12-02-2018, 01:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-02-2018, 01:30 PM by OutsiderFan.)
It's great when you predict doom, but it's glory instead. It's frustrating when you correctly predict doom. Nothing is more maddening than predicting glory and the reality is doom, especially when the glory had been seen already.
Stanford went from #6 in FBS in YPC to #109, with virtually the same personnel. I don't know how this can be explained any other way than by coaching failure. Players don't all regress at once unless the coaching they are getting is sub-par. The only materially different guy not playing OL in 2017 was Dave Bright. Nobody can tell me this drop can any way be explained by losing one guy. By contrast, Notre Dame had two OL drafted in the Top 10 of the NFL draft and went from #3 to #57
There are problems with the Offense, but to me, the real issue is the Defense. Stanford has some very talented young defenders, but I just don't know if Lance Anderson should continue to be trusted. His unit has declined in performance steadily for years.
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2014: #1 (#2)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2015: #4 (#64)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2016: #4 (#41)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2017: #7 (#90)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2018: #9 (#69)
If Cal, with no better talent than Stanford has, can be #2 (#16), there really is no reason Stanford shouldn't be better on Defense.
If Shaw does prioritize getting better on Defense and running the ball more effectively, and mixes in a potent passing attack with the best QB he's had since Luck, maybe 2019 can be one of those odd year runs to a conference title. But there must be staff changes because it seems clear some new thinking needs to be infused into the program.
Stanford went from #6 in FBS in YPC to #109, with virtually the same personnel. I don't know how this can be explained any other way than by coaching failure. Players don't all regress at once unless the coaching they are getting is sub-par. The only materially different guy not playing OL in 2017 was Dave Bright. Nobody can tell me this drop can any way be explained by losing one guy. By contrast, Notre Dame had two OL drafted in the Top 10 of the NFL draft and went from #3 to #57
There are problems with the Offense, but to me, the real issue is the Defense. Stanford has some very talented young defenders, but I just don't know if Lance Anderson should continue to be trusted. His unit has declined in performance steadily for years.
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2014: #1 (#2)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2015: #4 (#64)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2016: #4 (#41)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2017: #7 (#90)
Pac-12 (FBS) YPP 2018: #9 (#69)
If Cal, with no better talent than Stanford has, can be #2 (#16), there really is no reason Stanford shouldn't be better on Defense.
If Shaw does prioritize getting better on Defense and running the ball more effectively, and mixes in a potent passing attack with the best QB he's had since Luck, maybe 2019 can be one of those odd year runs to a conference title. But there must be staff changes because it seems clear some new thinking needs to be infused into the program.