to deal with the passing of a close family member for the first time. And that warm Sunday, with spring quarter off to a restless start and no pressing assignments needing to be finished, something compelled me to hop in my car.

I left the cemetery unsure whether the visit had helped — there just aren’t easy answers for certain things in life. I turned onto Highway 1 and flipped on the radio. The Giants were in the late innings against the Rockies, and the game was tied 4-4. Just a few minutes later, Brandon Crawford hit a walk-off, splash hit home run to give the Giants the win.

I couldn’t help but smile and think that my grandma had something to do with it.

Barbara Beyda grew up watching the New York (baseball) Giants, eventually reuniting with her favorite team when she followed my dad out to the Bay Area in the ’80s. I’m not sure I realized it as a little kid, but my grandma was probably the biggest baseball fan I knew.

Early each season, my dad or I would help her find the schedule online so she could print it out. After that, she was the one helping us keep up with the team. Whenever the Giants were putting together a big inning, I’d be whisked away from my homework by an excited phone call; many mornings, I’d wake up to her recap in my inbox. Grandma tuned in for every game, only missing the end if it ran too late into the night.

My grandma was one of the sharpest people I knew, especially when it came to the Giants. Well before closer Brian Wilson made “Fear the Beard” a t-shirt slogan, my grandma was keeping tabs on Rich Aurilia’s much-less-pronounced facial hair at shortstop ­— if he shaved, my dad and I were going to hear about it.

Few proud moments for the Giants were celebrated without her. I’ll never forget the aftermath of an NLCS win against the Cardinals when I was 9, as we all snaked our way down the incessant switchbacks of a ramp leading down from Pac Bell Park’s upper deck. Moving through the crowd wasn’t easy for a woman her age, much less with booming thundersticks and the chant of “Let’s Go Giants!” echoing through the tunnel. But when we got to the bottom, she was happy that we were just a game away from the World Series.

It got harder for her to go to Giants games in the years after that, but every summer, she would buy my dad and me the same joint birthday present: tickets to the game of our choosing, on the condition that we got the best seats we could find. That paid off a year ago when my dad caught his first ball after decades of watching baseball.

Grandma was our first phone call after the Giants won the World Series in 2010 and 2012, the franchise’s first titles since 1954. It will be hard not making that call if the Giants can win another title in the next week or two, but nothing makes me happier than the fact that she got to see two more championships after she (and the team) left New York.

Those two postseason runs were unexpected, but this year’s has been just ridiculous. Most people don’t know how the Giants, who had the worst record of any 2014 playoff team, are back in the World Series for the third time in five years. They don’t know how the Giants are finding shutdown pitching once again with their 2010 ace sitting in the bullpen, their 2010 closer playing for the Dodgers, their 2012 ace injured and their 2012 closer having lost his job this season. They don’t know how the Giants keep coming up with clutch at-bats, winning games with 18th-inning home runs, walk-off throwing errors and everything in between, not to mention last week’s iconic Travis Ishikawa blast to end the NLCS. They don’t know how the Giants are just so…magical.

I know how.

To learn more about why Joey’s heart will be beating at 120bpm in the coming weeks, contact him at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu

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Practice notes: McCaffrey looking to improve in upped role, injuries on both sides leave questions https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/15/practice-notes/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/15/practice-notes/#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2014 05:07:06 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1089882 Halfway through the regular season, Stanford’s most efficient offensive player hasn’t been star receiver Ty Montgomery, fellow senior wideout Devon Cajuste or everyone’s favorite NFL progeny, junior running back Barry J. Sanders.

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Halfway through the regular season, Stanford’s most efficient offensive player hasn’t been star receiver Ty Montgomery, fellow senior wideout Devon Cajuste or everyone’s favorite NFL progeny, junior running back Barry J. Sanders.

Instead, it’s been true freshman Christian McCaffrey, who’s averaged 8.4 yards per carry and 19.8 yards per catch in a limited hybrid role. When used over the last six games, McCaffrey’s speed has kept opposing defenses off balance, prompting calls to “Free McCaffrey” on a 2014 Cardinal offense that’s had trouble producing consistently.

(NATHAN STAFFA/The Stanford Daily)
Freshman running back Christian McCaffrey (above) saw an increase in his exposure in the win over Washington State and is working to work on every nuanced aspect of his game to meet the upped workload. (NATHAN STAFFA/The Stanford Daily)

McCaffrey’s offense at Valor Christian High — which produced quite a remarkable highlight tape for the running back — used some similar principles to Stanford’s system, but also tended to spread out its athletes a lot more than the Cardinal offenses of years past. This season, though, Stanford’s scheme has begun to shift toward what McCaffrey is already familiar with.

“All the offensive coaches do a great job of when they see something and they think that it’s going to work, then they run it,” he said after practice this week. “This year we have a different team than I think Stanford’s seen in the past. I think we’re a lot more athletic. So I think some of the different formations that I’m being put in, a lot of the other guys are being put in too, contribute directly to that.”

“Anytime you can get your athletes in space it’s a good thing,” McCaffrey added.

The son of former Stanford and NFL great Ed ’90 M.A. ’91, McCaffrey has shown up in the slot, in the I-formation and everywhere in between. But he said he’s not trying to model himself after speedy senior Kelsey Young, who was used in a similar hybrid role two years ago. McCaffrey isn’t trying to copy any particular running back, for that matter.

“No aspect of my game is perfect,” McCaffrey said. “I’m just working on every aspect of my game and really trying to perfect it, whether it’s agility drills, speed drills, recognizing blitzes. Everything that could make me the best back I can be.”

As for the suggestion that the dynamic McCaffrey should be used more? Head coach David Shaw isn’t in any rush.

“Just like we did with Ty, we build them slow,” Shaw said. “We don’t try to put everything on them right away. He’ll gradually get a little bit more every week until he’s really ready to do it all.”

***

Stanford’s ability to pressure Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday hamstrung the Cougars’ threatening passing attack, but the Cardinal will have to back off somewhat on Saturday against an Arizona State offense that is much more well-rounded.

“This is a little different, because we’re playing against a team that will run the ball,” Shaw said. “It’s not just a pass rush every play. We have to account for the runs on any given down.”

Stanford’s front seven has been scrutinizing the Sun Devils’ offensive line in hopes of being able to identify when passes are coming.

“We always want to get after those guys every time,” said sophomore outside linebacker Peter Kalambayi, who leads Stanford with 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. “We’ve just been studying those tackles a lot, looking at those guards, seeing the way they like to move and things like that. But it’s a more balanced attack, definitely.”

The biggest question mark for the Sun Devils is the extent to which fifth-year senior Taylor Kelly will play at quarterback, returning from a foot injury that has vaulted redshirt sophomore Mike Bercovici into the starting role. Shaw emphasized earlier this week that the Cardinal weren’t worrying about which quarterback started for the Sun Devils, though he admitted on Wednesday that Stanford’s scout team quarterbacks have been breaking contain in practice to prepare for the mobile Kelly.

***

Shaw confirmed on Wednesday that his injured players — junior receiver Michael Rector, sophomore tight end Austin Hooper and senior linebacker James Vaughters — were progressing as the coaching staff expected. He also noted that Montgomery “has done well,” though it wasn’t clear whether he was referring to the offseason injury to the receiver’s shoulder or another issue that has developed this season.

“It’s midseason,” Shaw said. “We’ve got a lot of bumps and bruises.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Wednesday roundtable: Were last year’s wins against ASU flukes? https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/14/wednesday-roundtable-were-last-years-wins-against-asu-flukes/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/14/wednesday-roundtable-were-last-years-wins-against-asu-flukes/#respond Wed, 15 Oct 2014 06:18:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1089779 Last season, Stanford defeated Arizona State handily by a score of 42-28 in its third game of the season, and later went on to trounce the Sun Devils 38-14 in the Pac-12 Championship game. Ahead of this week’s battle against Arizona State, we asked football writers Joseph Beyda, Jordan Wallach and David Cohn: Was the […]

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Last season, Stanford defeated Arizona State handily by a score of 42-28 in its third game of the season, and later went on to trounce the Sun Devils 38-14 in the Pac-12 Championship game. Ahead of this week’s battle against Arizona State, we asked football writers Joseph Beyda, Jordan Wallach and David Cohn: Was the Card’s dominance of the Sun Devils last season a fluke, or are the Cardinal built to beat the Sun Devils?

Joseph: The biggest matchup questions on paper heading into those two games last year was how Stanford’s offensive line would hold up against Will Sutton, Carl Bradford and the rest of Arizona State’s front. The result? Basically a wash: The Cardinal gave up five sacks and 14 tackles for loss in those two games, each slightly below ASU’s season average, while racking up an impressive 240 rushing yards in each game. And with Sutton and Bradford — as well as four Stanford offensive linemen — gone this year, it is really hard to say which team has an advantage in that battle this time around.

To me, another important matchup from last season that will figure into this year’s contest is the showdown between the Cardinal’s wideouts and the Sun Devils’ secondary. Kevin Hogan only threw 35 passes in his two games against ASU last year, but especially in the Pac-12 Championship Game blowout, the Cardinal passing game gashed ASU for big gains time and time again. Stanford averaged 23 yards — 23! — every time it caught the ball.

With the entire 2013 Cardinal wide receiver corps still around, and three talented tight ends joining the mix in a big way so far this season, Stanford has to be licking its chops in the passing game. Arizona State is also giving up 245.5 yards per game, which ranks 73rd in the FBS. I am not sure whether Stanford is built to beat the Sun Devils, but at the very least, its major strength on offense matches up with an ASU weakness.

David: “Fluke”? That is a strong word to be throwing around with last year’s ASU-Stanford contests. In short, no, last year’s performances were certainly not a fluke; the Cardinal, in the meaningful minutes of both contests, did not just beat the Sun Devils, but destroyed them. On offense, Stanford imposed its will in the running game, to the tune of 378 yards and four combined rushing touchdowns. On defense, Stanford partied in the backfield, to the tune of eight combined sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, two blocked punts and 17 tackles for a loss in the two games.

However, I think the more relevant question for this conversation is not necessarily rehasing over Stanford’s dominance in 2013, but instead talking about how the 2014 Arizona State squad will be an extremely formidable threat for the 2014 edition of the Cardinal. For one, this Sun Devil squad is playing with a newfound confidence after its “Miracle at the Coliseum” win over USC. As that game showed, Mike Bercovici and Taylor Kelly are both capable quarterbacks in ASU’s vaunted aerial attack.

Furthermore, DJ Foster is averaging nearly eight yards per carry and has scored five touchdowns this season; he is clearly a dangerous runner when inserted into ASU’s uptempo scheme. Finally, Sun Devil Stadium, regardless of the Card’s performance last year in the Pac-12 Championship Game, is a hostile environment for road squads, as Arizona State has gone 7-2 at home over the last two seasons. In short, the Cardinal should be ready for a very difficult contest on Saturday.

Jordan: I certainly do not think last season’s wins over the Sun Devils were flukes, and the Cardinal have been built to beat ASU for a while — the last time Arizona State defeated Stanford was in 2008, the second year of Jim Harbaugh’s reign and just before the “Rags to Roses” run. However, we have already seen that this year’s Stanford team simply does not resemble the elite teams of years past.

It starts with the offensive line, the highly touted Tunnel Workers Union, that has paved the way for one of the best ground games in the nation in recent years. Names like David Yankey, David DeCastro, Andrew Phillips and Chris Marinelli all inspired fear in opposing defensive linemen. Yet this year’s O-line struggles have been well documented and perhaps exaggerated, as the Cardinal are without the downhill back that is usually a team stalwart. Last season, Stanford combined for 480 yards rushing against the weak ASU defensive front, but similar rushing performances just don’t seem possible this year.

Stanford Offensive Production: Rushing

Season Rush Yds/G FCS Ranking
2009 218.23 11th
2010 213.77 17th
2011 210.62 18th
2012 174.29 50th
2013 207.43 22nd
2014 150.33 85th

Stanford might also have to deal with the return of Sun Devil quarterback Taylor Kelly, who has been sidelined since Sept. 13 with a foot injury, but has been practicing since last Thursday. Kelly tore up the Cardinal secondary in the two matchups last season (especially in the September game), combining to go 47-for-80 with 540 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Yet we have seen how Stanford’s top-ranked scoring defense has responded to threatening quarterbacks, well, last week.

The Cardinal should not have too much trouble with Arizona State this weekend, but they will certainly have to rely on different weapons than they have in the past against the Devils.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu, David Cohn at dmcohn ‘at’ stanford.edu and Jordan Wallach at jwallach ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Card look to right ship on offense ahead of matchup with Cougs https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/08/card-look-to-right-ship-on-offense-ahead-of-matchup-with-cougs/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/08/card-look-to-right-ship-on-offense-ahead-of-matchup-with-cougs/#respond Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:03:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1089237 Head coach David Shaw announced at Tuesday’s press conference that senior quarterback Kevin Hogan sustained a leg injury against Notre Dame and did not practice on Monday. The coaching staff planned to limit his reps in practice on Tuesday and expect to have their third-year starter back before Friday night’s home showdown with Washington State. […]

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Head coach David Shaw announced at Tuesday’s press conference that senior quarterback Kevin Hogan sustained a leg injury against Notre Dame and did not practice on Monday.

Graham Shuler (left) stated on Tuesday that the Cardinal's O-line performance against Notre Dame was 'unacceptable.'
Graham Shuler (left) stated on Tuesday that the Cardinal’s O-line performance against Notre Dame was ‘unacceptable.’  Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan was sacked four times in a 17-14 loss to then No.9  Notre Dame last Saturday. (JIM SHORIN/isiphotos.com)

The coaching staff planned to limit his reps in practice on Tuesday and expect to have their third-year starter back before Friday night’s home showdown with Washington State.

“It didn’t slow him down,” Shaw said. “It didn’t stop him from running…he played through it. We were aware of it. There was no fear for future injury. Especially as the adrenaline’s going, he still had full range of motion, full strength. Our trainers and doctors did a great job making sure he was ready to go, and he was ready to go. After you play a game it gets really sore, and that’s where he is.”

In cold and rainy conditions in South Bend, Hogan posted one of the worst statistical performances of his career, completing just 18 of his 36 passes and throwing two picks. He was also sacked four times, though Shaw would not indicate on which play Hogan was hurt or the nature of the injury.

Shaw said that the passing game’s struggles against the Irish — especially for senior receiver Ty Montgomery, who had just four catches for 12 yards — were mainly a result of the Irish’s pass rush.

“The biggest thing was the pressure,” Shaw said. “We had to throw the ball twice to [Montgomery] earlier than we wanted. Kevin had to get the ball out of his hands…There’s one in the red zone where Ty makes a break and he’s open, and you could call it a dropped ball — he didn’t see the ball. He turned his head and the ball was right here, and he couldn’t get his hands up.”

Should Hogan not be ready for Friday’s game, he would be replaced by senior Evan Crower. Though Shaw said that Crower could start for many teams, there is also a significant experience gap, as Crower has only appeared in mop-up duty in five games in 2013 and 2014.

***

Shaw indicated that his staff is trying to “simplify a lot of things” for the Cardinal offense, which has scored just 44 points in its three biggest games of the season (against USC, Washington and Notre Dame).

“We want our guys thinking a little bit less and playing a little bit faster, and the big reason for that is to try to cut down on mistakes,” Shaw said. “I wouldn’t say that we’re trying to change a whole lot.

“I sound like a broken record, I’ll say what I said the last three weeks: We need to do our jobs better,” he added. “And not have free runners hitting our quarterback. And hand the ball off and have a guy get to the line of scrimmage. And, when we get the opportunity to break a tackle — yeah, we need to break a tackle. That’s where those long runs come from.”

Part of the strategy is continuing to get the ball to Montgomery more, as he leads Stanford in broken tackles.

But the improvement also has to revolve around the offensive line. Though Shaw said that junior offensive tackle Andrus Peat had maybe his best game since coming to Stanford at Notre Dame, the line as a whole — which, besides Peat, includes four new starters — had trouble withstanding the Irish’s pass rush or paving the way in the running game, which averaged just 1.5 yards per carry.

“I feel like we are very un-Stanfordlike in that we are very inconsistent,” said junior center Graham Shuler. “I look around in the huddle at those guys and I see how hard they’re working, how hard they’re fighting. And they’re playing their tails off. You can’t negate that. But what we have to start doing is preparing better, and when we face adversity, when we face great pressures, a great gameplan from a great defense, we have to be able to respond in a much better manner than we did.

“The [line’s] play was unacceptable,” Shuler continued. “I went back and watched the film, and it made me sick how frustrated I was at the mistakes that we were making. But you have to learn from those, and that’s the only thing you can do…We’re going into our sixth game. It’s time for all of those little things to go away and for us to become who we need to be.”

***

The dominant Cardinal defense has become somewhat of an afterthought this year, simply because of the glaring inefficiencies on the other side of the ball. Shaw said that senior Kevin Anderson, who posted Stanford’s only two sacks, had the best game of his career in South Bend, following up strong performances in recent weeks by fellow outside linebackers Peter Kalambayi and James Vaughters.

When Shaw was asked about the breakdown that led to Notre Dame’s game-winning touchdown with 1:01 remaining, he refused to dwell on the play.

“It was the last mistake of too many mistakes during the course of the game,” he said. “We blew a coverage. It hasn’t happened very much at all, honestly, with us in years.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Beyda: For better or worse, Stanford rides and dies with Hogan https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/01/beyda-for-better-or-worse-stanford-rides-and-dies-with-hogan/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/01/beyda-for-better-or-worse-stanford-rides-and-dies-with-hogan/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2014 05:22:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1088633 Kevin Hogan isn’t perfect; Saturday’s close Stanford win at Washington reminded us of that in several ways. But that afternoon at Husky Stadium also showed us something else. David Shaw sure does have faith in his senior quarterback. That wasn’t the narrative after last year’s Rose Bowl, when Shaw drew fans’ ire for getting away […]

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Kevin Hogan isn’t perfect; Saturday’s close Stanford win at Washington reminded us of that in several ways. But that afternoon at Husky Stadium also showed us something else.

David Shaw sure does have faith in his senior quarterback.

That wasn’t the narrative after last year’s Rose Bowl, when Shaw drew fans’ ire for getting away from the passing game late in the loss to Michigan State. (If you go back and look at that game’s box score, you’ll see that Hogan was actually still involved throughout the fourth quarter — even after a pick and two fumbles.) On Saturday, though, there was no doubt that Shaw stuck with his guy all the way up to the final whistle, which is what won Stanford the game.

It didn’t matter that Hogan threw an all-too-predictable interception by staring down Ty Montgomery in the third quarter. On Stanford’s next drive, when the Cardinal were backed up to their own 13-yard line with the score tied at 13-13 (ominous numbers, right?), Shaw dialed up a Barry J. Sanders run and then two consecutive Hogan passes. Both fell incomplete, but the point is that Shaw trusted Hogan to rebound from his bad decision despite the looming risk of a pick-six.

The pattern repeated itself in the fourth quarter, after Hogan fumbled away three likely points on a third-down scramble from the Washington 16-yard line. Stanford’s next three offensive plays were Hogan runs, and though they weren’t all designed to stay in the quarterback’s hands, Shaw certainly could’ve handed the ball off to a tailback if his confidence in Hogan had wavered. And just three snaps later, Shaw called a bootleg that resulted in Hogan’s game-winning rushing touchdown.

Don’t think that the Cardinal’s other offensive players are given the same lengthy leash. Fellow senior Remound Wright, who has begun to emerge as the Cardinal’s most effective power back this year, had 10 first-half carries, but his second quarter ended on an ugly note when he gave up a scoop-and-score and took a costly chop-block penalty (his second of the season) within a span of less than a minute of game time.

Out of the tunnel, Wright’s role had diminished significantly. He didn’t have a single third-quarter touch, and of his four fourth-quarter carries, only one came before Stanford was trying to run out the clock.

With regards to Hogan, I think David Shaw is looking forward. Stanford can’t hope to win the Pac-12 title or reach the College Football Playoff unless it involves its bevy of talented receivers and tight ends in the passing game. Stanford can’t make use of those weapons unless Hogan builds the confidence he needs to cut down on his mistakes: the inaccurate throws and turnovers that haven’t completely gone away over the last two seasons. And Hogan can’t do that unless his coach goes all-in, even when Hogan has his hiccups.

I’ve been as critical — pessimistic, even — as anybody about Hogan this year, and in hindsight, that wasn’t entirely warranted.

In truth, there are two Kevin Hogans: a good one, and a bad one. The good Kevin Hogan consistently checks Stanford into the right play, delivers the ball to his receivers with a surprising completion percentage (he’s exactly 71-for-100 this season), gets out of trouble and keeps defenses guessing with his feet. The bad Kevin Hogan throws high and late, locks into one receiver and struggles with ball security.

The good Kevin Hogan has taken Stanford to two Rose Bowls, but the bad Kevin Hogan has still lingered for those five crucial plays a game that Shaw likes to talk about. Five bad plays might not cut it this year; without a workhorse running back or an experienced offensive line, the Cardinal offense needs a new anchor, and who could it be other than Hogan?

So there will be growing pains, like the ones we saw against USC and Washington. Still, wouldn’t you rather that Hogan worked out the kinks now? He’ll never be as perfect as Andrew Luck was, but Stanford will only go as far as Hogan takes it this season. It’s imperative that he’s given opportunities to redeem himself like the ones he received at Washington, and if one person understands that, it’s David Shaw.

 Joseph  Beyda and David Shaw have the confidence that Hogan can carry the Card to victory, yet the jury is still out on whether Hogan has the confidence in himself. Email Joseph some words of encouragement for the quarterback and he’ll be sure to pass them on to Hogan  at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

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Practice notes: Moving past mistakes on offense https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/01/practice-notes-moving-past-mistakes-on-offense/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/01/practice-notes-moving-past-mistakes-on-offense/#respond Wed, 01 Oct 2014 07:29:44 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1088660 The inconsistency of Stanford’s offense continued to be a theme after the No. 14 Cardinal’s Tuesday practice, as the team moved on from a mistake-riddled 20-13 win at Washington on Saturday. At the same time, head coach David Shaw said he was pleased with senior quarterback Kevin Hogan’s play so far. Hogan has completed 71 […]

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The inconsistency of Stanford’s offense continued to be a theme after the No. 14 Cardinal’s Tuesday practice, as the team moved on from a mistake-riddled 20-13 win at Washington on Saturday.

At the same time, head coach David Shaw said he was pleased with senior quarterback Kevin Hogan’s play so far. Hogan has completed 71 percent of his passes, but his slate also includes two picks and four fumbles (three of which were lost).

(STEPHEN BRASHEAR/StanfordPhoto)
Senior Remound Wright (center) was a focal point of the Cardinal rushing attack against Washington; Wright gained 63 yards on 14 carries against the Huskies. On the season, he is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. (STEPHEN BRASHEAR/StanfordPhoto)

“For the most part, up until we get to the 20-yard line, he’s been really good,” Shaw said. “Scrambling when he needs to, throwing it accurately… he’s gotten us out of bad plays and into good plays.”

“The big thing that’s just hurt us all is turnovers,” he added. “Turnovers and being inefficient in the red zone have really been the mar of our offense.”

Stanford’s 12 fumbles through four games, compared to 20 through 14 games last season, are perhaps the most shocking. Shaw called that mark “very, very bad,” and senior running back Remound Wright, who lost a fumble against the Huskies, was dissatisfied as well.

“There is no explanation for it,” Wright said. “It’s just a lack of attention to detail on our part. There’s no excuses for it. It’s just unacceptable, and we’ve just got to come out here with a focus on ball security and make it very important in practice, and hopefully that will carry over to the game.”

Wright, who has emerged as the tailback that perhaps best fits Stanford’s power-running mold, has also taken two costly chop block penalties this season.

“There’s not really much to be said about them,” Wright said. “It’s just something I can’t let happen anymore. It won’t happen anymore.”

***

Despite the mental mistakes, the Cardinal’s running game has been fairly productive through four games.

Stanford’s top three running backs, Wright, senior Kelsey Young and junior Barry J. Sanders, are all averaging over five yards per carry. Meanwhile, its new-look offensive line has made noticeable strides over the last two games.

“It’s just going to be a combined effort between the O-line and us to move the ball,” Wright said. “The O-line is doing a great job. Being a young group, they’re going to get better every single day, every single week, throughout the year. It’s great to have that confidence in them as a unit.”

***

Senior wide receiver Ty Montgomery has only become more of a factor for the Cardinal offense this season, taking snaps out of the Wildcat and in read-option formations. Perhaps most notably, the Jet Award winner and former kickoff specialist has proven himself as a dynamic punt returner.

“If I could come up with a comparison, I guess kick return is more like a power run game, something like that, and punt return is like a screen,” Montgomery said. “You’ve got to catch it, find out where the blocks are at and just hit it.”

Montgomery did not have many chances to hit holes on punt returns last Saturday because of Washington punter Korey Durkee;  Durkee boomed seven punts for an average of 51.7 yards in what Shaw called one of the best punting performances he has seen at any level.

“It’s frustrating when you’re standing at about 35 yards and then he punts it 50 yards in the air and then gets like another 10-yard roll, a yard from the sideline,” Montgomery said. “Or you stand back 40 or 45 yards, and then he rugbies something that drops at about 20, and he gets a 30-yard roll… All credit to him. He had a great game.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Beyda: Concussions are not events, they’re stories https://stanforddaily.com/2014/09/23/beyda-concussions-are-not-events-theyre-stories/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/09/23/beyda-concussions-are-not-events-theyre-stories/#respond Wed, 24 Sep 2014 04:47:40 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1088179 As a die-hard football and hockey fan, I hear about head injuries all the time. But what does a concussion really mean to me? Chances are, it will elicit one of three reactions: I’ll gear up for the disappointment of a Sharks slump after the loss of a top defenseman, I’ll scurry to tweet a juicy tidbit of Cardinal football news after a post-practice press huddle or — god forbid — I’ll scratch my head as I tweak my already shaky fantasy lineup.

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Last week, somewhere between a grenadine-red sunburn and a poolside piña colada, I sunk my teeth into “League of Denial,” a recent book by ESPN investigative reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. Its premise — that, since the 1990s, the NFL has “used its power and resources to attack independent scientists and elevate its own flawed research” on the long-term health impacts of concussions — was more than enough to shake my faith in professional football, not to mention the serenity of my Hawaiian vacation.

Don’t worry; I won’t spoil the disturbing details of the alleged cover-up, which were intended as the book’s main takeaways. Instead, I have something to admit.

To this point, I haven’t taken concussions seriously.

As a die-hard football and hockey fan, I hear about head injuries all the time. But what does a concussion really mean to me? Chances are, it will elicit one of three reactions: I’ll gear up for the disappointment of a Sharks slump after the loss of a top defenseman, I’ll scurry to tweet a juicy tidbit of Cardinal football news after a post-practice press huddle or — god forbid — I’ll scratch my head as I tweak my already shaky fantasy lineup.

Chances are you’re a lot like me. For those of us whose athletic dreams were squelched, sport-by-sport, far too early for repetitive head injuries (other than the slicing-open-on-kitchen-cabinet-corners variety) to even become a reality, a concussion became just a sentence in a newspaper report or a footnote on a list of scratches.

Even in situations where concussions weren’t so depersonalized, I was slowly lulled into believing that — although a dangerous, diagnosable medical condition — they weren’t the end of the world. A friend of mine laughed as he blamed a dumb comment he had made on the concussions he had likely sustained as a defensive lineman in high school; an interview subject joked about the Tau deposits (a key contributing factor to CTE and Alzheimer’s) that offensive linemen rack up as part of their thankless job on the football field. Another interviewee, this one an NFL player, was almost in awe as he remembered a particularly bad concussion in college, describing the experience as bizarre more than anything else.

Of course, I knew that concussions were rewriting the rules of my two favorite sports. I’d read about the settlement that will force the NFL to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to thousands of its former players. And yeah, I’d heard the news about Junior Seau and Derek Boogaard and other professional athletes whose deaths were linked to concussions. But somehow, just like the NFL has done over the last 20 years, I forced myself to rationalize those things — to preserve my little snow globe of fanhood. Instead of sinking in, those deaths became blurred with the myriad others I saw in the news. The impact of those headlines faded, and I went back to watching football and hockey the way I always had.

And then, with palm trees swaying overhead, I cracked open “League of Denial.”

Before getting to the NFL’s thorough efforts to refute its growing concussion crisis, the book recounts the frightening post-retirement decline of Hall of Famer Mike Webster, a former Steelers center who suffered from CTE, the disease linked to repetitive head injury in athletes. Each detail was more disturbing than the last: Webster’s abrupt change in personality, from focused and caring to indecisive and delusional; the implosion of his family life; the lack of financial stability that forced him to sleep in his SUV, if not in train or bus stations; his addiction to painkillers; the mounting rage toward NFL officials that led him to acquire an arsenal of firearms; the hundreds of incoherent letters he wrote, all too emblematic of his mental state, in the final years before his death in 2002, when he was just 50.

Those first hundred pages were like a coconut from above. They drove reality home in a way that newspaper headlines, abundant as they were, never could. Concussions don’t just ruin my team’s spot in the standings — they ruin lives. And they’re categorically different than any other injury that shows up next to my fantasy lineup.

“It figures that at age 40, an athlete is going to have a tough time reaching over to pick up his child,” sports agent Leigh Steinberg was quoted in the book. “It’s another dimension not to be able to recognize that child.”

As a fan, that understanding changed things. Cringing at the sight of a big hit will take on a whole new meaning for me, and it’s hard not to reconsider certain aspects of the sports I hold dear. Was my vociferous argument that fighting really belongs in hockey, penned a year and a half ago, far too shortsighted? Is football as we know it unsafe by its very nature, despite claims of safer helmets and mouth guards (which have been debunked repeatedly by independent researchers) and stricter rules in both pro and college football (which are far from eliminating the problem)?

I’m still struggling to answer those questions, but at the same time, my perspective as a journalist has shifted drastically as well.

If you’re reading something about how concussions have affected a player, chances are they a) are currently on your favorite team’s injury report, b) just retired due to head injury or c) just died due to a particularly aggressive case of CTE. That coverage is, in a word, minimalizing. It reduces a concussion to a one-time news item, like an ankle sprain or a car accident, while ignoring the human impact that tugs at our heartstrings and that won’t be replaced by tomorrow’s news. You can’t tell me the reports we read in the paper come close to encapsulating the full effect of concussions in this country, and as an avid consumer of those reports for 21 years, I never even began to appreciate the role that head injuries play in countless athletes’ lives.

Journalists, myself included, do our readers a disservice when we spin a concussion as an event. In reality, it’s a story, one that can play out over a lifetime for our favorite athletes. “League of Denial” told those stories well, and they changed the way I see football. For the sport’s ugly repercussions to be understood more widely, journalists should approach everyday coverage from that perspective.

This age of endless sports news is every fan’s island paradise. But when it comes to concussions, the coconuts are there. It’s time they started falling.

While Joseph Beyda’s perspective on concussions has changed after reading “League of Denial,” evidence of the aforementioned grenadine-red sunburn remains. Send him your best remedies for sunburns at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Wednesday roundtable: Importance of the season opener https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/26/wednesday-roundtable-importance-of-the-season-opener/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/26/wednesday-roundtable-importance-of-the-season-opener/#respond Wed, 27 Aug 2014 06:55:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087666 With Stanford football opening the season against a massive underdog in UC-Davis, which went only 5-7 in FCS play last year, the result of the game is really all but certain, barring a miraculous performance from UC-Davis reminiscent of Appalachian State defeating Michigan in 2007. We asked football writers Joseph Beyda, Vihan Lakshman and David […]

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With Stanford football opening the season against a massive underdog in UC-Davis, which went only 5-7 in FCS play last year, the result of the game is really all but certain, barring a miraculous performance from UC-Davis reminiscent of Appalachian State defeating Michigan in 2007. We asked football writers Joseph Beyda, Vihan Lakshman and David Cohn to determine what, other than winning, is most important for the Cardinal to do against UC-Davis with USC looming just a week later.

David: Let me first state that UC-Davis, like any opponent, should not be taken lightly. Michigan State’s fans had a lot of fun at my expense after the Rose Bowl for even suggesting that a particular opponent could be easier than others on a schedule. (For the record, I still think Oregon was a tougher opponent from last year than Michigan State, despite the outcomes in both games. If the Spartans knock off the Ducks at Autzen Stadium, then Spartan fans can make fun of me some more, but I don’t think it will happen.)

That being said, in any football game, injury prevention is of the utmost importance. With senior All-American wide receiver Ty Montgomery already dealing with injuries that may limit him in Saturday’s contest, the Cardinal can ill afford to lose any other playmakers on either side of the ball.

The Cardinal's game against UC-Davis might be an opportunity for some of the
The Cardinal’s game against UC-Davis might be an opportunity for some of the younger players, like Luke Kaumatule (above), to prove they are worthy of a bigger role. (TRI NGUYEN/The Stanford Daily)

With the Cardinal figuring to be heavy favorites against the Aggies, coupled with the fact that the Card have not lost to a team outside of Oregon at home since 2009, Stanford should be looking to get past UC-Davis without losing players to injury.

Joseph: Though David makes a good point about protecting Stanford’s top players, there’s one starting unit that I’d like to see get as many snaps as possible on Saturday afternoon: the Cardinal offensive line.

From everything coming out of the program during training camp, those five junior starters make up the most athletic group up front for Stanford in recent memory, if not in Cardinal history. But they still have to come together as a unit, which is very much a work in progress. The group is really tight off the field; don’t get me wrong. Yet David Shaw has said that the new-look offensive line still hasn’t gelled fully in the trenches, which must happen for that historic recruiting class to live up to its potential.

Even though the offensive line has always been important to Stanford, its successes and failures will only be magnified in 2014. The Cardinal’s running backs this year are built better to speed through an open hole and into space than they are to muscle through defenders at the line of scrimmage, and the departure of Tyler Gaffney at that position also signals a likely dropoff as far as pass protection is concerned.

Both of those factors put more pressure on the Tunnel Workers Union, and with USC’s impressive defensive line licking its chops for that Sept. 6 showdown, there’s a pretty tight timetable for the Stanford front’s development. If the offensive line can build some confidence against UC-Davis, the Cardinal will have a great shot against the Trojans one week later.

Vihan: Joey hit the nail on the head by calling for Stanford’s prodigiously talented, but relatively inexperienced, offensive line to get as many reps as possible during Saturday’s game. On the flip side, I’d like to see the Card’s defensive front seven showcase its depth during Saturday’s game.

A key ingredient in Stanford’s secret formula to slowing down Oregon and surviving the grind of the Pac-12 season has been the ability to rotate up front with virtually no drop-off. With big-time names like Skov, Gardner, Mauro and Murphy moving on to the next level, the Cardinal’s younger players have the chance to step up and become an integral part of the rotation. We know what kind of impact Henry Anderson and A.J. Tarpley can have on a game, but on Saturday, I’ll be looking to see if players like Aziz Shittu, Noor Davis, Luke Kaumatule and Peter Kalambayi can step in with a lot of confidence and make big plays.

The #partyinthebackfield has never been a one man show: It’s a revolving door of menacing talent, with each contributor ready to add to the celebration. Saturday’s game will be a great opportunity to get the party started in 2014 with new faces added to the mix. Establishing strong defensive depth will be important in the long run and right away with the Trojans coming to town in week 2.

David Cohn, Joseph Beyda and Vihan Lakshman are just ready for the 2014-15 season to startregardless of what opponent awaits. Share your enthusiasm for the upcoming Cardinal campaign with them at dmcohn ‘at’ stanford.edu, jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu and vihan ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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2014 Stanford football depth chart released https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/25/2014-stanford-football-depth-chart-released/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/25/2014-stanford-football-depth-chart-released/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2014 18:24:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087586 Stanford football released its depth chart on Monday morning for the Aug. 30 season opener against UC-Davis, with senior Kelsey Young and junior Blake Martinez slotted to start at running back and inside linebacker, respectively. Young missed part of training camp with an ankle injury but returned late last week, and beat out junior Barry J. Sanders for […]

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Stanford football released its depth chart on Monday morning for the Aug. 30 season opener against UC-Davis, with senior Kelsey Young and junior Blake Martinez slotted to start at running back and inside linebacker, respectively.

Young missed part of training camp with an ankle injury but returned late last week, and beat out junior Barry J. Sanders for the starting job. Sanders, fifth-year senior Ricky Seale “OR” senior Remound Wright are slotted as Young’s backups at tailback.

Junior inside linebacker Blake Martinez (above) will take over Shayne Skov's old spot, though he's expected to rotate with several others. (TRI NGUYEN/The Stanford Daily)
Junior inside linebacker Blake Martinez (above) will take over Shayne Skov’s old spot, though he’s expected to rotate with several others. (TRI NGUYEN/The Stanford Daily)

Martinez will take over Shayne Skov’s old inside linebacker spot, where he will play across from fifth-year senior A.J. Tarpley. The two primary backups at the position, sophomore Kevin Palma and junior Noor Davis, are expected to rotate heavily with Martinez.

The depth chart also confirmed that fifth-year senior Kyle Olugbode will take over at free safety.

Olugbode will be joined by senior strong safety Jordan Richards and senior corner Wayne Lyons in the starting secondary. Surprisingly, senior corner Ronnie Harris “OR” junior Alex Carter is listed as the starting left corner, meaning that Harris may unseat the returning starter. But as the depth chart did not list any nickelbacks, it’s hard to tell what the coaching staff has in mind as far as the secondary’s rotation goes.

All five members of Stanford’s starting offensive line are juniors: left tackle Andrus Peat, left guard Josh Garnett, center Graham Shuler, right guard Johnny Caspers and right tackle Kyle Murphy. Caspers was the only member of that group who was fighting for a starting job in camp, but head coach David Shaw announced on Friday that he had won the spot over senior Brendon Austin, who is now expected to play in an Ogre role.

To no surprise, senior Kevin Hogan will start at quarterback for Stanford for the third straight season, and classmate Evan Crower will back him up for the second consecutive year. No other passers were listed; sophomore Ryan Burns is believed to be the third quarterback and highly touted freshman Keller Chryst, who will almost certainly redshirt, does not appear on the depth chart.

Fifth-year senior fullback Lee Ward will be the Cardinal’s lead blocker, with senior Patrick Skov backing him up, as expected.

Though there is no word yet on whether he’s cleared to play against UC-Davis, senior Ty Montgomery is Stanford’s top receiver, with classmate Devon Cajuste lining up across the field. Michael Rector, Jordan Pratt (who recently returned from a minor injury) and Francis Owusu are listed as the backups.

Sophomore Eric Cotton is listed at the starting tight end spot, with classmate Austin Hooper backing him up. Shaw has already named Hooper the top “Y” tight end, so Cotton has presumably won the battle for the “F” position. Senior Charlie Hopkins is listed as the third tight end.

Fifth-year seniors Henry Anderson, David Parry and Blake Lueders will most likely start up front for the Cardinal defense, but junior Aziz Shittu, who broke through in the spring, is listed alongside Lueders at one defensive end starting spot and as Parry’s backup at nose tackle. The other backup defensive end is junior Luke Kaumatule, who returned to the position this offseason after spending some time at tight end.

Seniors James Vaughters and Kevin Anderson will start at outside linebacker, as expected. Former inside linebacker Joe Hemschoot is listed as one backup, while sophomore Peter Kalambayi, who had an impressive spring game, is the other.

Jordan Williamson will kick for Stanford for a fourth consecutive year, with fellow fifth-year senior Ben Rhyne starting at punter. Montgomery is the starting kick returner, and is listed along with Sanders at punt returner.

The only true freshman to appear on the two-deep was left tackle Casey Tucker, who is Peat’s primary backup.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Football preview: As special teams dominate, Williamson continues to tune out critics https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/25/football-preview-as-special-teams-dominate-williamson-continues-to-tune-out-critics/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/25/football-preview-as-special-teams-dominate-williamson-continues-to-tune-out-critics/#respond Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:05:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087640 Almost across the board, Stanford’s special teams became a force to be reckoned with in 2013, compiling some of the best stats in the country and a slew of highlight-reel plays. But even though Cardinal fans have become accustomed to suffocating kick coverage and electric Ty Montgomery returns, there’s one vital cog on special teams whose contributions have been acknowledged much less frequently.

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Almost across the board, Stanford’s special teams became a force to be reckoned with in 2013, compiling some of the best stats in the country and a slew of highlight-reel plays.

But even though Cardinal fans have become accustomed to suffocating kick coverage and electric Ty Montgomery returns, there’s one vital cog on special teams whose contributions have been acknowledged much less frequently.

Jordan Williamson made 18 of his 22 field goal attempts last year. He’s now provided the winning margin in a Pac-12 Championship Game, a Rose Bowl and two consecutive top-five victories against Oregon. Over his career, he’s put more points on the board than Stepfan Taylor or Toby Gerhart, and with a field goal and a PAT this season, he’ll become the leading scorer in Stanford football history.

And yet there are still people with long memories, still people who — two and a half years after the Fiesta Bowl — get nervous whenever they see the Cardinal line up for a field goal.

Jordan Williamson is not one of those people. Neither is David Shaw.

“Everybody’s got scars, and you either keep picking them and letting them keep bleed, or you let them scar over and you move on,” Shaw said. “He’s grown so much. He’s matured so much. He’s become one of the best kickoff guys in the country, and when he’s healthy — as he [was] the majority of the time last year — he’s as good as anybody.”

Williamson was perfect on field goals shorter than 37 yards last year. Of his four misses, one was blocked and two were from more than 50 yards out. Only three qualifying Pac-12 kickers posted a higher field goal percentage than Williamson, and only one had more makes.

All of that considered, Cardinal fans should have a whole lot of confidence in the fifth-year senior. The coaching staff, for one, has noted Williamson’s mental resilience.

“Jordan’s done a good job of just being able to learn from a miss, and then move on from it,” said special teams coach Pete Alamar. “You can’t cumulatively let that stuff get on top of you. If you do — geez, you’ve got no chance.”

Alamar noted that the same applies to many players on the football field — whether it’s to a corner who gave up a big gain or to a long snapper who let one get away.

Of course, the outside criticism of kickers always seems to linger a bit longer. But Williamson has mastered the art of tuning it out.

“You always hear stuff. I think every kicker does though, you know?” Williamson said. “And it’s just the nature of the position. You’ve just got to block it out, trust yourself and trust your swing.”

Montgomery also places a lot of trust in his preparation, which Alamar thought was a big reason why he sped his way to the Jet Award as college football’s top kick returner in 2013. Though Montgomery’s explosiveness and power played a decisive role in that success — and, Alamar hinted, are areas that the senior has actually improved in this offseason — the work he puts in behind closed doors contributes a lot as well.

“He’s become a great student of the game,” Alamar said. “He spends a lot of time. He watches kickers kick. He looks at how they line up…Not just of where the holes are going to be, but, ‘How does this guy cover? How does this kicker tend to kick? Where is the ball going? Can I get a jump on it?’ Ty studies all that stuff, and that works in his favor.”

Montgomery has also taken snaps as a punt returner during training camp, where he’s expected to alternate with junior Barry J. Sanders. As if that two-headed monster wasn’t elusive enough, shifty freshman Christian McCaffrey could be in the mix as well if he isn’t redshirted.

Montgomery and Williamson aren’t the only known commodities who will be front and center on special teams this season. Fifth-year senior Ben Rhyne, a biomechanical engineering major and Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year, will start at punter for the second straight season, while fifth-year senior linebacker A.J. Tarpley will be one of several veterans anchoring the coverage units.

Inside linebacker Craig Jones (above) is one of the less-experienced players expected to break through on special teams this year. (J. ENNIS KIRKLAND/StanfordPhoto.com)
Junior inside linebacker Craig Jones (above) is one of the less experienced players expected to break through on special teams this year. (J. ENNIS KIRKLAND/StanfordPhoto.com)

The Cardinal’s model is to build each of its special teams units around a few proven players; last season, for example, the front line on punt coverage consisted of Stanford’s top four inside linebackers. Stanford does lose Shayne Skov and coverage specialist Jarek Lancaster, but Alamar listed a bevy of seniors who are coming back: James Vaughters, Lee Ward, Joe Hemschoot, Patrick Skov and Kyle Olugbode.

Around that core, the coaching staff is beginning to slot in younger players who haven’t seen the field as much, such as junior inside linebacker Craig Jones, who played in only one game last year but has won a spot on kick coverage.

“We believe that every linebacker who’s going to play in the game should be able to contribute on special teams,” Tarpley said. “It’s the fastest way that you can show the coaches, yourself and your teammates, that you’re capable of playing at this level.”

Tarpley remembers that the low barrier to entry allowed him to first break through on special teams several years ago. And though it’s only natural for a young player’s focus to be elsewhere, Tarpley says that Alamar drives the point home during the team’s three special teams periods per day.

“Coach Alamar will tell you that his time is very valuable, which is very true,” Tarpley added. “And he knows that everyone is thinking about the offense and the defense, because that’s the big picture, that’s what gets the media attention. But special teams are just as important.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

2014 Stanford Football Preview Series

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Football preview: Henry Anderson headlines defensive front, but backups just as crucial https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/22/football-preview-henry-anderson-headlines-defensive-line-but-backups-just-as-crucial/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/22/football-preview-henry-anderson-headlines-defensive-line-but-backups-just-as-crucial/#respond Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:05:51 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087596 Henry Anderson, David Parry and Blake Lueders, the three fifth-year seniors expected to start up front for Stanford this season, will need to help bring along the backup defensive linemen the Cardinal sorely need after an injury-riddled 2013.

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Randy Hart has coached college football for 45 years, at eight schools and in nine Rose Bowls.

But as far as he’s concerned, a few guys in their early 20s are the ones in charge of the Cardinal’s defensive line.

“They better run the show,” Hart said.

He’s talking about Henry Anderson, David Parry and Blake Lueders, the three fifth-year seniors expected to start up front for Stanford this season — and help bring along the backup defensive linemen the Cardinal sorely need after an injury-riddled 2013.

The trio arrived on the Farm in 2010, the same year Hart did, and they have taken three very different paths to get to this point. Lueders spent most of his career at linebacker before making the gradual transition to defensive end last year. Parry walked on, earned a scholarship as a junior and stepped into the starting nose tackle spot late that season. The 6-foot-6 Anderson, meanwhile, developed into one of Stanford’s most imposing defenders so quickly that he has been drawing public J.J. Watt comparisons from his coaches for well over a year.

After making the switch from linebacker, Blake Lueders (right) is the favorite to start at defensive end across the line from classmate Henry Anderson, but junior Aziz Shittu should get a lot of snaps as well. (GIL TALBOT/StanfordPhoto.com)
After making the switch from linebacker, Blake Lueders (right) is the favorite to start at defensive end across the line from classmate Henry Anderson, but junior Aziz Shittu should get a lot of snaps as well. (GIL TALBOT/StanfordPhoto.com)

Anderson ditched eight pounds this offseason to help him keep up with the spread offenses he’ll face week in and week out in the Pac-12. (“295 — after a while, it starts wearing on you,” he said of his old weight.) Even before that, Anderson was probably athletic enough to be an early pick if he had decided to enter last year’s NFL Draft.

“He’s long and big and powerful. He’s quick,” Lueders said of Anderson. “You can get ready for his speed, but then if you do that, you’re not ready for the power. If you’re ready for the power, you’re not ready for the speed. So it’s a deadly combo.”

This offseason has also brought another change for Anderson: his teammates have found a new favorite nickname. Long known as “The Goose” for an unfortunate Madden loss, Anderson is now being called “Big Compass,” and though he won’t say where that one came from, classmate A.J. Tarpley provided a pretty effective cover.

“He never knows where he is,” Tarpley said, “but always knows where he’s going.”

Even with Anderson’s athletic abilities, don’t underestimate the mental aspect of his game. It seems that the last four years have made him somewhat of a guru of the defensive end position. After practice on Monday, he recounted moves mastered by recent Cardinal pass rushers Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy — moves that Anderson himself can use only sparingly in Stanford’s 3-4 scheme.

That all-around knowledge also makes him a natural mentor for the Cardinal’s younger defensive linemen. Anderson’s description of junior Luke Kaumatule reads as if it came straight out of Hart’s mouth.

“He makes some incredible moves in the pass rush,” Anderson said. “Still trying to get him down and get his pads down and get him knocking back in the run, but he’s been playing well.”

Despite the experience held by Anderson, Parry and Lueders, all eyes inside the program are on depth linemen like Kaumatule this offseason because of the string of injuries that plagued Stanford’s defensive line last year. Anderson hurt his knee in the second week of the season, missed six games as a result and now says he played “rusty and timid” at times after his return. Then-sophomore Ikenna Nwafor was sidelined for the year after a foot injury one week later, and stud fifth-year senior Ben Gardner’s collegiate career was cut six games short with a torn pectoral. All the while, Parry played through an abdominal strain.

Bad news has struck again in training camp, with Nwafor likely taking a medical retirement and junior defensive end Jordan Watkins, a potential backup, possibly missing the season opener after sustaining a minor injury this month. Evidently, the Cardinal defensive line’s depth will be tested once again in 2014.

“It’s definitely a violent position, and it’s a position where we rotate a lot,” Lueders said. “Depth is crucial, especially with three fifth-year seniors. We’ve been through a lot, so our bodies aren’t as fresh as they used to be. But the big thing is rotation, and hopefully we’ll find some young guys.”

Junior Aziz Shittu (right) has finally shown the coaching staff what it's been looking for, and should be a major part of Stanford's defensive line in 2014. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)
Junior Aziz Shittu (right) has finally shown the coaching staff what it’s been looking for, and should be a major part of Stanford’s defensive line in 2014. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)

A fourth core lineman has emerged in junior defensive end Aziz Shittu, a former five-star recruit who finally broke through in the spring. He could easily challenge Lueders for a starting job, and at the very least, he should see extensive playing time.

“He’s got to continue his trek, and certainly be ready to play,” Hart said of Shittu. “We’re going to need everybody we have, certainly with the hurry-up offenses and the people we see.”

Kaumatule will be the next player to rotate in, though he’s still reacclimating himself to defensive end after switching to tight end for two seasons. Hart admitted that Kaumatule’s muscle memory suffered over that period, and Shaw said that he still needs to work on his hand placement, alignments and other technical details.

“With Luke, it’s the little things,” Shaw said. “Because one thing’s for sure about Luke: Luke is going to go 100 miles per hour on every play.”

That makes five defensive linemen, but Shaw said that the coaching staff is still one short, since it’s counting on a two-deep rotation. Names that have been thrown around include junior Nate Lohn and freshmen Harrison Phillips and Solomon Thomas, who was the most highly touted Stanford recruit in his class.

“Fans should really be excited about [both freshmen],” Lueders said. “I’ve got very high expectations for both of them. As far as how good they get when, it’s hard to say, as freshmen. They’re still picking up the defense. But they definitely have the tools and the desire to be great.”

Spoken like a true coach.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

2014 Stanford Football Preview Series

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Football preview: Duane Akina sees potential in Stanford’s defensive backs https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/18/football-preview-duane-akina-sees-potential-in-stanfords-defensive-backs/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/18/football-preview-duane-akina-sees-potential-in-stanfords-defensive-backs/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:16:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087562 As offseasons go, you’d think this one would be fairly stable for the Cardinal’s defensive backs. Enter Duane Akina, the heralded defensive backs coach who, even after 35 years on the job, is a master at keeping his players on their toes.

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As offseasons go, you’d think this one would be fairly stable for the Cardinal’s defensive backs. Stanford returns three starters with a combined 67 career starts, has a fifth-year senior ready to fill in at the vacant safety spot and despite losing defensive coordinator and secondary guru Derek Mason, it will go forward with the same defensive system after the internal promotion of Lance Anderson.

Enter Duane Akina, the heralded defensive backs coach who, even after 35 years on the job, is a master of keeping his players on their toes.

“He’s real energetic,” said fifth-year senior free safety Kyle Olugbode. “He’s really come in and helped us see things in a different way.”

For proof of that, look no further than a recent Pac-12 Networks video that showed Akina mic’d up during practice. “It’s hard when you’ve taken French,” he joked to his players at one point, “and we’re trying to teach you Chinese.”

One of the most well-reputed defensive backs coaches in the country, Duane Akina (left) has made a lot of small changes since his arrival on the Farm in the spring. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphotos.com)
One of the most well-reputed defensive backs coaches in the country, Duane Akina (left) has made a lot of small changes since his arrival on the Farm in the spring. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphotos.com)

Asked about that quote, Akina said that a lot of little things were changing this offseason, even with the Cardinal’s continuity scheme-wise.

“We’re trying to change some attitudes and maybe some fundamental techniques,” he said. “Maybe some of the language they’ve spoken in the past, we’re shifting that a little bit to try to be a little more concise.”

But Akina is anything but concise in his praise for the three starters returning to Stanford’s secondary. His assessment of senior strong safety Jordan Richards, who has made 28 consecutive starts and picked off six passes over the last two years, is particularly glowing. Akina has no problem mentioning Richards’ name among the bevy of Pro Bowl safeties he’s coached, from 1980s University of Arizona stud Chuck Cecil to 2014 Super Bowl champion Earl Thomas.

“I would throw Jordan right in that category with those guys,” Akina said. “He’s as smart of a football player as I’ve ever been around, very productive, he gets his hands on balls. He’s played in a lot of big games and he’s performed well in big games.”

For example, Richards has performed particularly well against preseason No. 7 UCLA, the final bump in Stanford’s incredibly rocky 2014 road schedule and a likely opponent in the Pac-12 Title Game (if the Cardinal gets that far). In three games against the Bruins over the last two seasons, Richards has led Stanford in tackles twice and recorded three interceptions, including a late pick that helped the Cardinal seal a 24-10 win last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3RwUBlmrgM&t=2m30s

Akina also said that he’s seen a lot of strides from both of the Cardinal’s returning corners. Senior Wayne Lyons has been improving in man-press coverage since Akina arrived in the spring, and junior Alex Carter has been focused on his eye control.

Carter is fresh off a hip injury that kept him out of spring practice, but was recently cleared to play by the coaching staff after a recovery that head coach David Shaw called “mind-blowing.”

“Between his work ethic, his maturity and the body that he’s been blessed with, for whatever reason, he’s come back ridiculously fast,” Shaw said. “And we haven’t rushed him. It’s just his body. He hit every checkmark, way ahead of when he should.”

That athleticism pays dividends on the playing field as well, but Akina still framed Carter as an undeveloped talent, even with a year and a half of starting experience under his belt.

“I really think [Carter’s] got a chance to be an outstanding player if we just really keep working hard at his craft,” Akina said. “What I’ve seen out of him this camp, I’m really excited…I don’t think we’ve seen that on tape yet. I think there’s more production in there, and I think he’s not close to the final product. Neither [corner], him nor Wayne, is close to the final product.”

A capable backup for that duo has also emerged in senior Ronnie Harris, who has earned praise from Shaw throughout training camp and made a speech to the team after Thursday’s practice. Harris’ strong play this summer has likely contributed to the coaching staff’s ability to have Lyons take reps at nickelback, versatility that Akina said will prove valuable on tape for Lyons in the future.

The biggest question mark in the Stanford defensive backfield this season is at free safety, a position manned by Eagles fifth-round draft pick Ed Reynolds for the last two years. The presumptive starter is Olugbode, but converted receiver Kodi Whitfield and quarterback Dallas Lloyd are also contending for playing time.

Since that junior duo’s transition to the defensive side of the ball in February, there was some speculation that Lloyd would be ready to play first, as he spent some time as a safety late last season and has 10 pounds of bulk (and an inch of height) on Whitfield. But it was Whitfield who played with the second-team defense in Saturday’s open scrimmage, and Shaw said afterward that he was Olugbode’s main competitor.

“Who starts the game, I don’t really care; they’re probably both going to play about the same amount,” Shaw said of Olugbode and Whitfield. “You’ll see Kodi rotate in there with the ones and play great with the ones. I think he’s got a chance to be a phenomenal football player.”

Another horse in the race is junior Zach Hoffpauir, who made a couple impressive plays in the run game on Saturday and, similarly, stopped ASU running back De’Marieya Nelson on a key fourth-and-goal in last year’s Pac-12 Title Game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGpVZbdugIM&t=100m11s

Hoffpauir, a two-sport athlete, missed the spring session because of baseball, but it’s taken just a couple weeks of camp for him to impress his new position coach.

“He’s a really instinctive player,” Akina said. “Not having spring, you would think maybe set him back, but he’s a very quick study. He learns the game quickly, and what’s more important, he sees the game quickly.”

“I’ve always said, it doesn’t matter what you run on paper,” he added. “[It’s] how fast you play.”

That’s especially true in today’s Pac-12, a league of quick-strike, spread offenses that the Cardinal have more or less shut down over the last two seasons; Stanford hasn’t allowed 30 or more points in a game since a 54-48 shootout win against Arizona in 2012. A big part of that success has been the speed of the Cardinal’s defensive backs, whether it came in the form of a Richards pass breakup, a Reynolds interception return or a Devon Carrington touchdown-saving tackle.

Of all the little things Duane Akina is changing this training camp, that won’t be one of them.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

2014 Stanford Football Preview Series

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Football preview: Highlights abound for speedy tailbacks, but pass blocking still a focus https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/15/football-preview-highlights-abound-for-speedy-tailbacks-but-pass-blocking-still-a-focus/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/15/football-preview-highlights-abound-for-speedy-tailbacks-but-pass-blocking-still-a-focus/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2014 07:19:24 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087520 Senior Kelsey Young and junior Barry J. Sanders are competing to lead a running back by committee that — at least at the top of the depth chart — is likely to be one of the most explosive on the Farm in recent memory. But with the departure of bruising, 226-pound back Tyler Gaffney, the position group also loses something it’s valued for so long: size.

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Big, bulky running backs have been a cornerstone for Stanford football during the Harbaugh-Shaw era.

This year, the speedsters are taking the reins.

Senior Kelsey Young and junior Barry J. Sanders are competing to lead a running back by committee that — at least at the top of the depth chart — is likely to be one of the most explosive on the Farm in recent memory. But with the departure of bruising, 226-pound back Tyler Gaffney, the position group also loses something it’s valued for so long: size.

For each of the last seven seasons, the Cardinal’s roster has included at least one running back that weighs over 215 pounds. The heaviest tailback this year, senior Remound Wright, weighs in at 204. Stanford’s backs are still muscular and physical, yet there’s an inherent size disadvantage in play in 2014.

That means the Cardinal’s running backs now face an uphill battle in terms of pass blocking, an aspect of the position that head coach David Shaw has emphasized throughout training camp.

“Right now, there’s no separation: They’re all decent,” Shaw said of his running backs’ pass-blocking abilities last week. “I’m waiting to see when — and if — somebody becomes exceptional…But the gauntlet’s out there, because whoever’s our best pass blocker is going to get the most playing time.”

Shaw acknowledged on Thursday that there still isn’t a leading candidate in that area, which Gaffney, in particular, excelled at. Devon Cajuste’s 57-yard touchdown pass against Washington State didn’t just exemplify the slot receiver’s speed; it exemplified Gaffney’s physicality, as he completely outmuscled an oncoming linebacker to give quarterback Kevin Hogan time to throw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vaKmfik65U&t=29m50s

“You’ve got to keep the quarterback clean,” Sanders said. “It is tough, especially coming in as a freshman, not really ever having to pass protect a whole lot. But I think I’ve come a long way. I’ve still got a long way to go.”

New running backs coach Lance Taylor, who joined the staff this offseason after four years as an NFL assistant, said that even though this year’s tailbacks have improved a lot since the spring, their work isn’t done.

“Now we just have to do a better job of being physical in the pass game,” Taylor said, “because as you know, we’re usually taking on a linebacker or even a looping defensive lineman that may outweigh us. We may be overmatched, but we’ve still got to protect our quarterback. So that’s going to be the biggest thing: who’s going to be the most physical.”

After seven years of Toby Gerhart, Stepfan Taylor and Gaffney, a smaller set of running backs could also spell fewer yards after contact this season. But if this group is as fast as anticipated, opposing defenders will have their hands full making contact in the first place.

When Cardinal fans think of speed, they think of Kelsey Young. He broke onto the scene during Stanford’s first Rose Bowl run in 2012, emerging as the team’s jet sweep specialist with plays like this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mcrwjHDi14&t=10m45s

Though Young matched his 14-carry total in 2012 with 14 more last season, his role in the offense diminished slightly as the slightly faster Ty Montgomery was used on end-arounds as well. Young actually had fewer touches overall in 2013, as he caught only three passes, compared to eight the year before.

But this spring, Young demonstrated his abilities as a straight-ahead runner for the first time, prompting Shaw to call him the favorite for the starting job entering camp.

“I’ve been really pleased with Kelsey, the way he’s running the ball really tough in between the tackles,” Taylor said. “He’s been running with great pad level, and we’ve all kind of known him as the guy on the perimeter who can run the ball because of his speed, but he’s been doing such a nice job running the ball tough, in between the tackles, taking hits, making spin moves, running through arm tackles.”

Wright, who was thought to have an edge in the starting competition before spring ball because of his ability between the tackles, missed the second half of spring practice with a disciplinary issue that also kept him out for the start of fall camp.

Since then, the conversation has been all about Young and Sanders. Young missed Thursday’s practice with a hurt ankle, and when he left the Spring Game early with an arm injury back in April, it was Sanders who took over at tailback and showed off his shiftiness with a 29-yard gain.

Young is known as the more explosive player in the open field, while Sanders likes to plant his foot, change direction quickly and make defenders miss, as he demonstrated against Washington State last season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQsykbQXVRA

Yet Sanders’ highlight is not the one that Stanford coaches have been talking about the most this offseason. That honor belongs to another son of an NFL great: freshman Christian McCaffrey, whose father, Ed ’90 M.A. ’91, had a 13-year pro career as a wide receiver after graduating from Stanford.

It’s not just that Christian set Colorado state records for career touchdowns (141) and all-purpose yards (8,845); it’s the way he racked up those numbers. Take a look at his high school tape, but sit down first — you’re about to be floored.

It will be much tougher sledding for McCaffrey at the collegiate level. Still, Shaw didn’t hesitate to say that he is the freshman most likely to see playing time this season.

“We all saw his highlight and what he does with the ball in his hands, and I think he’s done the same thing for us out here on the field,” Taylor said of McCaffrey’s first few weeks of practice on the Farm. “Off the field, he is very mature. He has really taken time to delve into the playbook and ask questions. He does a great job in the meetings and studying beforehand. So mentally being prepared really helps him, and then physically, he’s got a great set of tools.”

McCaffrey has a chance to throw a wrench into the Cardinal’s fairly fluid situation at running back, but to do so, he’ll have to learn fast.

Fast just seems to be the name of the game for Stanford these days.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Football preview: Stanford receiver arsenal ready to wreak havoc https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/13/football-preview-stanford-receiver-arsenal-ready-to-wreak-havoc/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/13/football-preview-stanford-receiver-arsenal-ready-to-wreak-havoc/#respond Wed, 13 Aug 2014 07:01:37 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087468 This year’s receivers certainly pass the eye test, whether you’re looking at a stat sheet or at the wideouts themselves. But if this unit is truly special, it’s because of the diverse set of weapons behind Touchdown Ty.

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David Shaw knows a thing or two about wide receivers.

As offensive coordinator and head coach over the last seven seasons, the former Cardinal wideout has mentored four Stanford receivers who now play the position in the NFL — as well as a fifth, Seahawks corner Richard Sherman ’10, who has played a little bit of pro ball himself. So when Shaw says that this year’s crop of Cardinal receivers is the best he’s ever worked with on the Farm, you should probably pay attention.

“I think from top to bottom, it’s the best group,” Shaw said after Saturday’s open practice. “And that will cause some angst from some of the guys when they read that report, because at one point we had Chris Owusu, Richard Sherman, Doug Baldwin, Ryan Whalen and Griff Whalen — all playing in the NFL right now — all playing in the receiving corps. And for me to say that this is an extremely special group, those guys will be upset with me for saying that.

“But I think it’s true.”

This year’s receivers certainly pass the eye test, whether you’re looking at a stat sheet or at the wideouts themselves.

Senior Ty Montgomery headlines the group for a second straight year, looking to build on a season that saw him snag 10 touchdown receptions, take two kickoffs to the house and win The Jet Award for his kick return abilities. That’s not to mention the potential first-round pick’s school-record-tying, five-touchdown performance (four rushing, one receiving) against Cal, his sub-4.4 40-yard dash time or his four percent body fat, which Shaw recently said “makes no sense” for a 220-pound receiver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt5d3s6jtws

But if this unit is truly special, it’s because of the diverse set of weapons behind Touchdown Ty.

“I think probably the biggest reason why it feels [exciting] is that everybody is like a cheerleader to everybody else,” said senior wide receiver Jordan Pratt. “To be honest, I think everybody’s excited about what everybody else in the room can do, not just themselves.”

While Montgomery creates a mismatch with his feet, fellow senior Devon Cajuste creates a mismatch with his 6-foot-4 frame. That stature helped Cajuste set a single-season school record for yards per catch (22.9) in 2013, when the slot receiver was badly needed to compensate for the Cardinal’s dip in tight end production.

That’s not to say Cajuste lacks speed. In fact, he was especially effective on third-and-long last season, reeling in a 57-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-9 against Washington State and a 78-yard grab on third-and-6 in the Pac-12 Title Game. And on both plays, Cajuste found separation against a linebacker deep downfield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vaKmfik65U&t=29m50s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGpVZbdugIM&t=103m0s

Shaw said recently that Cajuste’s measurables (229 pounds, low 4.4s in the 40) also didn’t make sense, which probably has something to do with why he mystified Pac-12 defenses last season. Those numbers are the result of a lot of hard work, as Cajuste put on 12 pounds between 2012 — when he recorded just one catch — and his breakout 2013 campaign.

“[Cajuste] is a workout warrior,” said wide receivers and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard. “He’s one of those guys that when he puts his mind to something, like getting in shape and like working his body into a place where he’s ready for a season, it’s a sight to behold.”

Senior Devon Cajuste (above) is almost impossible to defend, standing at 6-foot-4 and running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. (GRANT SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)
Senior Devon Cajuste (above) is almost impossible to defend, standing at 6-foot-4 and running in the low 4.4s in the 40-yard dash, according to head coach David Shaw. (GRANT SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)

So Stanford’s recipe for success at wide receiver is a whole lot of speed and a whole lot of muscle, with a little bit of height mixed in. What else?

Get this: more speed.

Stanford’s No. 3 receiver, junior Michael Rector, was so effective downfield last season that he had a higher yards per catch average (30.8) than Cajuste; he just didn’t have enough receptions to officially set the school record.

But what Rector does have — or at least, what he claims to have — is more speed than Montgomery.

“I’m faster,” Rector said. “Ty’s really fast also. We’re pretty close…This last spring we ran 40s and I was the fastest, but Ty wasn’t there because he was injured with his shoulder.”

That injury, which still could sideline Montgomery for the season opener against UC-Davis on Aug. 30, puts some pressure on Rector to prove that he can do more than just run deep routes, which has been a focus of his this offseason.

“It’s a misconception about him, that he’s just a deep shot guy,” Pritchard said. “And he’s not that. He runs every route extremely well, coming off the ball, attacking a DB. Those guys feel his speed, which is what allows him to run all the different routes as well.”

At least once last year, a Stanford opponent had to pay the price for respecting Rector’s speed. On a second-and-20 in the Pac-12 Title Game, Arizona State gave Rector eight yards of cushion, setting up an easy 34-yard screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGpVZbdugIM&t=84m45s

That 38-14 Stanford win also served as a coming-out party of sorts for Pratt, who had three catches for 56 yards in what could be a sign of great things to come. The AAA pitcher turned environmental engineer turned 29-year-old depth receiver “does everything right,” Shaw said.

“Just being out there, consistent, bringing a lot of intensity, knowing what to do, being ready to fill in where they need me,” Pratt described himself. “Just a guy who does the job.”

Rounding out the group are sophomore Francis Owusu and fifth-year senior Jeff Trojan, who combined for eight catches last year.

Though the Cardinal’s wide receivers accounted for 65 percent of the team’s catches in 2013 — up from 33 percent in 2012 — the highly anticipated emergence of three sophomore tight ends likely means that the Stanford passing game will regain some balance this season. But with an embarrassment of riches that should keep opponents guessing play in, play out, the Cardinal’s wideouts are primed to capitalize on their opportunities even more effectively in 2014.

“We have a wide variety of receivers,” Rector said. “I think this could be one of the best receiving corps we’ve ever had at this school.”

Someone’s been listening to David Shaw.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Palma, Chryst impress in open practice; Shaw unsurprised by O’Bannon verdict https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/09/palma-chryst-impress-in-open-practice-shaw-unsurprised-by-obannon-verdict/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/09/palma-chryst-impress-in-open-practice-shaw-unsurprised-by-obannon-verdict/#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:41:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087385 Cardinal fans caught a glimpse of some of the position battles unfolding during training camp during Stanford’s open practice on Saturday morning, especially at right guard, inside linebacker and running back.

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Cardinal fans caught a glimpse of some of the position battles unfolding at training camp during Stanford’s open practice on Saturday morning, especially at right guard, inside linebacker and running back.

Head coach David Shaw confirmed afterward that junior Johnny Caspers, who played with the first team throughout practice, has a lead over senior Brendon Austin at right guard, the only unfilled spot on the Cardinal offensive line.

Junior Blake Martinez (left) and fifth-year senior Joe Hemschoot (right) headline the competition at inside linebacker, though sophomore Kevin Palma got most of the first-team reps on Saturday. (DON FERIA/isiphotos.com)
Junior Blake Martinez (left) and fifth-year senior Joe Hemschoot (right) headline the competition at inside linebacker, though sophomore Kevin Palma got most of the first-team reps on Saturday. (DON FERIA/isiphotos.com)

Observers were surprised to see Shayne Skov’s old inside linebacker spot filled by sophomore Kevin Palma, not one of the upperclassmen previously thought to be battling for that job: junior Blake Martinez, fifth-year senior Joe Hemschoot and junior Noor Davis. But Shaw said that all four of those linebackers are rotating in alongside fifth-year senior A.J. Tarpley, and hinted that Martinez was still the favorite.

“I think Blake has kind of stood out,” Shaw said, “but every day Noor makes a big play, and that’s been exciting, because he’s going to play for us. Kevin Palma is starting to show that he’s ready. He’s not the young guy in the room anymore. He’s making the calls, he’s stepping up and making plays. So we have, in my opinion, five really good options on the inside.”

Palma and fellow sophomore Peter Kalambayi, who plays outside linebacker, stood out with 13 combined tackles in the Spring Game in April.

Senior corner Ronnie Harris had a pick-six on Saturday as the defense had the upper hand in Saturday’s practice, the first of camp that has included tackling.

Nevertheless, both senior Kelsey Young and junior Barry J. Sanders, who are competing for the starting running back job, made big plays in the running game. Young broke free on one run and Sanders shiftily broke tackles for a tough, nine-yard gain on another.

“We have at least three more or four more tackling days, and that’s the only thing I’m going to judge the running backs on: days that we tackle,” Shaw said. “So this is really the first true evaluation.”

***

Saturday also marked the first time that freshman Keller Chryst played publicly in a Cardinal uniform, and it did not take long for him to make an impression.

Already Stanford’s biggest passer at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, Chryst fit right in during side-by-side passing drills with his fellow quarterbacks, throwing some of the tightest, hardest ­spirals of the bunch.

Shaw has already said that knowledge of Stanford’s playbook will be Chryst’s biggest obstacle this season. However, the Palo Alto High grad has been making swift progress.

“Keller is ahead on the playbook,” said junior wide receiver Michael Rector. “He’s way further than we expect him to be at this point, which is really good.”

***

Shaw, who has advocated against the player union at Northwestern and a pay-for-play system in the past, said he wasn’t surprised by Friday’s ruling in the O’Bannon trial, which could force the NCAA to pay players some of the money earned off their likenesses.

“I think it changes things,” Shaw said on Saturday. “The only real reaction I have is that it’s what we all expected. This has been coming for six months now. Everyone knew which way this was going to go. So now, the next step is, what happens with the NCAA? What happens with the Big Five conferences? What happens with the rules, regulations, and things that everybody decides to do? So I’m here to see what happens next.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Football preview: Ward, Skov work to become multi-tool fullbacks https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/08/football-preview-ward-skov-work-to-become-multi-tool-fullbacks/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/08/football-preview-ward-skov-work-to-become-multi-tool-fullbacks/#respond Fri, 08 Aug 2014 07:02:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087365 The Stanford offense has made a practice of retooling after the departures of all-time program greats — most notably, at quarterback in 2012 and at running back in 2013. This year it’s the fullbacks’ turn, as the Cardinal looks to fifth-year senior Lee Ward and senior Patrick Skov to replace three-year starter Ryan Hewitt at the position.

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The Stanford offense has made a practice of retooling after the departures of all-time program greats — most notably, at quarterback in 2012 and at running back in 2013. This year it’s the fullbacks’ turn, as the Cardinal looks to fifth-year senior Lee Ward and senior Patrick Skov to replace three-year starter Ryan Hewitt at the position.

“We’ve got the same mentality every year, year in and year out,” Skov said. “We’ve had a history of good fullbacks, and nothing’s going to change.”

That is, except for Ward and Skov themselves.

In years past, Ward had been known as Stanford’s most physical fullback, out to knock back opposing linebackers and pave the way for the Cardinal’s power running game. He was used heavily in short-yardage and goal-line situations in 2013 and filled in for an injured Hewitt for the first two games of 2012.

If Ward was the sledgehammer on head coach David Shaw’s tool belt, Skov was the machete. Athletic, muscular and a skilled pass-catcher, Skov contributed on offense but shined primarily on special teams, demonstrating his violent abilities with a particularly booming hit on a Cal fake punt.

Patrick Skov's crushing hit in last year's Big Game could be an early sign that he has the physicality to become a force in the running game. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphoto.com)
Patrick Skov’s crushing hit in last year’s Big Game could be an early sign that he has the physicality to become a force in the running game. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphotos.com)

Yet neither fullback is satisfied with the status quo, and each has worked to become more of a Swiss army knife this offseason.

“I’m trying to diversify myself as a player and be versatile,” Ward said. “Whether it’s protecting the quarterback or catching the ball and running with the ball…[I’ve been] working on my weaknesses every day.”

“I like to pride myself on being able to do a lot of things and not being one-dimensional, bringing different facets to the game: catching the ball, running the ball, blocking of course…[and] helping protect the quarterback,” Skov said. “Just athletically, I think that I’ve put myself in a pretty good place where I can contribute in all of those facets.”

The duo will need to do just that if it wants to fill Hewitt’s shoes. “A tight end playing fullback,” as Shaw called him this week, Hewitt was a natural contributor in the passing game after his switch from tight end as a rising sophomore. In the years that followed, Hewitt developed into a capable run-blocker and earned the coaching staff’s trust as his knowledge and experience grew.

The coaching staff now has similar faith in Ward and Skov, and with three new fullbacks on the roster this season — freshman Daniel Marx and tight end converts junior Chris Harrell and fifth-year senior Eddie Plantaric — it can’t hurt to have two veterans in the position group to mentor the newcomers.

Ward is the presumptive starter because he was Hewitt’s primary backup last season, but that distinction should be only on paper. And though Shaw affirmed that both players could contribute in the passing game, offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren said that Ward wouldn’t likely run routes the way Hewitt had in previous years, so that niche, at the very least, is still Skov’s to lose.

The biggest takeaway? Given Ward’s substantial contributions to the running game last season and the fact that Skov has appeared in every game over the last two years, the Cardinal won’t be starting from scratch by any means.

“There were certain games where [Ward] was just unbelievable,” Shaw said. “I think Pat Skov has grown a lot as far as his comprehension. He’s a different athlete than Lee, I believe, so there’s different things we can do with both of them. But we have all the confidence in them right now to do everything in our offense.”

From their opposite ends of the fullback spectrum, the two roommates are converging on what they’ve been seeking so intently this offseason: all-around mastery of the position. The Cardinal isn’t retooling at fullback; instead, its technicians are reshuffling their tool belts. And at the end of the day, those fullbacks’ mission will stay the same.

“You’ve just got to have a mentality that you’re going to go in, do what you gotta do,” Skov said. “And block your ass off.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Football preview: Amid heralded junior O-linemen, Austin battles for starting job https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/07/football-preview-amid-heralded-junior-o-linemen-austin-battles-for-starting-job/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/07/football-preview-amid-heralded-junior-o-linemen-austin-battles-for-starting-job/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 08:02:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087346 On a retooled offensive line that will need to continue the Cardinal’s dominance up front if Stanford wants a shot at a third straight Pac-12 title, senior Brendon Austin is fighting for the only starting spot that has not yet been won by a member of the former recruiting class of 2012.

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February 1, 2012: a day that saw Stanford assemble arguably the top offensive line class in college football history.

Seven offensive linemen — six of them earning at least four stars — joined the Cardinal on that fateful National Signing Day, bringing with them a much-needed air of optimism to a Stanford program that was just 30 days removed from Andrew Luck’s last hurrah.

February 1, 2012: a day that, for Brendon Austin, may live in infamy.

He won’t admit it — not even close. The Cardinal offensive lineman insists he was always excited about the new, highly touted additions to the Tunnel Workers Union.

“There wasn’t any type of jealousy at all there,” Austin said. “I was just happy that we were beefing up our offensive line.”

But lost in the live-television commitments by five-star offensive linemen Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy; lost in the ensuing staff room celebrations in the Arillaga Family Sports Center; lost in the recruiting class rankings and news articles, the blog posts and podcasts; lost in it all was the fact that the road for Austin, himself the top recruit in the state of Colorado a year earlier, had just gotten that much tougher.

Thirty-two months later, as he enters his senior season, Austin is still making that climb. And on a retooled offensive line that will need to continue the Cardinal’s dominance up front if Stanford wants a shot at a third straight Pac-12 title, Austin is fighting for the only starting spot that has not yet been won by a member of the recruiting class of 2012.

Junior Josh Garnett (left) has a chance to be Stanford's next dominant pulling guard. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphotos.com)
Junior Josh Garnett (left) has a chance to be Stanford’s next dominant pulling guard. (DAVID BERNAL/isiphotos.com)

With the graduation of four of the most accomplished linemen in school history, the Cardinal has turned to the rising juniors that sparked so much excitement two years ago. While Peat will anchor the left tackle spot for the second straight year, the starting five will also include Murphy at right tackle, Josh Garnett at left guard and Graham Shuler at center.

The fifth and final spot is there for the taking, and Austin is likely the underdog after junior Johnny Caspers played with the first-stringers in the spring. Shaw also said on Wednesday that Garnett and Caspers had started fall camp like “gangbusters” after just “decent” spring performances, so Austin has his work cut out for him.

“The right guard spot is truly a battle,” said offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren. “It’s going to be really interesting to see how that sorts out.”

It’s not Austin’s first time competing for a starting job during training camp. Entering 2012, some considered the then-sophomore a frontrunner to start at left tackle before the coaching staff instead turned to David Yankey, later a unanimous first-team All-American and fifth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. And last fall, Peat won that job while Austin had to share backup duties with Murphy at right tackle.

Austin has since switched to guard, but that’s not all that’s different about this year.

“It’s a marathon,” Austin said of competing for a starting spot in camp. “Maybe in years past the maturity wasn’t there; I don’t think it was all the way where it could’ve been. But this year I know how to approach camp, I know how to take care of my body, I think I’m more prepared.”

A big part of that preparation is watching film ­— and Austin has been watching Yankey’s most of all. It’s not just that Yankey earned unanimous All-America honors last year; it’s also his versatility in switching from guard to tackle and, one year later, back to guard. Austin, of course, is trying to complete the latter transformation this fall.

Across the line at left guard, Yankey’s production will be missed, but Garnett has emerged as a potentially dominant puller in his own right.

“I think when you talk about the ceiling for a guy like Andrus, gosh, you’ve got to ask the question about Josh. ‘How good could he be?’” Bloomgren said. “He’s a heck of a vocal leader for our group right now, and because of what he does in the weight room and the way he grinds, our guys all look to him and listen to him. And now he’s got a chance to put it all on film on Saturdays.”

Garnett and Murphy, now roommates, earned a lot of playing time as the extra linemen in “jumbo” formations last year, yet the challenges are a bit different in a starting role.

The towering Andrus Peat is the only returning member from last year's starting offensive line. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)
The towering Andrus Peat is the only returning member from last year’s starting offensive line. (JIM SHORIN/StanfordPhoto.com)

“[At the] ‘jumbo’ position you don’t have to do as many plays,” Garnett said. “There’s not a lot of footwork; you kind of just come off the ball on people and be physical.”

When it comes to a physical presence, Peat is Stanford’s calling card. The 6-foot-7, 316-pound left tackle was part of a line that allowed the 11th fewest sacks (16) in the country last year, and head coach David Shaw said that though Peat slimmed up a bit this summer, the towering lineman also added muscle and remained the same weight. Add that to Peat’s relative speed, and the Cardinal’s left tackle may attract attention as an early-round pick after his junior year.

“The clay is so good,” Bloomgren said of Peat and the rest of the Stanford offensive linemen. “If I don’t screw them up as a coach I think they can be really good.”

Bloomgren’s coaching might be most critical at center, if only because Shuler is Stanford’s third starter at the position in as many years. But like Garnett and Murphy, Shuler played a part in the “jumbo” packages that saw the Cardinal bring as many as nine offensive linemen onto the field in 2013. Moreover, earlier this week Bloomgren voiced his confidence in Shuler’s ability to make the necessary calls, especially since he’s been part of the program for three seasons.

And that, really, epitomizes the guarded optimism surrounding an offensive line that was left only 20 percent intact by this offseason. Over the last two years, Stanford’s historic recruiting class has found its way onto the field, it has learned the system — it has grown up together.

“We’ve definitely developed a lot of camaraderie,” Garnett said. “[In the] summers we’re always doing barbeques, we’re hanging out all the time.”

“It will be fun to finally go out on the field next to these dudes and just gel,” Murphy added.

Brendon Austin may still have something to say about a juniors-only starting line before fall camp is over. But for the time being, the 2012 O-line recruits have the keys.

The drive is just three weeks away.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Montgomery ‘phenomenal’ in first fall practice; Nwafor likely to retire https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/04/montgomery-phenomenal-in-first-fall-practice-nwafor-likely-to-retire/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/04/montgomery-phenomenal-in-first-fall-practice-nwafor-likely-to-retire/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2014 06:29:54 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087304 Head coach David Shaw hinted at injury news on two fronts after the preseason No. 11 Cardinal wrapped up its first practice of fall camp on Monday afternoon.

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Head coach David Shaw hinted at injury news on two fronts after the preseason No. 11 Cardinal wrapped up its first practice of fall camp on Monday afternoon.

Defensive tackle Ikenna Nwafor (right) will likely take a medical retirement, head coach David Shaw said on Monday. (STEPHEN BRASHEAR/isiphotos.com)
Defensive tackle Ikenna Nwafor (right) will likely take a medical retirement, head coach David Shaw said on Monday. (STEPHEN BRASHEAR/isiphotos.com)

Shaw first provided an encouraging update on star wide receiver Ty Montgomery, whose recovery from an offseason surgery on his right shoulder was expected to cost him the season opener as of two weeks ago. The outlook has grown rosier since then; the senior said he hoped to be ready for the Aug. 30 showdown with UC-Davis at last week’s Bay Area College Football Media Day, and Shaw called Montgomery’s practice “phenomenal” on Monday.

Shaw said the coaching staff won’t have to be cautious with Montgomery until the team first practices in pads later this week. As long as no tackling is involved, Montgomery will still be able to fall and go up against press coverage in drills.

On a more somber note, however, Shaw announced that junior defensive tackle Ikenna Nwafor would likely retire for medical reasons.

After redshirting as a freshman, Nwafor played in three games last season before suffering a foot injury that sidelined him for the rest of 2013. Nwafor, one of the most athletic defensive line recruits to come to the Farm in recent years, was jogging during spring practice and was expected to be ready for training camp.

“It’s sad, with the ability that we believe that he has,” Shaw said. “But he’s also pre-med, and he’s got a bright future outside of football.”

***

Offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren confirmed that senior Kelsey Young was the early favorite to start at running back, though he said he didn’t expect any of his backs to get more than 20 carries on a regular basis. Also in the mix are junior Barry J. Sanders, fifth-year senior Ricky Seale and senior Remound Wright, who will miss the first week of training camp due to a disciplinary issue.

Young, previously known as Stanford’s jet sweep specialist, turned the most heads during the spring by demonstrating his abilities as a straight-ahead runner.

“Every single one of them got better,” Bloomgren said. “[Young’s] production, his explosion, is out of sight…But we’ve got 28 more practices before we have to play, so we’ll see where that goes.”

Young’s Spring Game came to an early end when he strained his right elbow, but he said Monday that the injury healed within a couple of weeks.

***

According to Bloomgren, new running backs coach Lance Taylor is fitting right in on the Cardinal staff.

A former receiver at Alabama, Taylor overlapped with Bloomgren for a season during his three-year stint with the New York Jets from 2010-12. But Bloomgren noted that Taylor’s contributions have already extended past the practice field.

“It’s awesome having his family here; they had a new baby over the summer, so it’s just another great addition to our neighborhood,” Bloomgren said. “That’s what you have to remember: As coaches, we don’t just work together in a submarine 19 hours a day. We do go home and get time off and we’re together again, so you better like those people.”

***

Shaw and his staff will be filling several positions on the depth chart during camp, but they won’t be seeking a replacement for Shayne Skov ’13 as the team’s pregame motivational speaker.

“I think what Shayne did was so special — I hate to put somebody in there just to have somebody,” Shaw said. “It just means I, really, have a little bit more time to speak.”

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Dudchock to spend fifth year at Vanderbilt https://stanforddaily.com/2014/06/15/dudchock-to-spend-fifth-year-at-vanderbilt/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/06/15/dudchock-to-spend-fifth-year-at-vanderbilt/#respond Mon, 16 Jun 2014 06:07:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1086461 Tight end Davis Dudchock announced on Twitter Sunday night that he would be spending his fifth year of eligibility at Vanderbilt, making him the second 2013 Stanford football player to join the Commodores this month.

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Tight end Davis Dudchock announced on Twitter Sunday night that he would be spending his fifth year of eligibility at Vanderbilt, making him the second 2013 Stanford football player to join the Commodores this month.

Senior tight end Davis Dudchock (above) will play for former Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason at Vanderbilt in 2014. (DON FERIA/isiphotos.com)
Senior tight end Davis Dudchock (above) will play for former Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason at Vanderbilt in 2014. (DON FERIA/isiphotos.com)

It has been known since Feburary, when the Cardinal’s 2014 roster was released, that Dudchock would not be returning to the Farm.

Dudchock earned Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention in 2013, making five catches for 43 yards as a true senior. He added experience to a depleted Stanford tight end corps last season, all the while coping with the passing of his brother in March 2013.

Dudchock’s departure comes on the heels of sophomore corner Chandler Dorrell’s decision to head to Vanderbilt, where his father is the offensive coordinator under new head coach Derek Mason — who, of course, was Stanford’s defensive coordinator last season. A fourth member of the 2013 Cardinal who now calls Nashville home is former Stanford inside linebackers coach David Kotulski, who is Mason’s defensive coordinator with the Commodores.

In May, Mason told a Nashville radio station that he would like to schedule a series between Vanderbilt and Stanford, though the Cardinal’s other nonconference commitments would likely push that off for several years.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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