Notebook: Rose BowlNotebook: Rose Bowl
Football

Notebook: Rose Bowl

Thursday, Dec. 31
“Unbelievable.”

Stanford players got their first look at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

This will be the third appearance in the Granddaddy of Them All in the last four seasons for the Cardinal, but for most of the underclassmen, this was their first glimpse of the historic setting. That includes freshman Quenton Meeks, who uttered that simple, yet perfect description of the Rose Bowl as he turned to leave the field.

The Cardinal were in Pasadena for the first time during their eight-day stay in Los Angeles to take the team photo under the iconic script “Rose Bowl” outside the stadium.

Upon arrival, the team was treated to a smorgasbord of In-N-Out burgers. The players had their fill, and to the delight of the Sports Performance staff, all were disciplined enough to resist the urge to overeat with kickoff just over 24 hours away (though some of the staff were not as restrained).

When the In-N-Out burgers were nearly depleted, the team retreated to the locker room and took their first steps on the pristine green Rose Bowl surface. There were selfies and snapchats abound.

For some, this is familiar territory, but the Rose Bowl experience never gets old.


Following the team photo, the Cardinal held their final practice of the year at a local high school. 

The team also switched hotels on Thursday, and will spend the night before the game in their typical Los Angeles location -- the same hotel for their annual trips to play USC and UCLA.

The 102nd Rose Bowl begins at 1:30 p.m. PT on New Years Day on ESPN.

Have a safe New Years Eve and a happy New Year!

Wednesday, Dec. 30
Here's what you need to know heading into the final stretch of game week.

• The Cardinal practiced at nearby Beverly Hills High School, home of the famous dance floor-turned-swimming pool from “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The pool still exists under the school’s basketball court.


• Stanford fans continued to swarm Los Angeles, as evident by a spirited turnout during the team’s pep rally at Santa Monica Place. Guests included former players Even Moore and Will Svitek, and professional golfer Michelle Wie. Student-athletes Kevin Anderson, Blake Martinez, Ronnie Harris, Kevin Hogan, Joshua Garnett, Kyle Murphy and Christian McCaffrey spoke to the packed house as the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band performed its familiar tunes.

• For the first time ever, all three Bay Area football programs advanced to bowl games. Cal (Armed Forces Bowl) and San Jose State (Cure Bowl) have already collected postseason wins.

• A Pasadena native, Conrad Ukropina will have more than 70 friends and family in attendance for Friday’s game against the Hawkeyes.

• Defensive line coach Randy Hart will be making his 10th career Rose Bowl Game appearance. If Hart was a school, he’d rank seventh on the all-time list of appearances. Stanford is third while making its 15th trip to the Rose Bowl Game.

Tuesday, Dec. 29
“Brian Chaffin ate six slices of prime rib last night.”

“Aziz Shittu, please take a seat.”

“Daniel Marx will be playing in the bowl game.”

“Hear ye, hear ye, come one, come all to Stanford Football Media Day.”

They might have been some of the more intriguing responses (and in the case of Marx, a “just-kidding” moment meant to serve as an ice-breaker) heard before the start of Stanford’s Media Day session on Tuesday morning at The L.A. Hotel Downtown. They also came courtesy of Joshua Garnett, a media-savvy veteran participating in his third such event.

For media members hoping to get those same colorful answers out of Associated Press National Player of the Year and Heisman Trophy finalist Christian McCaffrey, good luck.

“Christian never focuses on the hype or all the media attention surrounding him,” said Solomon Thomas, one of McCaffrey’s closest friends on the team who, along with Keller Chryst, made the trip to New York three weeks ago to support McCaffrey during his Heisman tour. “Christian is extremely team-oriented and selfless. You hang out with him and it’s like he has never heard any of it. Christian is probably the hardest on himself, because he wants to be better.”

But don’t mistake McCaffrey’s demeanor for disinterested. Engaging and thoughtful, McCaffrey has established a reputation as someone who genuinely enjoys and appreciates his interactions with the media. He just also believes in maintaining a team-first approach, and is quick to credit his teammates and recognize their success.

“I think he’s handled everything very well,” explained Chryst. “He just wants to be a regular part of the team.”

That being said, Tuesday’s media demand for McCaffrey was at an all-time high, with reporters swarming the sophomore even though he wasn’t even situated at one of four designated student-athlete interview podiums. Meanwhile, Cardinal starters posed for ESPN video headshots on Monday night, knocking everything out in five minutes or less. McCaffrey’s shoot lasted 13 minutes. As a result, he’s earned some good-natured ribbing.

“Oh, we’ll still attack him on that any way we can,” said Chryst. “I think he would rather have it like that than the other way around. Like he’s some guy you can’t even make jokes with.”

Chryst should know.

“Keller loves calling him WildCaff because Christian gets so mad,” laughed Thomas.

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Stanford completed its final practice session at the StubHub Center on Tuesday afternoon, before shifting to Beverly Hills High School for Wednesday’s walk-through.

After returning to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in the evening, the Cardinal boarded shuttles and headed to Universal City Walk for a few hours away from the hotel.

Wednesday morning will mark the first non-media day of the week for players, as only Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw will be available to the media as both coaches prepare for their final press conference.

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The Official Stanford Pep Rally is slated for Wednesday from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica. Among the featured guests scheduled to be in attendance: team captains Kevin Anderson, Joshua Garnett, Ronnie Harris, Kevin Hogan, Blake Martinez and Kyle Murphy, along with Christian McCaffrey.

Former Cardinal standouts Will Svitek and Evan Moore, who will conduct a demonstration with virtual reality, join four-time LPGA Tour champion Michelle Wie.

There will be fan giveaways (including a special giveaway for fans in attendance), special deals for fans wearing Stanford gear at various merchants and Stanford gear for sale from the Stanford Bookstore from 12-9 p.m. on the third level of Santa Monica Place.

Additionally, the Buck/Cardinal Club is hosting a gathering for Cardinal fans immediately following the Official Pep Rally at the Sonoma Wine Garden (located two stories above the Pep Rally at Santa Monica Place). There will be a $10 cash-only entrance fee on-site; no advance registration is required.

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The Stanford football program has become proof that academic principles do not have to be sacrificed in pursuit of victories. It’s all about The Stanford Way, according to David Kiefer and Mark Soltau of Stanford Athletics Communications.

Kevin Hogan has more wins (35) than any other quarterback in school history. So, where does he rank among Cardinal signal-callers? Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News surveyed some guys named Elway, Luck and Plunkett.

Blake Martinez’s body is a finely-tuned football machine. How does he stay in such good shape? Try no dessert. For four years. Since arriving on campus. But even if Yogi Roth offers it?

Center Graham Shuler and Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard share some unique connections. Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette is talking mainly songwriters and recording contracts.

Formations with eight offensive linemen. Two fullbacks and two tight ends. Marc Morehouse of the Cedar Rapids Gazette explains what everyone is thinking: we’ve got a heavyweight battle.

Monday, Dec. 28
Stanford participated in one of the Rose Bowl’s oldest -- and perhaps tastiest -- traditions Monday evening when it took part in the 60th annual Lawry’s Beef Bowl.

During the 2012 edition of the Beef Bowl, then-freshman Joshua Garnett established himself as one of the team’s biggest eaters, consuming a team-high seven pieces of prime rib.

While Garnett did not match his previous best in this year’s dinner, he and his teammates enjoyed entrees of prime rib, mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Highlights from previous Rose Bowls and Stanford’s 2015 season played on televisions throughout the restaurant. The team finished the meal with a slice of apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

“It’s definitely fun going to the Rose Bowl and experiencing the Beef Bowl as a senior compared to as a freshman,” said Garnett. “As a senior, you really appreciate what the Tournament of Roses has done and the history behind the Lawry’s Beef Bowl. It’s fun to sit back and watch the young guys have a good time and it goes full-circle. I was able to really appreciate the event and it was definitely a great experience.”

Remound Wright participated in the ceremonial spinning of the salad to open dinner and Brendon Austin provided the first carving of prime rib. Per tradition, Austin had to decide who to serve the first meal to. He chose the Rose Queen, the only person to ever do so in Beef Bowl history.

There were talks among the players as to who ate the most rounds of prime ribs but there was not a definitive answer. A.T. Hall was the rumored clubhouse leader at four.

Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw concluded the evening by addressing the restaurant and was met with a healthy applause from his team. Shaw thanked Lawry’s President and CEO, Richard R. Frank, the Lawry’s staff and servers, and all the individuals involved in the evening’s event.

Shaw welcomed Frank to the stage and presented him with a team-signed football and helmet.

Frank stepped to the microphone after Shaw’s speech and provided high praise for the Cardinal’s head coach.

“Something happened a minute ago that I don’t believe has happened in the past 60 years of the Beef Bowl,” said Frank. “A coach who got that big of an ovation from his own team when he was introduced.”

Stanford returned to the team hotel following the meal and the starters took head shots with ESPN photographers for the Jan. 1 broadcast.

Prior to the evening festivities, the Cardinal started its day with the offensive players press conference at 8 a.m. Andrew Luck Director of Offense Mike Bloomgren, Garnett, Kevin Hogan, Austin Hooper, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Murphy participated in the early-morning interviews.

The media and fans got their first look at Stanford in pads in Southern California during a full practice in the early afternoon.

Sunday, Dec. 27
It may have read Sunday on your calendars at home, but for the Cardinal, it was Monday in Los Angeles.

In order to stay in its usual game-week routine, the Cardinal shifted the calendar to accomadate for the Friday kickoff at the 102nd Rose Bowl Game.

Upon arrival at Disneyland on Saturday, head coach David Shaw urged the team to enjoy the experience on what was viewed as the team's typical off day.

"The way we look at it, if we were home, this would be the day off -- six days before the game. We'll worry about Iowa starting tomorrow. Enjoy everything about this place...and tomorrow we'll get to work."

They did. On Sunday, the Cardinal went right into its Monday routine. Meetings, practice and lift all mirrored a typical first day of the week.

That was with one exception -- the players-only outing to the Hollywood Improv Comedy Show, hosted by the Rose Bowl.

The team will enjoy more of the festivities surrounding the bowl on Monday, but on the field and in meetings, it will seem like Tuesday for the Cardinal as it nears closer to the New Year's Day kickoff with the Hawkeyes.

Stanford will hold an open practice on Monday.

Saturday, Dec. 26
Stanford’s travel party left The Farm’s Arrillaga Family Sports Center promptly at 7 a.m. PT and boarded its 240-seat charter flight less than one hour later.

After landing at Los Angeles International Airport, the first of many police escorts on the week acted as lead blockers to the team hotel in Century City.

Suits and sweaters were traded for sweatshirts and sandals, when a quick lunch came before a cross-town trip to Disneyland.

The afternoon at the Happiest Place On Earth started with a press conference. Several Cardinal student-athletes met with their counterparts from Iowa before the press conference in a private lounge area at the Grand Californian, school-themed cookies included on the snack spread.

Disneyland, celebrating its 60th anniversary, continued its tradition of hosting the two Rose Bowl participants following their Southern California arrival, a tradition started by Walt Disney himself in 1959.

Formal introductions at the welcoming ceremony were made by Michael Colglazier, president of the Disneyland Resort and a Stanford graduate. Colglazier oversees a workforce of 25,000 cast members at the 500-acre resort.

Colglazier graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Colglazier said he chose Stanford in part because U.S. News & World Report featured the school on the cover of its annual college survey edition, showing an undergrad in a bearskin coat, the California sun blazing gloriously behind him. 

Head coach David Shaw spoke on behalf of the Cardinal contingent.

“We’re so excited to be here,” said Shaw. “We love Disneyland. We love the Rose Bowl. This is phenomenal. But as we told the guys, the Rose Bowl prep starts tomorrow. Today is all about Disneyland. We’re going to have a blast.”

Shaw received quite the surprise when he ran into former Cardinal tight end and United States senator Cory Booker, who was on vacation, at the park.

The team will hold its first practice on Sunday, with student-athletes attending a comedy show later that evening.