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1996 Season Outlook
Prior to the 1995 season, there weren't many people in the college footballworld who gave Stanford much of a chance to be competitive. In fact, most of theso-called experts picked the Cardinal to finish dead last in the Pacific-10Conference. No chance for a bowl game, the experts said. A rebuilding year. Anew coach. A new system. It will take time.
If that is what the outside world believed, someone forgot to tell Cardinal headcoach Tyrone Willingham and his team. From the first day of spring practice,Willingham preached a 12th game. "Our goal is always to play in a 12th game," hewould say, referring, of course, to participation in a post-season bowl game.The true believers were few and far between, and most of them resided on theStanford campus.
Twelve months later, Willingham can claim to have had the last laugh. Not onlydid he lead his '95 squad to a very impressive 7-4-1 overall record, but theCardinal also finished fourth in the Pac-10, appeared in the national rankingsfor several weeks and advanced to the St. Jude Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn.
And now, heading into the 1996 campaign, Willingham, who was named the Pac-10Coach of the Year, has raised the level of expectations both on and off theFarm. While his team will once again adhere to the "12th game" battle-cry, theCardinal will also get more respect off the field. But, in order to improve onlast season's seven wins, Willingham has one simple philosophy.
"For Stanford football to continue to improve each season, the players andcoaches must believe that hard work and intelligence will enhance our cause -which is to be a good football team and win games. We have a chance to be a goodfootball team this season, but we must improve in all aspects of the game inorder to take the next step," Willingham said.
There is reason for optimism on The Farm. Stanford returns 14 starters in 1996,including seven on defense, six on offense, one kicker, and 35 lettermen.
The Cardinal running game has a chance to be even more productive in '96 withthe return of its top four running backs, including Second-Team All-Pac-10 pickAnthony Bookman. Senior flanker Brian Manning returns to spearhead what shouldbe a talented group of receivers.
The question at quarterback that existed last spring has reared its head onceagain. Like last year, the two candidates have great potential, but little to nogame experience. Senior Tim Carey (one series of downs in his career) andsophomore Chad Hutchinson (redshirt as a freshman last year) will do battle forthe starting nod in '96.
Defensively, junior inside linebacker Chris Draft had an outstanding season ayear ago and his continued improvement will play a large role in how far theCardinal defense can go in '96.
Junior defensive end Carl Hansen, senior free safety Josh Madsen, seniorcornerback Leroy Pruitt and senior defensive tackle Pete Swanson all must riseto the occasion in 1996 if Stanford is to put together the kind of defensenecessary to move up to the next level.
"As with any professional or college team in the country, we have to stayhealthy for us to have a successful season," said Willingham. "If we can stayhealthy, keep our focus and intensity at a high level from the first day ofpractice and continue to work hard and work smart, then I believe we can have atremendous season in 1996 and realize our goals."
Below is a position-by-position rundown of the 1996 Cardinal.
The Quarterbacks
You'll excuse Willingham and his offensive coordinator andquarterbacks coach, Dana Bible, if they pull from their files the same quotesthey used last year at this time. While the names of one of the candidates haschanged, the situation at quarterback is unfailingly similar to what transpiredprior to the 1995 season opener. Last year it was fifth-year senior MarkButterfield and junior Tim Carey - only Butterfield had game experience - doingbattle. This time around, it is still Carey, now a senior with two years ofeligibility remaining, competing with sophomore Chad Hutchinson, the erstwhilepitcher who redshirted his freshman season a year ago. Carey did get a chance toplay last year, albeit one series of downs in a 24-3 victory over Oregon State,while Hutchinson patiently watched from the sidelines. Carey is in his fourthyear at Stanford and is very familiar with a quarterback-battle. It wasn't untilthe Monday before the first game of the season last year that Willingham namedButterfield as his starter. Hutchinson, meanwhile, was selected in the firstround of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft as a hard-throwing right-hander.He turned down a lucrative offer by the Atlanta Braves to play baseball andfootball at Stanford. Hutchinson, who did not participate in spring footballpractice, enjoyed an outstanding freshman season in baseball in 1996. He has allthe tools to become an outstanding quarterback for the Cardinal this season.
The Running Backs
Perhaps the strength of the team in 1996, Stanford returns itstop four running backs from last year's team that finished with 1,819 yardsrushing - the ninth highest single season total in school history. Thecombination of Anthony Bookman and Mike Mitchell at running back and Adam Salinaand Greg Comella at fullback give the Cardinal four very talented backs whocompliment each other very well. Bookman, who has rushed for 1,449 yards thepast two seasons, has led the Cardinal in rushing in both 1994 and '95. Hegained 872 yards last year, which ranks ninth on Stanford's single season list.Bookman had four, 100-yard rushing games, including a 133-yard effort in theseason opener vs. San Jose State. Mitchell, meanwhile, gained 593 yards andscored six rushing touchdowns. His 26-carry, 138-yard, two touchdown performancein the Big Game was testimony to Mitchell's potential. In Salina and Comella,Stanford can boast of two fullbacks who can run inside effectively, catch passesout of the backfield and provide excellent blocking skills. At 6-3 and 250,Salina can be a menacing force in the backfield. Comella led the team last yearwith nine touchdowns (five rushing, four receiving) and proved to be a greatweapon inside the 20.
The Wide Receivers
Now in his fourth year, senior flanker Brian Manning entershis final season at Stanford as one of the school's all-time great receivers. Heshould break the school record for career receiving yardage and be among theall-time top-10 in career receiving touchdowns. Manning, who has 103 careerreceptions for 1,897 yards (18.4 ypr), is surrounded by a group of qualityreceivers who help make the receiving corps a solid area for the Cardinal in1996. Seniors Andre Kirwan and Marlon Evans along with junior Damon Dunn are allexpected to play significant roles this season. Kirwan (13-175-13.5 in 1995)will back up Manning at the flanker position while Evans (7-41-5.9 in '95) andDunn (5-29-5.8), two of the nation's top kickoff return specialists, will battlefor the starting spot at wide receiver. Others who will be in the hunt forplaying time in 1996 include flankers Troy Walters and Jauron Pigg as well aswide receivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Allen, who converted from safety lastspring.
The Tight Ends
Greg Clark transferred to Stanford a year ago from Ricks JuniorCollege in Utah and immediately moved into the starting lineup. He finished theyear with 23 receptions - third best on the team - for 260 yards (11.3 ypr) andtwo touchdowns. He has great size (6-5, 250) to go along with the athleticability to catch the ball over the middle. He is also a tremendous blocker whocan be very effective in the Cardinal's running game. Behind Clark, seniorsTommy Hanson and Derek Hubbard, who both saw playing time last year, help giveStanford three experienced tight ends.
The Offensive Line
"This is an area of concern," says Willingham. "When you loseguys of the caliber of LT Jeff Buckey (First-Team All-Pac-10 in '95), C T.J.Gaynor (three-year starter) and LG Ryan Waters, it's very difficult to replacenot only their talent and experience, but the other intangibles they bring tothe team," he said. Returning starters Brad Badger at right guard and NathanParks, who will move from right tackle to left tackle, are expected to anchorthe offensive line in '96. Add junior Geoff Wilson, who started eight games atthree positions last season and is penciled in as the starter at right tacklethis year, and the Cardinal has three returning linemen with significant gameexperience. The two biggest questions marks are at center and left guard.Sophomore Mike McLaughlin, who redshirted his freshman season last year, andjunior college transfer Blaine Maxfield, are the two leading candidates toreplace Gaynor at center. At the left guard spot, the leading candidate isjunior Andrew Kroeker, who played a reserve role last season. Junior BrianDonoghue and sophomore Matt Motherway, a redshirt last season as a freshman,will compete with Kroeker for the starting spot. Others who may contributeinclude left tackle Eli Burriss, right tackle Jeff Cronshagen and right guardJoe Fairchild, a converted tight end.
The Defensive Line
"The losses on the defensive line are substantial," saysWillingham. "The three players we lost from last year - Jason White, John Hebertand David Carder - brought more to the team than just their play on the field."The three returning defensive linemen who must spearhead the group in 1996include fifth-year senior tackle Pete Swanson and junior ends Carl Hansen andKailee Wong. Hansen was among the league leaders in quarterback sacks (eight)and tackles-for-loss (10), but in order for the Cardinal to show markedimprovement from a year ago, Hansen must have help in putting pressure on thequarterback and controlling the line of scrimmage. Both Wong and Swanson areexperienced veterans who must take their game to another level if Stanford is tocompete for national recognition. At nose tackle, junior Anthony Willis, seniorEvan Wagner and sophomore Desmond Cook will battle for the top spot. SeniorBryan Werner, a two-year letterman, will back up both Wong and Hansen atdefensive end. His ability to stay healthy throughout the season will be a keyfactor in Stanford's success on the defensive line. Sophomore tackle AndrewCurrie has shown the ability to provide quality depth as has sophomore end KontiPellegrin. Sophomore Tony Vella, who converted from tight end during the spring,is another active lineman who should be able to add quality minutes off thebench.
The Outside Linebackers
Senior Brian Batson returns as the Cardinal's starter atits one outside linebacker position. Batson has started 19 games at OLB the lastthree years and is the most experienced player at this position on the team.Senior Nicodemus Watts, a three-year letterwinner, has become an outstandingspecial teams player but his improved play at outside linebacker would be atremendous asset to the Cardinal defense this season. Sophomore transfer DonnieSpragan, who came to Stanford this past January from UOP, was very impressiveduring the spring and he has put himself in position to compete for the startingspot. Sophomore Marc Stockbaur, who redshirted his freshman season last year,will also battle for playing time.
The Inside Linebackers
Junior Chris Draft opened some eyes around the Pac-10last season and his development into a dominant player in '96 will help bolsterwhat may be an area of strength on the defense. Draft, who doubles as anoutfielder on the Cardinal baseball team, was among the league leaders with 103tackles last season. Draft will spearhead a three-man rotation at the two insidelinebacker spots which include juniors Jon Ritchie and Jon Haskins. Ritchie, atransfer from the University of Michigan who had to sit out last season, wasmoved from fullback to inside linebacker late last year. He has all the talentto become an outstanding defensive player and if he can adjust to his newposition rapidly, the Cardinal will be stocked with three quality ILBs. Haskinshas played a lot of football for Stanford the past two seasons and he, too, hasthe ability to become a dominant player in 1996. Sophomores Sharcus Steen, BrianToner and Adam Cabell will also be in the hunt for playing time and shouldcontribute in 1996.
The Defensive Backs
Three of Stanford's four starters from last year's secondaryreturn in 1996, but the Cardinal still finds itself lacking in depth at the oneopen cornerback spot. Senior Leroy Pruitt returns for his third season in thestarting lineup at cornerback, but replacing Kwame Ellis at the other cornerposition will be critical to Stanford's success in '96. Seniors Josh Madsen atfree safety and Eliel Swinton at strong safety return in 1996 after coming offfine seasons a year ago. Madsen and Pruitt both finished tied for second in thePac-10 with four interceptions apiece while starting all 12 games last season.Madsen was among the league leaders in tackles as well with 91 - third best onthe team. Swinton started the final nine games in 1995 and finished fourth onthe team with 66 total tackles. He is an experienced defensive back who hasplayed all four positions in the secondary during his Cardinal career. The opencornerback spot will likely be manned by junior Corey Hill, who has played a lotof football for Stanford in nickel and dime situations the past two years, orsenior Alistair White, who moved over from free safety during the spring. Juniorstrong safety Kadar Hamilton and senior free safety Charles Young, both of whomhave spent time in the starting lineup during their careers, will fill backuproles in 1996 along with sophomores Tim Bass and Robert Latham and senior GregHairston. Sophomore Tim Smith, who was a redshirt freshman quarterback in 1995,was moved to wide receiver and then free safety during the spring. His abilityat free safety opened some eyes during the spring and, at 6-4 and 220, he may beable to contribute immediately in 1996. Sophomore Frank Primus was moved fromwide receiver to cornerback during the spring and he, too, may be able to be acontributor this season.
The Kickers
Eric Abrams, a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick last season and theschool's all-time leading scorer, has manned the placekicking chores forStanford the past four seasons. His departure leaves the Cardinal in search of aquality placekicker. Sophomore Patrick Shinnefield, who redshirted his freshmanseason a year ago, will compete with junior Kevin Miller, the Cardinal'sstarting punter in '95, for the starting assignment this season. Shinnefieldenjoyed an outstanding prep career, but is yet untested in a Cardinal uniform.The punting duties will again fall in the hands of Miller, who averaged 37.4yards per punt in 1995.