April 29, 2008
STANFORD, Calif. - The conclusion of spring workouts did not bring any clarity to Stanford's starting quarterback situation going into fall camp, yet if there is a time that uncertainty in the quarterback position can be viewed as positive, this might be it.
Junior Tavita Pritchard, sophomore Alex Loukas and Michigan transfer Jason Forcier give the Cardinal three viable options for the starting role, a situation that second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh feels should rectify itself "7 to 10 workouts" into fall camp.
Pritchard has an edge in experience, having made nine appearances, including seven starts last year when he completed 97 of 194 passes for 1,114 yards. He secured his place in Stanford football lore after leading the Cardinal to an epic upset victory over top-ranked USC on October 6. Loukas has yet to take a snap in his Stanford career, working as understudy to Trent Edwards, T.C. Ostrander and last year, Pritchard. Forcier has collegiate game experience, appearing in six games as a redshirt freshman at Michigan in 2006.
"It's good to see we have three legitimate options at quarterback," said offensive coordinator David Shaw. "Regardless of who wins the starting job, we'll have two solid backups who can come in and not only play, but help us win games.
"In this day, whether on the collegiate level or NFL, teams obviously need to have more than one quarterback ready to play games without a noticeable drop off."
Shaw indicated all three players will have ample opportunity to win the position in the fall.
"There's a mutual respect among the three of them," Shaw said. "They are all competitive guys who are willing to fight for the job. None of them are content to sit around and just wait for their turn. It's a healthy competition.
"Our team is not choosing sides. They feel equally confident with whoever is calling the plays and their ability to win games."
Pritchard addressed the situation following the annual Spring Game at Stanford Stadium. When asked by reporters if he expects to be the starting quarterback for the August 28th season-opener against Oregon State, he responded, "Absolutely. And I hope Alex and Jason have the same attitude."
The Cardinal also have plenty of options at running back, where senior Anthony Kimble, juniors Tyrone McGraw and Toby Gerhart and sophomore Jeremy Stewart figure to carry much of the load.
Kimble was the team's top rusher in 2007 after compiling a career-best 509 yards on 115 carries for a 4.4 average, despite playing in just seven of 12 games due to injury. McGraw finished with 294 yards in 11 games last season, but raised some eyebrows with back-to-back 89 and 79-yard efforts against Washington and Washington State. Stewart made the most of his opportunities in an injury-riddled backfield, finishing with 343 yards in 11 games, including four starts. Gerhart picked up a career high 140 yards on 12 carries against San Jose State in his only game of 2007 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third quarter.
"We have a lot of options at running back--hopefully healthy options," said Shaw. "We didn't have a single healthy running back at the end of last season.
"It would be great to see one of the players step up to carry the load but right now we are concentrated on what each back does well. We have the ability to run numerous offensive sets because they each bring something different to the table."
Establishing depth at wide receiver is also key for the Cardinal as the 2008 campaign approaches, especially following the graduations of Mark Bradford and Evan Moore. Richard Sherman, a junior with big play potential, figures prominently in Stanford's passing game after leading the Cardinal in receiving yardage each of the last two seasons.
"He understands he is no longer the little brother," said Shaw. "He is our most experienced receiver and he understands the responsibility that comes with that."
Stanford also received solid springs from sophomores Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen.
"They both know the opportunity exists for them to step into prominent roles," said Shaw.
Stanford opens the 2008 regular season on August 28 against Oregon State at Stanford Stadium. Other home dates are scheduled against San Jose State (Sept. 20), Arizona (Oct. 11--Homecoming), Washington State (Nov. 1) and USC (Nov. 15) with road contests slated for Arizona State (Sept. 6), Texas Christian (Sept. 13), Washington (Sept. 27), Notre Dame (Oct. 4), UCLA (Oct. 18), Oregon (Nov. 8) and California (Nov. 22).
For ticket information for the 2008 season, please go to gostanford.com or call 1-800-STANFORD.