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Six wins in two seasons is not the kind of remodeling job Stanford had in mind when Tyrone Willingham left for Notre Dame after the 2001 Seattle Bowl. Worse yet, the program that produced such prolific passers as John Elway and Steve Stenstrom has fielded some of the most anemic offenses in all the land under successor Buddy Teevens.
Dissension and underachievement netted Stanford two wins in 2002. Inexperience left the Cardinal at 4-7 in 2003. Despite a 2-0 start, pervasive youth reared its head often, and Stanford stumbled badly at the end of the season, outscored by a combined 128-26 in losses to Oregon State, Cal and Willingham's Irish squad.
So this is without a doubt a big year for Teevens and his players. The future of the program is likely to be decided by the results of 2004.
Stanford -- still young on offense and trying to build overall confidence -- clearly isn't ready to contend for a Pac-10 title. But the Cardinal, led by a defense that returns all but two starters and six fifth-year seniors, is looking to turn a corner.
The No. 1 receiver will likely be sophomore Mark Bradford, who flashed enormous promise as a true freshman in 2003. Bradford led Stanford last season in receiving yards (587), touchdown receptions (three) and yards per catch (15.9). Senior tight end Alex Smith is a proven talent with great size and good hands, catching 24 passes for 185 yards and three TDs in 2003.
Last season, the Cardinal rushed for a Pac-10-low 1,054 yards. Running back Kenneth Tolon is steady. J.R. Lemon has shown explosiveness and the ability to break the big play.
The offensive line is still young. But Teevens believes that a year's experience will make a world of difference for players such as Jeff Edwards, Brian Head, Josiah Vinson, Jon Cochran and Ismail Simpson.
The biggest issue on the line is a consistent pass rush. Stanford ranked last in the Pac-10 in sacks last season, averaging a dismal 2.0 per game. The coaching staff moved some bodies around in the spring searching for the right combination. Jon Alston, a linebacker in 2003, could start at one end opposite senior Will Svitek. Former defensive tackle Scott Scharff will be in the mix as well. On the interior, nose tackle Babatunde Oshinowo assumes the leadership role vacated by Gordon. He will be flanked at the tackle spot by junior Casey Carroll or Julian Jenkins, a converted end.
The three starters at linebacker -- David Bergeron, Jared Newberry and Kevin Schimmelmann -- feel as if they have something to prove. "The way we ended last season left a real bitter taste, especially the way we played as a defense," Newberry said. "We will use it, but we won't dwell on it."
Atogwe, the team leader in tackles the last two seasons, recovered six fumbles in 2003. Sophomore Trevor Hooper is back at strong safety after starting every game last season.
The defense, with nine starters back, should be solid, but will that be enough to make the Cardinal competitive in the Pac-10? Not likely. Opening the season with four straight home games might help -- even though one is against USC -- but Stanford appears headed toward another difficult season in the Pac-10.
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