Aug 2, 2008

Stanford rolls up its sleeves

Competition is stiff for several positions as Harbaugh's team opens practice

By John Reid / Daily News Staff Writer

Six hours before the first practice of the season, Stanford second-year football coach Jim Harbaugh emerged from the bowels of the Arrillaga Family Sports Center on Friday wearing shorts and a blue work shirt that had his first name embroidered on it.

Harbaugh is attempting to bring a blue-collar attitude to his team and the players seem to have taken a liking to it. The equipment manager distributed a similar shirt to each player in their lockers, while Harbaugh delved out shirts to his staff. Harbaugh is trying to get the message across that it's time to roll up the sleeves and get to work like any blue-collar worker.

"That's kind of the mentality we have come into camp with," said Stanford tackle Allen Smith, who is hoping to come all the way back from two serious knee injuries to play this season. "We're going to be more blue-collar. We want to keep coming into camp with a working mentality. We had a little success last year, but it wasn't what we wanted. We want to get to a bowl game."

Running back Toby Gerhart, who rushed for 140 yards on 12 carries against San Jose State in the second game last season before a season-ending injury, is on board with the blue-collar theme.

"I like the idea," Gerhart said. "Coach Harbaugh gave us a long speech last night. He used a metaphor. He told us we're the outsiders, a little lower than USC, Oregon and ASU. He said they're like the white-collar programs and we'll be like the blue-collar program. We're going to work hard and get mean."

Smith (6-foot-4, 292 pounds) tore a patella tendon in the third game of 2007 against Oregon and missed the rest of the season, stopping a 23-game streak of consecutive starts. He re-injured the knee in the offseason while doing leg presses at 160 pounds as part of rehab. This time, his kneecap snapped.

"It's the first broken bone I have ever had," Smith said. "It has taken longer to heal than I thought. It was a freak accident. I've been cleared to do some running. I have to build muscle in the leg to get strong. I'm doing some underwater treadmill and progressing onto grass. My mind-set is to start. I didn't get to hit at all during spring ball. I want so badly to get back on the field. As long as they tell me that I'm progressing, I'm going to keep on pushing to do my best and get out there. I miss my guys."



BIG BEN: While Smith is away, senior Ben Muth (6-6, 297) is anchoring the left tackle position, starting nine games a year ago after Smith was sidelined. Harbaugh is already talking up Muth as a potential NFL player.

"Muth is looking real good," Harbaugh said. "He should play on Sundays one day."

"That's nice for the coach to be talking about me like that, but I'm more focused on what's going to happen on Thursday," said Muth, referring to the Cardinal's Aug. 28 Pac-10 and season opener against Oregon State. "We're a world away from where we want to be, but all teams are. The next three to four weeks are where we shape and mold our team."

Muth is part of one of the team's strengths - its offensive line. Joining Muth at the top of the preseason depth chart are center Alex Fletcher (6-3, 298) - regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the Pac-10 - right tackle Chris Marinelli (6-7, 302), left guard Gustav Rystedt (6-3, 289) and right guard Andrew Phillips (6-5, 294).
"Our offensive line has a lot of experience," Muth said. "Our offense is going to be really good. I have confidence in any of the three quarterbacks."

Muth is a member of the SAE fraternity, where he sometimes receives mail for another former Stanford athlete, Edmund Muth, who also resided at SAE. Edmund Muth hit 51 home runs, No. 2 all-time at Stanford, while playing baseball for coach Mark Marquess from 1997 to 2000.

"I'm no relation to Edmund Muth, but I get some of his mail," Ben Muth said.

Ben Muth is all for the blue-collar shirt idea.

"I love it," Muth said. "Anything to get us to a bowl game. It gives us something to rally around. We're not like USC with 47 high school All-Americans. We have to work for everything. Our goals are attainable."



GERHART READY: Gerhart's presence should bolster the Cardinal running game, giving a nice complement to starter Anthony Kimble. Gerhart is more of a human bowling ball type, while Kimble is more explosive through the line of scrimmage. Who will be handing the ball off to any Cardinal running back remains to be seen. Tavita Pritchard, Alex Loukas and Jason Forcier are battling for the starting quarterback spot.

"That's what college football is all about, competition," Gerhart said. "I wasn't there in the spring to see the whole battle going on. I'm excited to see it the focus of camp. They're all great quarterbacks. Whomever steps up and finally takes the job is going to lead us in the right way.

"They're all pretty similar, but there are things a little different with each of them. Tavita has the experience. He's more proven. Loukas is a great athlete. He can throw, he can run. He played receiver in the spring game. Jason does a little bit of everything. He can throw, he can run. I don't know if it's leadership or what is going to separate them."



KICKING UP A FUSS: Quarterback isn't the only position up for grabs. Redshirt freshman David Green is in the mix for both the kicking and punting chores. Green and senior Aaron Zagory are competing for the kicking duties, while Green and true freshmen Matt Zubyk and Daniel Zychlinski are listed as top three on the depth chart at punter.

Green was rated the top kicker in the country by Scout.com when he was at Mission Viejo, where he averaged 41 yards per punt. Unfortunately, he had a herniated disc in his lower back and had to be operated on last January.
"Last year wasn't what I wanted to be," Green said. "I was kicking 55- or 60-yard field goals in high school, then I got hurt. I got a cortisone shot in my hip last Monday. I kicked on Wednesday. My back is fine, but I pulled my hip. I'll see where I'm at after camp starts."

Zubyk, from Francis Parker High in San Diego, was rated the second-best punter in the nation by Scout.com. He averaged 42.8 yards per punt as a junior. Zychlinski, from King High in Tampa, Fla., averaged 40.5 yards per kick as a senior. Both freshmen are expected to place-kick, as well.

Zagory gives Stanford three Z's in the kicking department, but no one seems to be napping on the job.

"Glad to have new blood in," said Zagory, from Yellow Springs High in Ohio. "I'm feeling I'm kicking better than I have in the past. I had a solid spring and good summer workouts. Things are still to be worked out in camp. We have great competition at every position. We have it on snapper, holder, kicker, punter. We're going to put the best guys out on the field this year. It's going to come out of a tough competition."

Zagory was sporting a scraggly beard Friday. Was it in the spirit of Harbaugh's blue-collar theme?

"I'll be cleaned up by game time," Zagory said. "We can lay low a little bit for now."



E-mail John Reid at jreid@dailynewsgroup.com.