FanHouse Stanford Football

Stanford's new football coach Jim Harbaugh is a journalist's and blogger's dream, but oh man is he in a rush to tick everyone else off.

His latest: taking a dig at rival Cal's academics.

From an interview with The Stanford Daily:

TSD: I see most schools across college football selling out in order to win: taking kids that wouldn't get into that school if they didn't run a 4.4, funneling them through easy courses, looking the other way when they get into trouble. You mentioned Michigan, but a lot of Stanford fans would say that's the route Cal used to turn its program around. What do you think? Do Stanford and Cal differ in terms of how they prioritize academics and football?

JH: I don't think there's any doubt about it. It's a pretty wide gap. Right now, Stanford is No. 1 in the country at 92 percent graduation, and Cal's at 44 percent. So, I'd say they're cutting some corners.

He can check Cal off the list now. Only seven other Pac-10 schools and 108 other D-IA schools to go before he's insulted everyone in college football. Somehow I don't think that's a good thing. Is this campaign his version of a more caustic "Straight Talk Express" a la John McCain? What program is his next target? People want to know.

Other Harbaugh works of art this year:
-Saying alma mater Michigan's football program is far from superior in academic rigor compared to other schools.

-Suggesting USC coach Pete Carroll will leave his job this year, citing coaches on the USC staff. Carroll was miffed and barked back with this:

"If he's going to make statements like that, he ought to get his information right," Carroll said. "And if he has any questions about it he should call me."

-This week's slam of Cal football's graduation rate and allusion to "cutting corners".

Next?

Previously at FanHouse
Can Jim Harbaugh Win Against Stanford Admissions?
Jim Harbaugh Tag

What's up with Bay Area teams and stadium squabbles?

Perhaps looking to lock out some Cal fans and gain a modest home field advantage, Stanford has reduced the available number of "Big Game" tickets. This is partly due to Stanford's whole "who wants a big stadium anyway?" project that saw the demolition of their old 85,000 capacity butt splinter masterpiece and completion of a new 50,000 seat humble abode.

This of course puts the squeeze on Cal fans. Cal boosters can still get any of 15,011 allocated Big Game tickets through their ticket office if they have donated mad scrilla to the athletic department but after that? Well, read this:

Anyone can get a Big Game ticket by buying a Stanford season ticket, which ranges from $185 to $299. So far, Stanford season ticket sales are about the same as last year, and the school, which recently hired a new football coach, expects to sell 25,000 to 30,000, said Gary Migdol, senior assistant athletic director.

"We have no idea if Cal fans are buying Stanford season tickets," he said. "That question is not on the ticket application. But I can tell you that right now there are plenty of Big Game tickets available for anyone who wants to buy a Stanford season ticket."

That pill is too bitter for some Cal fans.

"I'm not giving them my money," said Bonnie Hazarabedian, who is such a Cal fan that she named her daughter Callie. "There has to be a better option."

I'd commiserate with Cal fans, but this is fairly standard practice nowadays.

Unfortunately Stanford built a smaller stadium and so long as their football team lags they need to find other ways to sell season tickets because their fans just aren't buying. The same thing happens every year down the road in Los Angeles with USC and UCLA as both school's fans must buy specific ticket packages in order to get single game tickets for the rivalry if they are shut out of the normal allocation process.

(H/T: the great Larry Brown Sports Machine)

The new Stanford football coach may have all the charisma and X's and O's in the world, but if he doesn't have the Jimmy's and the Joe's, fugghedaboutit.

A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle examines the relationship between the declines of several prominent athletic programs at Stanford and the pesky admissions department.

In 2000, Robin Mamlet was hired as dean of admissions and began tightening admissions standards for athletics. She had no previous experience with D-I athletics programs and recently resigned to be with family. During Mamlet's tenure, Stanford football teams under her admission watch in successive two-year periods declined in record from 11-12 to 8-14 to 6-17. The program watched coach Tyrone Willingham depart for Notre Dame and then hired and fired both Buddy Teevens and Walt Harris.

In steps Richard Shaw who has worked at Colorado, Cal and Michigan. Shaw told the Chronicle he'll maintain standards but hopes are that his experience at several bigtime D-I schools will be cause for more athlete-friendly admissions.

As much as Harbaugh can talk the talk, it may come down to basic arithmetic as to whether he can attract the necessary student-athletes to rehabilitate the Cardinal football team.

"Every year you need 25 guys who can qualify and help you win the Pac-10,'' [former Stanford football player and assistant Tom Williams] said. "In any given year, across the country, there are only 75 guys who can do it, maybe 85 to 100 in a great year. If you get one of three of those guys, you have a chance. Stanford will get one of six; that's not going to cut it."

Do the math.

NFL scouts think they know him, but they're wrong ...

Trent Edwards, quarterback, Stanford

WHAT NFL SCOUTS ARE SAYING

Pro Football Weekly: Solid throwing arm to make all the throws. Impressive throwing mechanics. Always ready to throw and gets the ball out quickly. Can throw in layers and, when called upon, can zip the ball into the boundary. Makes very good throwing decisions. Competes hard and will go down with the ship. Questionable durability -- having missed time in three of his four seasons at the helm. Is much better short and intermediate than throwing down field. If deemed physically sound, Edwards has a chance to become an outstanding pro. With a good supporting cast and a Mike Martz-type offensive system, he could be flat out lethal.

Street and Smith's: Will play hurt. Competitive. Shows the ability to lead and manage an offense. Still learning to read defenses. Has struggled with injuries. Very smart and can adapt to a complex offensive system. "I think he is a guy who will take what the defense will give him, but will he stay healthy?" says an NFC scout.

PROBABLY GETTING DRAFTED

Second or third round.

GUY WHO WATCHED HIM FOR FOUR YEARS SAYS

Edwards found extremely limited success at Stanford but the NFL clearly sees the potential. As a high-schooler completed nearly 80% of his career pass attempts. Took a beating behind a bad offensive line but appears to have avoided shell-shock and could find the NFL atmosphere an improvement. Has a big enough arm, athleticism and size for people to project him as a solid NFL player particularly in an average year for quarterbacks.

That said, it's a little unclear what type of NFL player he'll become after a completely undistinguished career at Stanford.

Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges has emerged as a leading candidate for the head coaching job at Stanford. Former coach Walt Harris was fired this week after winning only one game this season. Borges, who grew up in nearby Salinas, California is said to be very interested in the position.

"Because Al's from out there, he wants the job," said Borges agent, Barry Terranova. "It's like going home for him. The first football game he ever saw was at Stanford Stadium."

Terranova acknowledged that no interview had been scheduled and that the University is in the early stages of the process. Borges is considered one of the best offensive minds in college football. He's best known for turning Auburn's offense around in 2004 and helping lead them to a perfect 13-0 season. Borges also had success while serving as an assistant at California, Boise State, Oregon and UCLA.

"Throughout the course of my working with Al, and as many opportunities as he's had to interview for head coaching jobs and other coordinator jobs, he's not even returned the call," Terranova said. "This one, obviously, is different."

According to the Mobile Press-Register, other candidates for the Stanford job include: San Diego coach Jim Harbaugh, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney, Boise State coach Chris Petersen and San Jose State coach Dick Tomey.

Precision Attack- There was a lot of chatter this week in the papers about how the sky's the limit if the Navy offense can move with the precision and consistency at which Paul Johnson wants it to move. While something tells me the offense will never be "perfect," the difference between a decisive Navy win and a nail-bitter (which we'd like to avoid) is how effective Brain Hampton can lead the triple option offense. If Brian can make his option reads and complete even a few passes, then the offense should do fine even against the 20th ranked defense in the nation.

(Little) Big Man on Campus- Reggie Campbell sure didn't disappoint us after last year's Poinsettia Bowl mega-performance, so far rushing for 196 yards and three TDs this year, along with contributing to the team on special teams and even as a defender off turnovers. The energy in which Campbell plays with is contagious, and Coach Johnson will likely try to get the 5'6 slotback the ball a much as possible during the game today. Don't be surprised if you see Hampton looking for him downfield on a pass attempt today.

Be Aggressive- With greater confidence in the offense, both Coach Johnson and QB Brian Hampton shouldn't be afraid to look for big-play opportunities and to capitalize on the aggressive style of Tulsa's defense. Last week we saw a reverse to Jason Tomlinson to throw a wrinkle in an otherwise pretty straight-forward offensive attack. I'm not saying Navy needs trickeration to win this game, but with so many teams working to play assignment football on the Midshipmen offense, a deep pass or a reverse could really catch the Tulsa defense off guard.

(In) and Out of the Phone Booth- Last week I said Navy needed to stop playing exclusively with the "phone booth" mentality that everyone wants to talk about (although mostly because it's just such a great analogy.) After seeing the ability of the Navy offense to play both an inside and outside running game last week, I think it's important to establish every facet of the triple option. If Ballard can cause some havoc inside, it should open some lanes for Campbell and White on the outside.

No Big Plays- Navy's defense has held the opposition to just over 17 points this season, so there really isn't any urgent need to change the game-plan. As usual, the focus will be on preventing the big play, and making Tulsa's offense make mistakes. With two starters out in the secondary this suddenly becomes more important then ever.

Shortly after the win on Saturday night, a fan left me a comment about how my prediction for the game was so far off. In the "preview" I said I didn't see Navy winning the game or holding Stanford's offense to under 30 points. Obviously I was wrong, but for the sake of argument, I thought we could break this game down and put it in perspective, ala Phil Steele of course.

Navy played a good game on Saturday night, that much we can all agree on. Anytime a team like Navy can hang 37 points on a Pac-10 team like Stanford, chances are they're doing something right. Likewise, to hold a future NFL Quarterback and his offense to a meager nine points looks great- on paper. Yet this game was anything but "on paper," as Navy was given a number of breaks from both turnovers and missed Stanford opportunities.

Let me clarify my myself. Navy is good, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking we're that good. Remember, Stanford was coming off two consecutive loses, including a horrible defensive effort against WAC bottom feeder San Jose State. They certainly lived up to their reputation as the worst team against the run in the entire country, and you can bet our future opponents won't make the same mistakes as the Stanford defenders. This isn't to take anything away from the job the Midshipmen offense did, but just as an offense can have "one bad game," so can an offense have "one good game." There is still a lot of work to be done for next week from an offensive perspective.

Don't let the nine points allowed by the defense fool you either. While it's true that the Midshipmen defense played a good game against the run, the secondary was greatly aided by several key dropped passes throughout the game. Indeed, it seemed like just when the Cardinal needed a big play on third down, one of the young wideouts would drop a nicely delivered Trent Edward's pass. The Mids caught a huge break in this game with the injuries to Evan Moore and Mark Bradford, who could have caused havoc in the Navy secondary all night long had they been healthy. The Midshipmen defensive line only brought minimal pressure on Edwards, who was able to extend the Navy zone coverage so far down the field that 5-6 yard passes often turned into 15-yard gainers. Still, I was pleased with the play of the linebackers to fly to the football, especially the play of David Mahoney, who recorded nine tackles on the night.

While a team will inevitably create turnovers, one really has to wonder whether or not the momentum of this game would have swung decidedly in Stanford's favor had it not been for the three forced turnovers by the Mids. The first, off a second quarter kickoff, really gave the Mids the advantage in this game. Up 3-0, Byron McCoy's fumble recovery gave the Mids a short field that allowed Brian Hampton to punch in a one-yard touchdown run. On Stanford's ensuing possession, Jeremy McGown picked off a deflected pass inside the Navy 20, erasing certain points for the Cardinal. Give Navy all the credit in the world for forcing these turnovers, but recognize that it was the recoveries and interceptions that held Stanford off the scoreboard, and not necessarily the Navy defense.

I know I must sound like a Debby Downer, but I'm just trying to keep this win in perspective. Is this a good Navy team? Heck yea. Is it Top 25 good? Maybe, although not necessarily the way they've been playing to this point. Yet Saturday's win was a great first step in that direction, and hopefully Brian Hampton, the offense, and the defense can build off the win and come out ready to play this Saturday against Tulsa.

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure the Mids had it in 'em. Against a future NFL- quarterback and playing in front of a large and hostile crowd across the country, I felt as though the task would be too much for a Navy team that has struggled early this season. But boy was I wrong.

In resounding style, Navy bounced back with a 37-9 win over the Stanford Cardinal in front of 44,022 fans in the first game of the newly renovated Stanford Stadium. The Mids piled up 367 yards of rushing, and (get this) 75 yards through the air. Reggie Campbell had a big game with 110 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while fullback Adam Ballard wore down the Cardinal defense with 26 carries for 126 yards. The real story here was Quarterback Brian Hampton, who was able to regain his composure after a turnover plagued game against UMass last week. Hampton completed 8 of 11 passes, but even more importantly, just looked to have a better grasp on running the offense. He was not without mistakes though, throwing away an easy pitch on a sweep play inside the Stanford five yard-line.

Despite a great offensive performance by the Navy offense, this game was so lopsided only because of turnovers. Both Byron McCoy and Irv Spencer forced fumbles on kickoff returns during the game, giving Navy short field position that led to two easy touchdowns. In addition, a tipped pass was intercepted by Jeremy McGown deep in Navy territory in the first half, taking away at least three points from the Cardinal offense.

I continued to be impressed with the Navy run defense, although the pass defense relied more on dropped passes and injured receivers then on it's own scheme or ability. Taking nothing away from the Mids, they nevertheless beat a Stanford team which has struggled against the run all season, and which had sustained several key injuries on offense. Even so, the Mids improve to 3-0 with a win over a BCS team, and return to Annapolis next week with renewed confidence and improving execution.

During the course of the week leading up to a game, there is a lot of little details that get pushed under the headlines and don't necessarily get reported on. The following are just some loose ends and random observations I've compiled from the past week in anticipation for the Navy-Stanford game tomorrow night. Information was provided by the Official Stanford Site and the Official Navy Site, along with my own brain.

• A quick perusal of my always handy Phil Steele magazine reveals bold faced type all over the Stanford roster. You know what that means, VHT's and HT's for everyone! DT Ekom Udofia is a PS #3, while Michael Okwo is PS# 23. Needless to say, this is proof great recruiting doesn't always equal great success.
• Speaking of Phil Steele, the college-football guru supremo has Trent Edwards ranked as his 17th best QB in the nation. Edwards was a PS# 5 for all you recruiting geeks out there.
• Navy, as you've probably heard, has won 12 consecutive games in which they've scored first. They've also won 19 consecutive games when rushing for at least 300 yards. Good stuff, I know, let's hope it continues.
• Stanford cornerback Nick Frank has decided to retire from college football after discovering he has a "cervical spine condition." He'll serve as a team Captain for Stanford on Saturday night.
• Navy's players will be wearing slotback Eddie Martin's "32" number on the back of their helmets again this week. Martin was diagnosed with lymphoma this summer.
• The last time Navy accumulated more yards passing then rushing was in last year's loss to the Cardinal.
• Stanford Running Back Anthony Kimble talked about the importance of making the most of every Stanford possession during the press conference Tuesday. He even went so far as to say Stanford would only get 8 offensive possessions.
• The Stanford "D" is fast and athletic, but has the tendency to overpursue. Just from my own experience watching games, such defenses' usually have some problems playing the disciplined, assignment football needed against the triple option.
• This game should tell a lot about Walt Harris' ability to motivate a team. If an 0-2 team opening a new stadium can't get it done against a team that has a tendency to make mistakes (up to this point), then Stanford doesn't have much of a chance the rest of the year.
• I believe this will be a statement game for Navy. If the Mids can upset a PAC-10 team with superior talent on the road, it will give them the confidence they need to really make a run this year.
• Don't forget Live Blogging here at the AOL FanHouse tomorrow night starting at 9:30. Proudly Representing Section 30 from my couch!

Just as Stanford's pass offense carries a huge advantage against Navy's pass defense, so does the Midshipmen rushing attack look to derail a very weak Cardinal rushing defense. In fact, it's a matchup of the 4th ranked rushing offense in the country vs the 119th rush defense in the country (which, in case you weren't aware, is dead last. Yes even behind Temple.)

Yet, once again, things aren't always as they seem. Case in point, there are a lot of questions surrounding this Navy offense, which, once you filter 'em down a little bit seem to ask one or two things. First; Can Navy actually hold onto the football, and second, can the Mids actually move the football down the field? While these questions remain up in the air, I think we're going to see a better overall performance by the Navy offense. After two weeks of "gel" time, you better believe (or hope if you're so pessimistically inclined) that QB Brian Hampton and the offense will be able to execute the game-plan. Navy must do a better job at establishing all facets of the triple option, and cannot rely on Hampton to play with this "phone booth" mentality that everyone keeps talking about. Adam Ballard and Matt Hall need to get carries up the middle, and the speedy slotbacks, including Reggie Campbell, have to get their touches on the outside. It think it's especially important to get Ballard going. He's a hard-nosed runner who can attract a lot of attention inside, and if Stanford gets overly aggressive on "D," should be able to penetrate some gaps up the middle. After two close games I've been surprised that Coach Johnson hasn't pulled a trickeration out yet, and I think that if the Mids jump out on top that the Navy Coach will go in for the kill.

On Stanford's side of the ball things don't look too hot. In two games, the Cardinal has surrendered an average of 320 yards-per-game on the ground, and has given up an average of 495 yards total (114th in the nation.) While these numbers can certainly be excused against a Top 20 team like Oregon, giving them up to San Jose State seems pretty pathetic. If there's a bright spot for the Cardinal run defense it's that linebacker Michael Okwo will return to action after sitting out the first two weeks. Okwo is arguably the best Stanford defender, but will likely be little rusty at the Middle Linebacker position. As usual, Navy will be at a disadvantage in terms of size and athletic ability, but judging by the way San Jose State cut through the Stanford defense last week, it's not an issue of talent that's causing Stanford's defense to play so poorly. If the Cardinal is to have any chance, the defense is going to have to be aggressive enough to take some chances in the backfield. On the same token, they can't be overly-aggressive, especially when you know Coach Johnson is going to try to mix in some passes and maybe even some trickeration.

I like Navy in this matchup, but a lot still hinges on how the offense can respond to last week's performance. On the road in a hostile environment in front of 50,000 fans isn't going to be easy, but I think that gives the Mids some incentive to play a little more loosely and without so much to lose come game-time. The offense is going to have to come out swinging on each and every possession because of Stanford's high-octane offense, but expect Brian Hampton to run the team a little more methodically then last week in order to build some momentum and exhaust an injury-ridden Stanford team.