[Sue_Ann_Duckett]

Not for them: for us. Though Stanford leads Sacramento State 38-7. this may turn out to be a costly victory:

** Levine Toilolo was hurt while being tackled after a 27-yard catch in the first drive of a game, left the game, and soon was seen hobbling around on crutches.

** Jeremy Stewart had a defender roll onto his leg while blocking downfield on a screen pass, and hopped off the field on one foot. As the trainers worked on him, he pointed to his left ankle. He\'s out for the game.

That\'s in addition to the nameless injuries that kept Chris Owusu and Shayne Skov from playing today. Owusu is at the game in street clothes; I haven\'t seen Skov, and am wondering if Jim Harbaugh would disclose it if he was dead. Also mysteriously absent, at least thus far: Tyler Gaffney. If he\'s played, I haven\'t seen him.

By the way, the punter turned out to be Daniel Zychlinski. Keeping his identity a secret worked so well that his first kick was run back for a touchdown, Sacramento State\'s only score.

[Sue_Ann_Duckett]

Not for them: for us. Though Stanford leads Sacramento State 38-7. this may turn out to be a costly victory:

** Levine Toilolo was hurt while being tackled after a 27-yard catch in the first drive of a game, left the game, and soon was seen hobbling around on crutches.

** Jeremy Stewart had a defender roll onto his leg while blocking downfield on a screen pass, and hopped off the field on one foot. As the trainers worked on him, he pointed to his left ankle. He\'s out for the game.

That\'s in addition to the nameless injuries that kept Chris Owusu and Shayne Skov from playing today. Owusu is at the game in street clothes; I haven\'t seen Skov, and am wondering if Jim Harbaugh would disclose it if he was dead. Also mysteriously absent, at least thus far: Tyler Gaffney. If he\'s played, I haven\'t seen him.

By the way, the punter turned out to be Daniel Zychlinski. Keeping his identity a secret worked so well that his first kick was run back for a touchdown, Sacramento State\'s only score.

[needle]

Ouch! Thanks for the recap, it\'s great for those of us who can\'t find a way to watch.

Bad news for Toilolo, but if there\'s one position that has depth this year, it\'s TE.

Here\'s to hoping Stewart\'s injuy isn\'t too serious, and that the 2nd half passes uneventfully.

[needle]

Ouch! Thanks for the recap, it\'s great for those of us who can\'t find a way to watch.

Bad news for Toilolo, but if there\'s one position that has depth this year, it\'s TE.

Here\'s to hoping Stewart\'s injuy isn\'t too serious, and that the 2nd half passes uneventfully.

[washingtonismoney]

Tyler Gaffney announces his presence with a third-quarter touchdown. How\'s it go? The rout is on?

[washingtonismoney]

Tyler Gaffney announces his presence with a third-quarter touchdown. How\'s it go? The rout is on?

[Farm93]

The Toilolo tackle looked terrible when it happened.  I was shocked that he jumped up, but noticed that he never placed a lot of weight on the leg after the play.  His height seemed to force the Sac State D to want to chop him down.  The treatment of the injury and the post-game radio comments seem to imply that only bad news will come after the MRI.

Stewart\'s injury was on a re-kick.  Stewart and special teams just seems to be problematic.  On the sideline you could see Stewart walking around, but clearly favoring that ankle.  It was just like last year in so many ways.  I just hope that he is doing OK.  I had to think that the score may have helped the decision to let him sit out the rest of the game.
 
The injuries happened at the two deepest positions for Stanford, so it could have been worse.

The running yards came eventually, but it seemed difficult for the first 20 game minutes.  Later things seemed to start opening up.  Not sure what to make of that improvement since it was Sac State and they were getting tired.  The passing from Luck was just crazy good.  No worries there as long as the team can protect Luck from the corner blitzes.

The D was reasonably solid. And the DB play was clearly better.

Next up UCLA.

[Farm93]

The Toilolo tackle looked terrible when it happened.  I was shocked that he jumped up, but noticed that he never placed a lot of weight on the leg after the play.  His height seemed to force the Sac State D to want to chop him down.  The treatment of the injury and the post-game radio comments seem to imply that only bad news will come after the MRI.

Stewart\'s injury was on a re-kick.  Stewart and special teams just seems to be problematic.  On the sideline you could see Stewart walking around, but clearly favoring that ankle.  It was just like last year in so many ways.  I just hope that he is doing OK.  I had to think that the score may have helped the decision to let him sit out the rest of the game.
 
The injuries happened at the two deepest positions for Stanford, so it could have been worse.

The running yards came eventually, but it seemed difficult for the first 20 game minutes.  Later things seemed to start opening up.  Not sure what to make of that improvement since it was Sac State and they were getting tired.  The passing from Luck was just crazy good.  No worries there as long as the team can protect Luck from the corner blitzes.

The D was reasonably solid. And the DB play was clearly better.

Next up UCLA.

[CowboyIndian]

. And the DB play was clearly better.

Do you think so? I don\'t. Lots of guys in opposing uniforms familiarly wide open with nary a DB in sight. We were faster closing on them than we might be against, say, Oregon...and we seemed to have a more effective pass rush than last year. I was not heartened, though.

[CowboyIndian]

. And the DB play was clearly better.

Do you think so? I don\'t. Lots of guys in opposing uniforms familiarly wide open with nary a DB in sight. We were faster closing on them than we might be against, say, Oregon...and we seemed to have a more effective pass rush than last year. I was not heartened, though.

[Farm93]

Definitely!  There was more press coverage, and the CBs did not seem lost when it happened.  The tackles were also solid, and few DBs were letting 10 yard passes get completed in front of them on 3rd and 6-8.  Now, it was Sac State, so I understand it will get harder for here.

Still CI, I think you are failing to remember just how unreliable the secondary was last year.  Even while the "O" was rumbling with Toby on the way to 35-50 points, the "D" was still giving up 25-35 points.  That is hard to do if the "D" is decent.

The DB play seemed better.  I am not saying they are Bama or SEC good, but the scheme appears workable this year.  No one is expecting the DBs to be the anchor of the D, but if they are decent then the year could be SWEEEEET.

[Farm93]

Definitely!  There was more press coverage, and the CBs did not seem lost when it happened.  The tackles were also solid, and few DBs were letting 10 yard passes get completed in front of them on 3rd and 6-8.  Now, it was Sac State, so I understand it will get harder for here.

Still CI, I think you are failing to remember just how unreliable the secondary was last year.  Even while the "O" was rumbling with Toby on the way to 35-50 points, the "D" was still giving up 25-35 points.  That is hard to do if the "D" is decent.

The DB play seemed better.  I am not saying they are Bama or SEC good, but the scheme appears workable this year.  No one is expecting the DBs to be the anchor of the D, but if they are decent then the year could be SWEEEEET.

[JohnR34231]

......Luck sure looks sharp.

If he stays healthy we\'ll win a lot of games this year.

I say a little prayer every night that he will.

[JohnR34231]

......Luck sure looks sharp.

If he stays healthy we\'ll win a lot of games this year.

I say a little prayer every night that he will.

[Redrum]

Sounds like the guy "working through some things" will be Toilolo\'s surgeon.

If you gotta listen to a game rather than watch it,  you could certainly do worse than have Fleming and Husak for an announcing team.  I was a KZSU man for years,  but now have shelled out for Stanford All-Access.  It really helps to have pros doing the description.   Garvin\'s mention of "hot routes"  was echoed by one brief Husak comment during the game. Luck was pressured and threw a pass that was tipped by a defensive player.  Husak didn\'t drop a beat, saying that Luck felt the pressure, was going to a receiver on a hot route but that the defense had figured out what the hot route would be and a defender had moved into the lane, knocking down the pass and could have intercepted it.   Betting that only a former QB could see the play, know all the moving parts, and tell the audience with no lag or hesitation.    Of course, for the past two decades the ex-QB I\'ve listened to most was Alabama/Raiders QB Kenny Stabler,  who was finally bounced off the Alabama announcing team when he was popped for his umpty-umpth DUI.  Even back when they allowed him close to a microphone,  Stabler was so addled that Husak\'s analysis would have blown him away.  Hope the Fleming/Husak team works a long time for us.

Cowboy\'s comments on our pass coverage are sobering.  The only mitigating circumstance I can offer is that Husak said Stanford\'s pass rush scheme was very vanilla with a lot of the blitzing schemes held back to keep UCLA from scouting them.   One can hope, I guess.  Of course,  makes one wonder whether some of those Sac St. completions early on were against our converted DE linebackers who might be great pass rushers but are overmatched against WRs.   Anybody with video have an opinion?

[Redrum]

Sounds like the guy "working through some things" will be Toilolo\'s surgeon.

If you gotta listen to a game rather than watch it,  you could certainly do worse than have Fleming and Husak for an announcing team.  I was a KZSU man for years,  but now have shelled out for Stanford All-Access.  It really helps to have pros doing the description.   Garvin\'s mention of "hot routes"  was echoed by one brief Husak comment during the game. Luck was pressured and threw a pass that was tipped by a defensive player.  Husak didn\'t drop a beat, saying that Luck felt the pressure, was going to a receiver on a hot route but that the defense had figured out what the hot route would be and a defender had moved into the lane, knocking down the pass and could have intercepted it.   Betting that only a former QB could see the play, know all the moving parts, and tell the audience with no lag or hesitation.    Of course, for the past two decades the ex-QB I\'ve listened to most was Alabama/Raiders QB Kenny Stabler,  who was finally bounced off the Alabama announcing team when he was popped for his umpty-umpth DUI.  Even back when they allowed him close to a microphone,  Stabler was so addled that Husak\'s analysis would have blown him away.  Hope the Fleming/Husak team works a long time for us.

Cowboy\'s comments on our pass coverage are sobering.  The only mitigating circumstance I can offer is that Husak said Stanford\'s pass rush scheme was very vanilla with a lot of the blitzing schemes held back to keep UCLA from scouting them.   One can hope, I guess.  Of course,  makes one wonder whether some of those Sac St. completions early on were against our converted DE linebackers who might be great pass rushers but are overmatched against WRs.   Anybody with video have an opinion?

[Spiny_Norman]

I cannot recall seeing a single play with Stanford in the new 3-4 defense.  Keiser and Thomas were down linemen most of the time.  I think the base defense was a 4-2-5 with Michael Thomas as the 5th DB.  Yet even with 5 DBs, Sac State found holes in the secondary.  But the tackling after a reception was pretty sure.  Sac State had few yards after catch.

I don\'t think you can draw many inferences from this game at least wrt the defense.  It seems that the coaches held back a lot, perhaps to give UCLA less information to use in preparation for this week.

If the game\'s participation report is accurate, the following true frosh played:
Ed Reynolds
Barry Browning
Anthony Wilkerson

[Spiny_Norman]

I cannot recall seeing a single play with Stanford in the new 3-4 defense.  Keiser and Thomas were down linemen most of the time.  I think the base defense was a 4-2-5 with Michael Thomas as the 5th DB.  Yet even with 5 DBs, Sac State found holes in the secondary.  But the tackling after a reception was pretty sure.  Sac State had few yards after catch.

I don\'t think you can draw many inferences from this game at least wrt the defense.  It seems that the coaches held back a lot, perhaps to give UCLA less information to use in preparation for this week.

If the game\'s participation report is accurate, the following true frosh played:
Ed Reynolds
Barry Browning
Anthony Wilkerson

[washingtonismoney]

Stanford football\'s official twitter feed has: Lueders, Wilkerson, Browning, Reynolds, Carrington and Yankey all playing. A merry little redshirt bonfire.

[washingtonismoney]

Stanford football\'s official twitter feed has: Lueders, Wilkerson, Browning, Reynolds, Carrington and Yankey all playing. A merry little redshirt bonfire.

[Redrum]

just to let them sit.  In the past, guys have played very sparingly in the latter part of the season when their contribution/future cost ratio was way out of wack.  

It seems that the new paradigm is that we are recruiting guys who should be at least as good or better than the guys who are playing and they should be 4-yr. contributors,  not guys who finally win starting jobs in the 4th or 5th year.    Definitely a different mindset from the patient philosophy of letting players develop physically and learn their positions before they see the field.    Under this new approach, the redshirt year is basically an insurance year should the player get hurt.

Anyway,  Harbs enunciated on his first day on campus that football is a sport where learning and improving comes from playing, not practicing.  Whatever, it\'s an approach informed by a lifetime playing and coaching football,  so if shirts burn early at least it seems part of a plan.

[Redrum]

just to let them sit.  In the past, guys have played very sparingly in the latter part of the season when their contribution/future cost ratio was way out of wack.  

It seems that the new paradigm is that we are recruiting guys who should be at least as good or better than the guys who are playing and they should be 4-yr. contributors,  not guys who finally win starting jobs in the 4th or 5th year.    Definitely a different mindset from the patient philosophy of letting players develop physically and learn their positions before they see the field.    Under this new approach, the redshirt year is basically an insurance year should the player get hurt.

Anyway,  Harbs enunciated on his first day on campus that football is a sport where learning and improving comes from playing, not practicing.  Whatever, it\'s an approach informed by a lifetime playing and coaching football,  so if shirts burn early at least it seems part of a plan.

[JohnR34231]

My guess is that JH is telling top recruits (he pretty much has to, since everyone else is) that they will be in the mix for playing time from the day they hit campus.

To his credit (since football coaches can be masters in telling you one thing one day and the opposite the next), he seems to be following up on it.

[JohnR34231]

My guess is that JH is telling top recruits (he pretty much has to, since everyone else is) that they will be in the mix for playing time from the day they hit campus.

To his credit (since football coaches can be masters in telling you one thing one day and the opposite the next), he seems to be following up on it.

[Farm93]

That\'s almost certainly his deal.

Today\'s 4 and 5 star recruits do not want to waste a year of their football life watching from the bench.  Everyone loves the recruiting uptick, and the frosh playing time has been part of that new formula.

This path improves the recruiting and likely improves the morale for the Frosh.  They realize if they get themselves ready to play they will play.  That mindset has got to have a positive impact on the team and practice quality.

One bad part of the new deal is that when JH leaves, there will certainly be a group of guys that Stanford fans will wish did not play as Frosh.  But that particular downside would not be a JH problem.

[Farm93]

That\'s almost certainly his deal.

Today\'s 4 and 5 star recruits do not want to waste a year of their football life watching from the bench.  Everyone loves the recruiting uptick, and the frosh playing time has been part of that new formula.

This path improves the recruiting and likely improves the morale for the Frosh.  They realize if they get themselves ready to play they will play.  That mindset has got to have a positive impact on the team and practice quality.

One bad part of the new deal is that when JH leaves, there will certainly be a group of guys that Stanford fans will wish did not play as Frosh.  But that particular downside would not be a JH problem.

[BobK]

Gaffney played early but on Special teams.

[BobK]

Gaffney played early but on Special teams.

[JohnR34231]

One upside is that if they turn out as good as we hope they will, they wouldn\'t have been around for five years anyway.

Does anyone think there\'s any chance Luck will play two more years? Most of us are hoping he just stays around for one.

[JohnR34231]

One upside is that if they turn out as good as we hope they will, they wouldn\'t have been around for five years anyway.

Does anyone think there\'s any chance Luck will play two more years? Most of us are hoping he just stays around for one.

[BobK]

I\'m a brobdingnagian 49er fan but hoping the NFL gets all tied up in their contract talks with the union and shuts down for a year.  

[BobK]

I\'m a brobdingnagian 49er fan but hoping the NFL gets all tied up in their contract talks with the union and shuts down for a year.  

[fullmetal]

JH may be selling the labor issue as a reason why a Stanford degree is pretty attractive :)

[fullmetal]

JH may be selling the labor issue as a reason why a Stanford degree is pretty attractive :)