Stanford Bowl Game 2010: Breaking Down the Cardinal in the Orange Bowl
The Stanford Cardinal are playing some of the best football these days, and arguably are the toughest team around. Some question their lack of depth, some question their speed, and most question their competition this year. The Pac 10 has been beaten down towards the bottom of the food chain compared to other AQ conferences, and for good reason--it's just not that strong.
So, Stanford racked in a loss to the no. 2 team in the country, and eleven wins over so-called "mediocre" teams, how can they argue their strength compared to the rest of the country?
The answer will unfold the final score of the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech, but here is a sneak preview of what the Hokies are dealing with.
Andrew Luck
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First and foremost, the biggest problem Virginia Tech will face is the runner-up to the Heisman trophy, 1st Team All-Pac 10, and 2nd team All-American quarterback Andrew Luck.
He is an unbelievable football player that just has a knack for leading his team to victory, and this coming bowl game will be no different. He came onto the scene as a freshman and has never looked back, and for his whole freshman year I was positive it was a case of beginners' luck (no pun intended), but boy was I wrong.
Luck has produced over 3000 yards passing with 28 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, all with a 70.2% completion rate. After a "coming on the scene" performance last season, Luck has had all the focus on him all year, and still has delivered, and is expected to exceed his play in college when he decides to go pro.
Stepfan Taylor
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Taylor, a fellow sophomore who resides behind the front five with Luck, is someone to keep an eye on.
Although he is young, his intelligence surpasses his age, and I can't pick out a running back this year that hits holes harder than Taylor does. As any running back would know, it takes a great amount of patience to sit behind the big boys and wait for the right hole to open up, but Taylor never hesitates, and for good reason. When someone is running behind the front five that Stanford has, there is no need for patience, holes open right up, and Taylor has taken that into account.
He has 1023 yards on 210 carries, with 15 touchdowns on the year, and I believe Taylor can be a real threat if given more carries down the road.
He partners in the backfield with all-american QB Andrew Luck, and if Luck was out of the picture--which is expected to happen soon-- Taylor would get more and more carries, and to me, Taylor has the talent and strength to take his game to the next level.
Doug Baldwin
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Known as the veteran of the team, Baldwin only stands 5'11'', but has been a great target for Luck all year long.
Baldwin has five games with 95 yards or more receiving, and has racked in three games with two touchdowns or more. He is the clear favorite receiver for Luck, accumulating 56 catches for 824 yards this season, leading the second best receiver Ryan Whalen by over 400 yards.
He is fast, smart, and has great hands. Although some may argue that he has the ball delivered directly into his chest play after play, most people overlook Baldwins talent in route running. It takes a lot to make a great catch, but to get open against two defensive backs in coverage is phenomenal.
He has always been there in the Cardinal lineup with the exception of 7 games missed last year, but he has really taken on the job of top receiver this year to compliment a great quarterback.
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Ryan Whalen
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After last season, most people were expecting big things from Ryan Whalen this year. With Andrew Luck established as a great quarterback, a season like last year, and the confidence that Whalen has coming into the year, there was no reason to expect anything less than a great performance.
After suffering an elbow injury earlier in the season, Whalen missed two games, and still has produced a solid 415 yards with 39 catches. One of the games missed was the Oregon game at
Autzen, where Stanford came out to a roaring start, and some may say that if Whalen was there for another threat, the Cardinal could have kept the game close and pulled out a victory.
I am not saying they would have, but Luck has usually two main options, which includes Whalen. He had to resort to forcing passes to Baldwin, which was key in his two interceptions, and most importantly the game.
All in all, whether Whalen has put up the stats or not, he is a major threat and not someone to be overlooked.
The Offensive Line
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To me, these guys are the biggest reason that Stanford is no. 4 in the country. Pure bread brutes who can take down any defensive line in the country, and face to face, other teams crumble in fear. OK, so I am being a little dramatic, but here are some hard facts for you.
LT Jonathan Martin 6'6'' 304 pounds.
LG Andrew Phillips 6'5'' 302 pounds.
C Chase Beeler 6'5'' 285 pounds. (was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy)
RG David Decastro 6'5'' 310 pounds.
RT Derek Hall 6'5'' 303 pounds.
If you are doing your math right, that is an average of 6'5'' 301 pounds. If that does not make Virginia Tech shake in their boots then I don't know what will.
Jim Harbaugh
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Jim Harbaugh has established himself as one of the top coaches in the nation. He grew up in the backyard of Stanford playing in high school at Palo Alto High, he was a phenomenal quarterback in his collegiate years at the University of Michigan, and then went on to a solid career in the NFL playing for multiple squads.
He started his days off helping his father coach at Western Kentucky, particularly in recruiting, then moved on to a Quarterback Coach for the Oakland Raiders, before finally taking his first head coaching job for the University of San Diego. He led USD to two straight years of league titles and 11-1 seasons before accepting the Stanford dream job where he is beginning to build a powerhouse.
You have to give credit where credit is due, and that is right in the palms of Harbaugh. He is a quarterback genius, and if anyone thinks that Andrew Luck is the reason Stanford is respected, think again.
Owen Marecic
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Marecic has doubled his rushing yards for his career this season alone. Well, he only had 21 yards in his first two seasons seeing time on the field, and this year only has accumulated 42 rushing yards.
But, Marecic is one of the few players in college football who play both sides of the field. He had one game this season where he intercepted a pass on defense for a touchdown, and then found the end zone again on a rushing touchdown only a few plays later, practically making him superman for his 15 minutes of fame.
He has recorded 45 total tackles on the year, with a sack, two interceptions, and a fumble forced which he recovered himself.
Although his stats may not look impressive, Marecic is one of the leaders of this Cardinal team, on and off the field, and he is one major competitor that is relied on to fire up the team.
Shayne Skov
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This kid is scary.
Skov returns for his sophomore season after last years performance of 62 tackles, which was 3rd on the Stanford Cardinal team, and he only started seven games! He had a game high 15 tackles against Oklahoma, and was honored as honorable mention all-america, through only seven games as a starter.
He has recorded 72 total tackles, which is currently leading the team this year. Also, Skov accumulated 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles only through 10 games played. This guy is a beast, and is only in his sophomore season, which means there is more hard hitting action to come from Shayne.
Chase Thomas
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A big kid, and a smart player, Thomas is arguably the best linebacker in the Pac 10.
He is the second leading tackler on the Stanford squad, but leads the defense in solo tackles with 47. He also has 11.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks on the year.
In 2009 he was named second-team freshman all-america, and freshman all Pac-10, making appearances in all 13 games for the Cardinal.
This year was a step up, and he is now one of the most feared players in the Pac-10, and for good reason. Standing 6'4'', 240 pounds, opponents need to know at all times when Thomas is on the field.
Summary
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Virginia Tech better bring their "A" game or the Orange Bowl may turn out ugly, and very fast.
A list of weapons will not show the true colors of the Stanford Cardinal, because they are much more than that. Sure, they have an All-American quarterback, and a gigantic front five, and possibly a duo of linebackers that can match any across the nation, but if you put it all together, and look at them as a whole, Stanford is arguably the best in the country.
For the past couple weeks they have proved their dominance and have gained respect of analysts across the nation, and I see big things happening for them in years to come.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
