2003 Statistics

Quarterback
Alas, Trent Edwards, it's your turn to shine. Coming to Stanford as the top QB recruit of his class, Edwards brought some lofty aims to the Cardinal. And, after a prominent spring performance, the hype will finally turn to harvest, making this the year he breaks out. He was only good on 48% of his pass tries, and Edwards' longest completion was for 36 yards. After a rough four-game stretch (that included tilts versus two of the Pac-10's best defenses), he's (so far) making better decisions, grasping the offense, limiting his mistakes, and providing leadership. The numbers will improve and he'll enjoy an all-Pac 10 nomination.

Running Back
Kenneth Tolon II and J.R. Lemon were used interchangeably, and with Teevens' one-back sets, we expect much of the same. Teevens is looking for "the complete back", but we see no headway between the two. Tolon is the slasher, while Lemon is the bigger, more direct runner. Then, there is David Marrero, who reminds us of a Darin Nelson-type. The role of these backs is to catch and block, more so than to provide a traditional runner. However, in order to maximize the passing game's effectiveness, the rush offense has to improve enough, so as to make defenses not know what kind of play to expect - only five teams (in the country) finished with a worse run-game than Stanford!

Receiver
The Cardinal receiving corps has a bright future in sophomore Mark Bradford. Bradford came onto the scene and delivered a 37-catch campaign, establishing himself as a legit long-ball threat (15.9 YPC). He's a stellar athlete (backup point guard for the basketball team) and is joined by two other superior Stanford athletes - Gerren Crochet (track) and Evan Moore (basketball) - out on the flanks. Watch out for Moore, who, at 6'7", 235 lbs., will be one of most physically imposing receivers in the Pac-10. Marcus McCutcheon (Pac-10 followers should recognize the name) will also give this regiment some needed speed in Teevens' "Fun n' Gun" scheme.

Tight End and Offensive Line
Every year, the Pac-10 has a standout at TE, and this year, it's Alex Smith. He stands 6'5" and is blessed with great hands. Defenses beware! He is a prime target in Teevens' system.

The restored finesse in the aerial game indirectly will speak volumes as to the improvement in pass protection on the line. Collectively this is a young group, but two starters, Edwards and Simpson, saw extensive action as freshman and another, Cochran, painted the field a considerable amount as well. The improvement in pass blocking (33 sacks forfeited in '03) will be a start, but they have to also do something about the miserable run "blocking" from a year ago, where the Cardinal averaged only 2.5 YPC!!! The cupboard, though, is getting loaded with young talent - Stanford has no senior (scholarship) offensive linemen on their roster! Look for this area's level of quality to be reflected through the numbers on the ground. If the enemy thinks pass without considering the Cardinal run, the line will again be Swiss cheese on a hot day.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
In 2003, Stanford was like the slow kid in dodgeball - they could only hope the stronger, more athletic guys wouldn't pay attention to them, and they prayed to stay out of harm's way. But now, they've cut the fat and are ready to throw- literally. The offense responded well to challenges posed by the coaching staff this spring. While they put up some of the ugliest numbers, this is essentially/luckily a new team. They'll bring one of the better pass offenses in the conference and put up some hefty point totals. A more established identity on offense will not be enough to overcome the lack of ground production. The pass game alone is not enough to carry this team to wins in many conference games, let alone against BYU and SJSU.

Defensive Line
Half of the line leaves, but this is an area where the Cardinal is particularly deep. Babatunde Oshinowo (jr) accounted for eight TFLs and a team high in sacks from his NT setting. Jon Alston will do the same job but change titles from OLB to rush end, accentuating his athleticism and giving the pass rush permanently-added quickness. This platoon helped the defense finish 41st nationally against the run, but will step up the pass rush to aid their marginally defective secondary.

Linebacker
The defense sacked opposing QBs 22 times in '03, and ten of those came from the LBs. More of the same will be expected from a deeper, more talented brigade. The lone loss might be Michael Craven, who's enrolled at a local CC and is unlikely to return (he is certainly talent they could use). OLB Jared Newberry and MLB David Bergeron were solid in the middle, especially in disrupting QBs. Coaches are looking to this group to be the strength of the defense. Depth here helps too.

Defensive Back
What's the difference between the Stanford pass defense and an open field? The open field is less likely to get burned. No team was worse at protecting the air than the Cardinal (ranked 117th in yielding 296 passing yards per game). Ugh! Well, the mixed blessing here is that all five starters are back to have another go at it. They tackle well, but it was their cover skills that were lacking. Atogwe is an all-star. He led the team in tackles and Hooper can fly from his SS position. The most scrutinized area will be the corners, where three players are vying for two spots. If mistakes pave the way to perfection, then this group will be close to the top of their game.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Stop the pass- that's it, STOP THE (*%#@! BLEEPIN') PASS!! There's no problem tackling, nor is there any real concern in stopping the run. But if you give up 300 yards a game through the air, your defense will ultimately be doomed. We believe the coverage will get better (well duh, it has to get better, or the recruiters have to go, eh) because of the man running the show- AJ Christoff. He's architected stout pass defenders at Colorado, Oregon, and UCLA (among others), so he knows how to stop these Pac-10 aerial assaults. We expect vast improvements in this area.