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HEAVY LIFTING: Defense carried
the team last year.
Gonzalesphoto.com |
DAVID BERGERON doesn’t
mind watching football games from the sidelines. The
6-foot-4, 245-pound middle linebacker started every
contest in 2003 and was third on the team with 66 tackles.
But any chance to jog back to the bench with his defensive
teammates was particularly satisfying.
“We would love to stay off the field as long as
possible,” says Bergeron, a fifth-year senior
who’s combining a public policy major with a master’s
in media studies. “That means our offense is on
[the field] and being productive. We’re definitely
excited about not playing as many repetitions this year.”
Bergeron won’t get an argument from head coach
Buddy Teevens. “A year ago, the defense was basically
carrying the football team, and that wore them out over
time,” says Teevens, now in his third year at
the helm. “We’re looking for a more balanced
football team—offense and defense performing at
a higher level, which helps both sides play better.”
Balance and consistency are essential if Stanford is
to top last season’s 4-7 campaign. Many preseason
publications have picked the Cardinal to finish near
the bottom of a newly powerful Pac-10 conference, and
there is chatter about a coaching change if the team
doesn’t improve. Teevens, however, is optimistic.
“People will gauge you based on graduated personnel
and returning personnel,” he says. “When
you have a number of young players, certainly there
are questions. But to see the level of our younger players—their
efforts in terms of developing as football players—I’ve
been very pleased with the progress that we’ve
made. I think you will see a very cohesive group that
plays hard, and plays hard for each other.”
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TEEVENS: Pleased with progress.
Gonzalesphoto.com |
Stanford’s defense remains nearly intact, with
nine returning starters, including one of the best defensive
backs in the conference, fifth-year senior Oshiomogho
Atogwe. Bergeron, Jared Newberry and Kevin Schimmelmann
anchor a tough and speedy group of linebackers. But
the Cardinal must improve against the pass, put more
pressure on the opposing quarterback and surrender fewer
game-breaking plays. “Eliminating the big play
is a critical point for us,” says Teevens.
Offense, on the other hand, is a looming question mark.
Only five starters return from a unit that scored a
meager 16.9 points per game last year, ninth in the
Pac-10. The squad’s 283 yards per game ranked
last in the conference and 113th out of 117 Division
I teams.
The Cardinal will look to sophomore quarterback Trent
Edwards for guidance and leadership. In eight games
last season, Edwards threw for 750 yards, four touchdowns
and nine interceptions. With a young, inexperienced
offensive line (four sophomores and a junior), Teevens
says Edwards’s rapid development and productivity
are crucial. “He’s healthy and ready to
go and we have high expectations of him.”
Tight end Alex Smith and wide receiver Mark Bradford
should be regular targets of Edwards’s passes.
Smith is a fifth-year senior and one of Stanford’s
most experienced offensive players. Bradford, a sophomore,
led the team in 2003 with 587 receiving yards and almost
16 yards per catch, the best numbers for a true freshman
in Stanford history. Senior Kenneth Tolon and junior
J.R. Lemon will again share running back duties, joined
by two untested fullbacks, junior Kris Bonifas and freshman
Emeka Nnoli.
Teevens cites four incoming freshmen who could make
an immediate impact. Alex Fletcher and Allen Smith,
two powerful offensive tackles, could add depth and
strength to the young offensive line. Anthony Kimble
possesses great speed and athleticism and may contribute
time at wide receiver. Wopamo Osasai, who also runs
track, could make his presence felt in the defensive
backfield.
In an odd scheduling twist, Stanford plays its first
four games at home this fall and five of its last seven
on the road. The Cardinal will try to use the extended
homestand to build momentum and confidence; early September
games against San Jose State and BYU should be winnable.
But the third tussle at Stanford Stadium will be a Pac-10
showdown against defending national co-champion USC.
Teevens says his players are looking forward to lining
up against the Trojans, the team most pundits are picking
to win another championship. “It gives you an
opportunity to gauge yourself—where you are and
the development you’ve shown,” he says.
“It’s kind of an inspiration. Our players
have been very aggressive in the offseason training,
the weight training, the cardiovascular conditioning.
The attitude is very solid. They will not accept youth
as an excuse, nor will we.”
Bergeron, for his part, isn’t thinking past the
first Saturday in September. “Our sole focus right
now is on San Jose State,” he explains. “We
have to take this season one game at a time.”
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