Rule Of Tree - All Posts

Stanford's women's tennis team wins the National Championship

2013-05-22T04:32:59Z

The Cardinal women's tennis team took home its 17th national title

What's wrong with Stanford's baseball team?

2013-05-17T18:20:12Z

If there's one thing you can definitively say about Stanford's baseball team, it's this: The Cardinal isn't lacking for talent.

Staff ace Mark Appel will either be the first or second pick in June's MLB draft. Outfielder Austin Wilson will probably join Appel as a first rounder. And fellow juniors A.J. Vanegas and Brian Ragira should be taken in the early rounds of the draft as well.

But despite all of that, the Cardinal baseball team finds itself mired in the middle of the Pac-12... and likely out of the NCAA tournament field.

Look up at the beginning of the season, and the Cardinal were ranked number 7 in the country and picked to win the Pac-12. Look up now. The team's lost 6 straight games, touts an 11-13 record in the Pac-12 and an RPI of 99. Even with Cal and UCLA still on the schedule, things are looking bleak.

What's going on here?

The numbers underlying Stanford's season don't provide any answers to why they're struggling.

Mark Appel has been untouchable, carrying a 1.97 ERA. Austin Wilson, who missed significant time with an elbow injury, is back in the starting lineup and hitting .333. Brian Ragira is having another excellent year and leads the team with 8 homers. Justin Ringo has had a huge breakout year, hitting .321 and mashing 6 dingers. The team is batting .273 as a whole.

However, the rotation after Appel is a carousel of guys that aren't getting the job done. There's a 40-inning difference in innings pitched between Appel and the next closest guy, freshman righty Bobby Zarubin (91.1 to 51.0). The only other starter with big-time experience, senior Dean McArdle, has a 6.69 ERA.

On the offensive side of things, some veterans aren't producing, either - third baseman Alex Blandino is only hitting .240 while shortstop Lonnie Kauppila is hitting a miserable .224.

All things considered, Stanford's problem in 2013 appears to be a lack of depth, coupled with some injury issues. Vanegas was hurt to start the season and then Wilson went down for a while as well. All in all, Stanford's top-heavy team could only go so far if the role players weren't able to carry some of the load. And now that the season is nearly over, the only thing left to think is this: it's disappointing that players like Appel and Wilson and Ragira won't be able to flash their stuff on the national stage.

Unfortunately, though, I don't think the lost 2013 season can just be chalked up as a season where things haven't broken the Cardinal's way. Instead, I believe now is the time to ask another question: Is there a problem with Stanford baseball?

The Cardinal hasn't won a College World Series since 1988. They've been unceremoniously swept out of the Super Regionals the last two seasons. Sure, the Cardinal went to three CWS title games in four years in 2000, 2001 and 2003... but that was a decade ago.

The talent on Stanford's baseball teams in the last couple of years has been outstanding (a short list: Jason Castro, Drew Storen, Chris Reed, Mark Appel, Stephen Piscotty, Austin Wilson, Brian Ragira, Kenny Diekroeger) but Mark Marquess' squad has consistently come up short of a title run while all of those guys have been on the team. Back-to-back top recruiting classes have yielded zero Pac-12 (or Pac-10) titles.

Maybe it's too much to judge a team's success on just titles. After all, the Pac-12 is probably the most difficult conference to win outside of the SEC, and there's no postseason conference tournament to give teams a second chance at claiming a Pac-12 title. On top of that, the College World Series is a bit of a crapshoot every year.

And sometimes teams just fall flat on their face. Even Texas, a program of Stanford's caliber, is going to finish last in the Big 12 this year. If Augie Garrido, coach with the most wins in D1 college baseball history is entitled to a bad season every now and then, Mark Marquess has also earned the right to flop every once in a while.

Sometimes good programs come up short and sometimes good programs don't perform like fans think they should. So there probably isn't reason to panic. But 2013 does make me question if Stanford baseball's best days are behind it.

I Am Stanford: Seniors pay tribute to the Farm

2013-05-14T21:28:50Z

Twelve Seniors talk about tradition, team and a special connection to their school, Stanford University.

Grading how former Stanford players fit with their new NFL teams

2013-05-14T16:00:06Z

The draft is over. Now the real work begins.

With the 2013 NFL draft already collecting dust and former Stanford players breaking in their new team colors, it's a good time to dig through the rosters and figure out just how well these ex-Cardinal athletes fit in with their new teams. Using letter grades, let's see which players are in the best spots now that they've moved on from the Farm:

Zach Ertz, Eagles: B. I was genuinely shocked when the Eagles picked Ertz because I didn't think Chip Kelly would be in the market for a shiny new tight end. But after the Eagles' draft, I'm convinced that Kelly's up to something that I don't understand yet. Even more surprising than the Eagles picking Ertz was them picking Matt Barkley, a quarterback who doesn't fit into the style of offense that Kelly played at Oregon at all. While Barkley wasn't picked to take over the team right away, it still threw a kink into what people thought Kelly was going to do and what he's actually doing. Tangent aside, I think this offense might afford a lot of opportunities for a solid, consistent pass-catcher like Ertz to thrive. I'll be interested to see how Ertz exactly fits in to the Eagles' O this year, but overall, I think Ertz is in a good place to be a multifaceted threat in a dynamic offense, and don't be surprised if he finishes as one of Philly's leaders in receptions this season.

Levine Toilolo, Falcons: B+. The big guy is still a work in progress, but he might be in the perfect place for a young tight end. He won't be tasked with starting right away, but he has the opportunity to learn from Tony Gonzalez and become the Falcons' next mainstay at tight end. For a fourth round pick, that's all you can ever hope for. The grade is a little lower because I think he'll only see limited playing time this year (Matt Ryan's other receiving options are pretty good ones), but Toilolo might thrive in ATL in two or three years.

Stepfan Taylor, Cardinals: A. It's always nice when you don't have to change your wardrobe, although he does look dapper with an Angry Bird on his helmet. On top of that, Stepfan (and Kulabafi) is a guy who found a perfect spot in the NFL. The Cardinals averaged 75 yards a game on the ground last season, and they did it with a host of one-tool running backs. Because Stepfan can run and block and catch passes (and because new head coach Bruce Arians isn't afraid to use young runners), I expect Taylor to get major, major playing time in the Arizona backfield this year.

Even Football Outsiders' Ben Muth, a former Stanford tackle and Arizona Cardinals fan, even went so far that he declared Stepfan will be the starter in due time:

Stepfan Taylor will be Arizona's starting running back by the end of the year.
— Ben Muth (@FO_wordofmuth) April 27, 2013

Chase Thomas, Saints: A+. While I was immensely peeved that Thomas wasn't drafted (I have no idea what NFL personnel staffs were thinking), I don't think he could have landed in a better spot for him when all the dust was settled. The Saints had one of the worst defenses in NFL history last season, so they were in desperate need of depth to help them rise from the cellar. Finding an undrafted gem who fits perfectly into their 3-4 will certainly help them do that. While Thomas may not be an eye-popping athlete like Jarvis Jones, I'm willing to bet that he's a key player in the Saints' rotation of linebackers this season, and may even earn a few starts if things go well. And if he decides to flip the bird to all the teams that didn't draft him, I wouldn't begrudge him that either.

Terrence Brown, Bengals: B-. Brown came out early but wasn't drafted (sigh) but he still found a good landing spot with the Cincinnati Bengals. I don't give Brown a super high grade because I'm unclear on what they're trying to do with their defensive backfield at the moment, and they have an odd mix of vets and rookies. The Bengals have a lot of corners competing for spots right now, and while 2012 first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick is assured of a job, I'm not sure who else is on their roster. That said, Brown could and should outplay some of the guys competing for jobs, including former Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb, who has curiously been converted to corner. I think Brown should be able to stick on the practice squad for a while, and it's probably not a big stretch to say that he might play this season if/when Terence Newman gets hurt or if/when Adam Jones decides to go back to being Pacman.

Alex Debniak, 49ers: A. Debniak, the only Stanford player staying in the Bay Area out of this draft class, not only joins his former coach but also finds himself with an awesome opportunity. Debniak played linebacker in college and will switch to fullback in the NFL, and that position switch is why I give him an A here. Debniak also played running back in his earlier days at Stanford, and I think him returning to Harbaugh's offense as a Bruce Miller/Delanie Walker type is a perfect fit. He doesn't need to be a great runner, he doesn't need to be a great pass catcher, but he is able to do both of those things as well as bring some nastiness to his blocks, and I think there's a good chance that he could make this team as a fullback. Jim Harbaugh had to be pleased that he could sign an insanely great athlete like Debniak and give him a shot to make his team.

Terrence Stephens, Bengals: C. Stephens just recently signed a contract with the Bengals after tryouts in Cincy and with the Jaguars (if only he had tried out for the Panthers and Lions as well...). I'm glad Stephens will get the chance to try and show his skills at the pro level, because despite being undersized, he's a smart, versatile and strong d-lineman who can stick in the league for a while. That said, I don't know if the best place for him to go to is Cincinnati. The Bengals have a ferocious defensive line, including draft star Margus Hunt and one of the NFL's best players in Geno Atkins, so Stephens will probably be battling for a practice squad spot. But if he's able to get some good stuff on tape in preseason and stick on the Bengals, another team could swoop in and sign him, just like the Colts did last year when they signed Delano Howell away from the Bills' practice squad.

Players who are still looking to find a fit:

Drew Terrell: He attended the Chiefs' rookie camp last weekend in Kansas City but wasn't offered a contract. That said, getting in front of Andy Reid - the NFL's longest-tenured head coach when you include his time with the Eagles - is never a bad thing. And down the road, the Chiefs might end up being a good fit for Terrell, with Reid's desire to throw the ball and with their need for receivers who can throw blocks for Jamaal Charles and others. Altogether, Terrell is a bit of a long shot to make a team, but the fact that he earned an invite to the camp shows that NFL teams are aware of his body of work and will give him a chance.

Daniel Zychlinski: Big Z went to the 49ers rookie camp last weekend, but naturally wasn't offered a contract. The market for punters isn't a big one, so it's to be expected that Zychlinski wasn't signed, but a tryout is never a waste of time. I have a feeling that Zychlinski will wind up in some team's training camp as a backup to a really good punter, so keep an eye on where he lands. It usually takes a while for punters to break into the league, but good ones can stick around for decades.

Todd Husak on Stanford Spring Football: Defensive backs

2013-05-03T16:00:07Z

The 2012 Stanford football season was a wild ride for Cardinal fans, as they were faced with an incredibly daunting stretch of finishing the season needing 5 straight wins against ranked teams to secure the first conference championship since 1999.

What made that run even more amazing is that Stanford's defense lead the way, which is difficult for many to accept given the school's history of having to win high-scoring shootouts. Expectations have never been higher for Stanford football as many experts are predicting a top 5 preseason ranking due to the returning talent from a Rose Bowl champion roster, and some optimistic fans are quietly talking about national championship possibilities.

If the 2013 Cardinal are going to have a chance at the final BCS title, the defense is going to have to continue the dominance it showed late last season - and the good news is that the pieces are in place to do just that.

Defensive Coordinator (or should I say Willie Shaw Director of Defense) Derek Mason is entering his fourth year on the Stanford staff and his third as the man calling the defensive shots. He fits the Shaw mold of assistant perfectly - he's a young, experienced, and energetic coach who possesses a great ability to teach the fundamentals of the secondary positions. The results speak for themselves, as Stanford comes into 2013 with the best secondary in this history of the program. Athleticism, experience, instincts, and great tackling ability all make the group as feared a unit in the conference and maybe the country.

Cornerbacks:

- Alex Carter came on in the middle of last season and quickly showed why he was such a highly ranked high school player. His fumble-forcing hits against Notre Dame and Colorado were perfect examples of how he combines prototypical size and strength with form tackling.

His cover skills also make him difficult to target on the deep ball because he has outstanding recovery speed and the ability to play the ball in the air. He's effective in man-to-man, he can bump at the line of scrimmage, he can sit back in cover 3 and drive on anything in front of him because of his quickness, and he showed the big hit ability in cover 2 where he is responsible as the flat defender and run supporter.

The bottom line: all of those attributes mean the 6-foot, 205-pound true sophomore has the potential to be Stanford's first NFL CB to be drafted in the first round since Darrien Gordon in 1993. The preseason accolades of safeties Ed Reynolds and Jordan Richards should also bring some attention to him and allow him to be a real breakout star in 2013.

- Before Alex Carter arrived on the Farm, Wayne Lyons was one of the most heralded DB recruits in Stanford history. The 5-star safety/corner from Florida showed up on campus and had fans drooling over his potential - he combined size and speed at what has historically been a position of weakness for the Cardinal.

I still remember a play he made at Duke that stunned me because of his change of direction and closing speed. However, a foot injury derailed his freshman year and he was a little lost in the shuffle in 2012 because of the great play of Brown, Browning, and Carter. However, a healthy offseason and a Barry Browning injury (which kept him out of spring practice) has allowed Lyons to made big strides in his development and feel more comfortable at the position.

Although he hasn't gotten much playing time, the one thing that Lyons hasn't shown is the quick recognition of route combinations, but I am expecting more offseason experience will translate into confidence and allow him to improve. Once he is able to put it all together, Lyons should be able to reach his potential that made him the 5-star high school player a few years ago.

- How deep is Stanford's secondary? The most experienced CB on the roster in Barry Browning (11 starts, 31 game appearances, 2 career INTs) is going to have to battle for playing time in 2013. Browning was forced to sit out of spring ball because of an injury, but he should be back and healthy when fall camp starts, and the competition for the starting spot will be one to watch. Browning is a little leaner that Lyons and Carter, but his long arms, quick feet, and great instincts make him a difficult matchup for any receiver. He is also solid in run support and a sure tackler, another sign that this group is incredibly well-coached.

- One of the most impressive qualities of David Shaw's coaching staff has been the ability to recognize where a player can excel and then giving them the opportunities to make plays. Bay Area native Usua Amanam (from Bellarmine High School in San Jose) has had a tumultuous Stanford career, bouncing between offensive and defensive positions before he settled in as the Nickelback and became one of the most dangerous players on the field in 2012.

He finished last season with 42 Tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3 fumble recoveries, and an INT that will resonate with Stanford fans forever because it sealed the Rose Bowl victory. While many thought the nickel position could be a position of weakness for Stanford after the departure of playmaker Michael Thomas, Usua quickly showed that all he needed was an opportunity. After all, he had 2 sacks and 4 TFL in his very first start against SJSU.

Amanam possesses a Shayne-Skov type ability to disguise his blitzes and time the snap count perfectly, which allows him to get around the edge before the offense can react. He also improved his coverage abilities as the season went along and was one of the more confident players throughout spring practice. The bad news for Amanam is that he is not going to surprise anyone after an impressive 2012, but he is no stranger to overcoming challenges in his Stanford career.

Safeties:

- A big question mark heading into the 2012 season was the safety position and how the Cardinal would try to replace not only the productivity, but also the leadership of Delano Howell and Michael Thomas. How much difference can one year make? Stanford enters the 2013 season with one of the most decorated and feared safety duos in the entire country: Jordan Richards and Ed Reynolds.

Derek Mason has done a remarkable job of teaching the fundamentals and technique of the position, but at the same time enabling the entire secondary to play freely and rely on instincts and recognition. Richards and Reynolds embody that confidence as they always seem to be there to make the big hit or step in front of the deep pass. Stanford has had some talents roam the deep third over the years (Tim Smith, John Lynch, Tank Williams) but I don't think there has been a more complete tandem in the defensive backfield than Richards and Reynolds.

- Jordan Richards was able to get onto the field as a true freshman in 2011 because of his size and speed, but he was still raw from the standpoint of understanding defensive concepts and offensive tactics. The 2012 version was a much more polished player and he demonstrated both the big play ability (12 passes broken up, one sack, 3 INTs) and the sure tackling (69 tackles, 7 TFL) that are the marks of all great safeties.

However, those great stats don't show reputation, and Richards earned one as he became one of the conference's hardest hitters - I'm sure receivers running towards the middle of the field will have images of his Rose Bowl hit on Chase Hammond in their minds.

It was also telling that Mason turned to Richards to shut down UCLA tight end Joseph Fauria after he torched the Stanford secondary in the first of their back-to-back matchups at the end of last season (In the first game, Fauria had 4 catches for 66 yards and a TD, but in the second game Richards held him to two catches for just 34 yards). If he continues to improve, NFL scouts will be looking for Richards to enter the draft after his junior season, which is becoming a theme for this 2013 Stanford secondary unit.

- It isn't often than a team's biggest playmaker can be found on the defensive side of the ball, but that is the case with Ed Reynolds. In fact, Ed had more touchdowns in 2012 than any other returning Stanford offensive player (he had three).

While Stanford will not necessarily be counting on that type of production in 2013, Reynolds will need to continue to come up with big plays at crucial times, like he did with the game changing interception against UCLA in the Pac-12 championship game. What stands out more than any physical attribute is Reynolds' ability to recognize the route and anticipate the quarterback's target. His timing was simply incredible - he was able to step in front of the intended receivers time and time again, and actually missed out on another 2 or 3 opportunities because the ball went right through his hands.

Once he got his hands on the ball, Reynolds was tough to bring down - he racked up 301 return yards off interceptions, which plays out to a cool average of 50 yards per return. The one area Reynolds can improve upon is playing the ball at the highest point on passes to the corner in Cover 2, but that is certainly a nitpick. He's showed all of the physical and mental tools needed to be one of the best safeties in the country, and he did it in just his first season as starter. There's no telling how good Reynolds could be in 2013.

One of the most intriguing questions about the secondary in general is "how much better can they get"? They were able to achieve so much is such a short period of time that one could worry about levels of improvement in 2013. The good news for Stanford fans is Derek Mason is back as their coach, and with him leading the most talented group in school history, I am expecting to see an even more complete and productive group this season.

Josh Nunes' career is over

2013-04-29T17:53:09Z

A few months ago, he was the heir to Andrew Luck. Now, he's done with football.

Due to an injury to his arm this offseason that was deemed workout-related, Nunes' career is now over, officially announced by Stanford Football on Twitter.

We regret to report that senior QB Josh Nunes is medically retiring, ending his Cardinal career. Please join us w/ thx to Josh! #gostanford
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) April 29, 2013

For how short his Stanford career was - only eight games as a starter - he'll always be remembered for leading a huge upset of USC and paving the way for BCS bowl success, much like Tavita Pritchard, who gave way to Andrew Luck just a few years ago. His best game was certainly an overtime win against Arizona at home, where he scored five touchdowns to lead the Cardinal back from a 14-point deficit and pull off the 54-48 win.

For now, the short-term impact on the Cardinal means that Evan Crower is the backup quarterback while Dallas Lloyd is the third-string QB. The two played in that order during the Cardinal-White spring game and there's no reason to expect that it's any different now.

This development does cause some concern because Crower and Lloyd are both very inexperienced - neither one has a snap of live-game action under his belt - and it means there will be extra emphasis on getting them ready to play should anything happen to Kevin Hogan.

In other news, fullback Geoff Meinken, who battled with a knee injury in 2012, will graduate instead of playing for a 5th season.

Stepfan Taylor is an Arizona Cardinal

2013-04-27T18:33:55Z

How lucky is Stepfan Taylor? Not only was he drafted in the NFL, but he also doesn't even have to change his wardrobe.

It's hard to imagine a more perfect fit for Taylor than in Arizona. The NFL's worst rushing offense a year ago needed a player that could step in right away and help handle the load, and they got one of the draft's best do-everything backs in Taylor.

He'll compete against Ryan Williams and Rashard Mendenhall for carries, but with their proclivity for injury, Taylor might see plenty of carries come his way in the first year. The Cardinals' splashiest pick this draft was Tyrann Mathieu, but first round pick Jonathan Cooper, a guard from North Carolina, shows that they're pretty committed to becoming a better rushing team in 2013 - and Taylor will be a big part of that.

New Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians might have gotten a recommendation to take Taylor from former pupil Andrew Luck, and I wouldn't be surprised if Arians ends up almost as happy with this Cardinal as he did with his last Cardinal player.

Levine Toilolo is an Atlanta Falcon

2013-04-27T18:18:58Z

If there was any way to make Matt Ryan happier, the Atlanta Falcons may have figured it out.

With the last pick in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL draft, the Falcons picked Levine Toilolo, adding to an already full cupboard of receiving options.

Ryan will have the choice of throwing to Toilolo, Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Julio Jones next year, and while the Falcons had little trouble scoring last year, GM Thomas Dimitroff couldn't resist the chance to add another aerial threat and a potential successor to Tony Gonzalez.

Time will tell if Toilolo can develop into an NFL starter, but he's a strong blocker and has a frame that makes him a mismatch against any linebacker or defensive back in the league. That's the way things work when you're 6-foot-8, 20 pounds - the kind of player that every modern NFL team wishes they had.

Odds are that he'll be used only occasionally in his first year and mostly as a blocker - he's a pretty strong blocker off the edge - but for now, though, Toilolo is on a winning team and has the best possible mentor in the game: the greatest tight end of all time.