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Stanford returns to action after a bye last week
Sept. 25, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
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GAME INFORMATION
Date: October 1, 2005
Kickoff: 2:00 pm
Site: Stanford, CA
Television: No live television
Radio: KNEW, 910 am (Tim Roye, Bob Murphy)
Campus Radio: KZSU, 90.1 fm
Internet: www.gostanford.com (live audio, live stats)
The Series: Stanford leads series 43-24-1
Last Meeting: Oregon 16, Stanford 13, at Stanford, 11/23/04
Series Notes: Oregon has won last three meetings
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Cardinal Opens Pac-10 Play at Home Against Oregon
Stanford (1-1) opens the Pacific-10 Conference season on Saturday, October 1 with a home date against Oregon (3-1, 0-1) ... The Cardinal is coming off a bye week after opening the season with a road win at Navy and a home loss to UC Davis ... Stanford will play eight consecutive conference games and the season finale vs. Notre Dame ... The Ducks got off to a 3-0 start and were ranked No. 25 in the nation before losing last Saturday to top-ranked USC, 45-13 ... The Ducks led early 13-0 before the Trojans scored 45 unanswered points ... ...Oregon won its three non-conference games against Houston, Montana and Fresno State while averaging over 40 points scored in those games ... The Ducks have won the last three meetings with Stanford, including a 16-13 win at Stanford Stadium last season.
Stanford to Honor Hall of Fame Class of 2005
Stanford's Hall of Fame Class of 2005 will be honored at halftime on Saturday's game against Oregon ... The group of seven individuals and an Olympic Crew will be formally inducted in the Hall of Fame on Friday, September 30 ... The Class includes men's basketball coach Mike Montgomery, currently the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, women's tennis All-American and NCAA champion Sandra Birch, All-American and U.S. Olympic water polo player Doug Burke, football All-American Ed Cummings, baseball All-American Eric Hardgrave, All-American, Olympian and NCAA swimmer Janel Jorgensen, Chuck Evans, one of the school's all-time great football players, and a group of Olympic rowers that includes Conn Findlay, Kurt Seiffert, Kent Mitchell and Ed Ferry.
Remaining Schedule Includes Five Ranked Teams
Stanford's remaining schedule includes five teams currently ranked among the nation's top-25 who have combined for a 16-2 record to date ... The Cardinal's final nine opponents have an aggregate record of 25-8 and a winning percentage of .758 ... Among Stanford's future opponents are No. 1 ranked USC (3-0), No. 11 Cal (4-0), No. 14 Notre Dame (3-1), No. 15 Arizona State (3-1) and No. 20 UCLA (3-0).
Stanford Looks to Snap Three-Game Losing Skid vs Ducks
Oregon has won the last three meetings with the Cardinal and four of the last five dating back to 1998 ... A year ago, the Ducks came from behind to win at Stanford Stadium 16-13 on October 23 ... The Cardinal took a 13-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, but a two-yard run by Terrence Whitehead capped a 70-yard drive and put the Ducks ahead to stay 16-13 ... Stanford took possession on its 23-yard line with 16 seconds remaining and after two pass completions of 17 and 28 yards, the Cardinal found itself in field goal position ... Michael Sgroi then missed a 48-yard attempt as time expired, giving the Ducks a hard-fought road win against the Cardinal ... For the series, which dates back to 1900, the Cardinal owns a 43-24-1 advantage ... The two teams have been known to produce high-scoring games ... In fact, in the last 10 meetings between the Cardinal and the Ducks, Oregon has average almost 38 points per game while Stanford has averaged almost 28 per game ... In the last three games, however, Oregon has outscored the Cardinal 92-27, including a 41-14 win in 2002 and a 35-0 victory in '03 ... Stanford has also lost its last three Pac-10 openers (2002 at ASU, 2003 at Washington, 2004 at home vs. USC).
Head Coach Walt Harris
In eight seasons at Pitt, Walt Harris turned the Panthers into a perennial bowl contender and among the top programs in the country ... He led Pitt to six bowl games in eight seasons, including the last five, and a first-ever BCS bowl (Fiesta) following the 2004 campaign ... He was named Stanford's head coach on December 13, 2004 ... Harris, a Bay Area native, has coached for over 30 years, including 11 as a head coach ... His career record stands at 64-69, which includes a 52-44 record at Pitt, three years at UOP (1989-91), where the Tigers improved each season under Harris, and 1-1 at Stanford ... Harris has coached at Ohio State, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan State and Cal along with a three-year stint with the New York Jets ... In the last five seasons at Pitt, Harris' teams went 39-23, won at least seven games each year and advanced to a bowl game each season.
Final Season in Original Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium, built in 1921, has served as home of the Cardinal football program for the past 83 years ... This season, however, will mark the final year in the original Stadium before a major renovation begins immediately following the Cardinal's season finale vs. Notre Dame on November 26, 2005 ... The Cardinal will play six home games in Stanford Stadium this season and moments after the season finale against the Fighting Irish, the process will begin on an $85-90 million renovation project ... See page 6 of this press release for more details on the Stadium renovation project.
Alston Et Al.... Earn Pre-Season Honors
Fifth-year senior OLB Jon Alston was tabbed a consensus First-Team All-Pac-10 selection while several other Cardinal player earned pre-season honors recognition ... Alston, who was named Second-Team All-Pac-10 a year ago, was also named to a few pre-season All-America teams while being ranked among the top outside linebackers in the country ... Other Cardinal players receiving First-Team All-Pac-10 recognition include DT Julian Jenkins, NT Babatunde Oshinowo and KOR T.J. Rushing ... Also earning pre-season honors were ILB Kevin Schimmelmann, WR Evan Moore, PK Michael Sgroi, OT Jeff Edwards and SS Brandon Harrison.
Alston Tabbed As One of Nation's Top OLBs
Senior outside linebacker Jon Alston enters his fifth season on The Farm as one of the top defensive players in the Pac-10 and in the nation ... At 6-2, 220, Alston is Stanford's best pass rushing threat in the Cardinal's 3-4 defense ... He was the only player in the Pac-10 to be among the top six in the conference in sacks (fourth with 9.5), forced fumbles (tied for fifth with three) and tackles for loss (sixth with 14.0) ... A three-year letter-winner, Alston has recorded 123 total tackles, 15.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in his career and has received pre-season All-America recognition in 2005.
Edwards Leads Offense in Win at Navy; Injured vs. Davis
Senior Trent Edwards, who started nine games last year, has started the first two games of the 2005 campaign, but was limited in Stanford's second game vs. UC Davis after sustaining a hand injury on the second series of the game ... Edwards has completed 22-of-37 for 245 yards this year ... He was named the team's starting quarterback on August 28 after an intense competition with junior T.C. Ostrander ... Edwards, who has one more year of eligibility remaining after the 2005 season, completed 21-of-33 against Navy in the season opener for 235 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions ... He has started 15 games in his career and thrown for 2,713 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing 247-of-478 ... Trent came to Stanford as one of the nation's most highly sought-after prep quarterbacks from nearby Los Gatos High School in 2002 and, after sitting out his true freshman season, he earned a starting role during the 2003 and '04 campaigns ... He was the team's starter a year ago over the first nine games before an injury forced him to miss the final two ... He threw for 1,732 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004 while completing 149-of-274 (.544) ... Missed the final two games of the year vs. Oregon State and California ... He began the year by completing 14-of-22 for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Stanford's 43-3 win over San Jose State ... He came back the next week to throw for a career-high 297 yards and three touchdowns in the Cardinal's win over BYU ... Edwards was impressive in game three vs. top-ranked USC as he engineered two long drives in the first half and finished the game completing 23-of-35 for 183 yards and two TDs ... He had seven touchdown passes and just one interception through the first three games of the year ... In game four, he was equally effective in Stanford's 27-13 win over Washington as he completed 23-of-33 for 254 yards ... He set career high marks by completing 24 passes and attempting 46 at the Rose Bowl vs. UCLA ... Injuries forced him from game seven against Oregon and game nine against Arizona State.
Schimmelmann Among Pac-10 Leaders
Three-year letter-winner and two-year starter Kevin Schimmelmann was leading the Cardinal in tackles last season when an injury forced him to miss the final two games of the year ... But, the fifth-year senior ILB seems to have picked up right where he left off as he again is among Stanford's top defensive players ... Schimmelmann is the only player in the Pac-10 to be among the top three in the league in tackles, fumbles forced and fumbles recovered ... Schimmelmann is No. 1 in the conference in tackles per game, averaging 11.0 through the first two games of the year ... He is tied for first in fumbles recovered and tied for third in fumbles forced ... In addition to leading the team in those categories, he also leads the team in tackles for loss (3.5) and quarterback sacks (2.0) ... In the season opener at Navy, he had 12 tackles, one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss ... In game two vs. UC Davis, Schimmelmann had 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery ... He scored a touchdown against the Aggies after he sacked QB Jon Grant in the end zone and recovered the fumble for Stanford's first TD of the game ... Schimmelmann, a three-time First-Team Academic All-Pac-10 selection, has played in 32 games and started 17 for Stanford since 2002 ... Throughout his career on The Farm, Schimmelmann has played four positions, including inside and outside linebacker and free and strong safety
Stanford's Starting Nose Tackle: Babatunde Oluwasegun Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa Oshinowo, Jr.
NT Babatunde Oshinowo, a two-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection, is one of the top defensive lineman in the Pac-10 Conference ... A native of Naperville, Ill., Oshinowo is of Nigerian decent and his full name is Babatunde Oluwasegun Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa Oshinowo, Jr. ... He entered the 2005 season as a First-Team preseason all-conference pick and ranked among the top defensive lineman in the nation ... In the season opener against Navy, Oshinowo recorded eight tackles and one tackle for loss ... A 6-2, 320-pounder, he has started 24 straight games for the Cardinal (2003-05) and played in all 35 in his Stanford career (2002-05) ... He is tops among Cardinal lineman with 100 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks ... Oshinowo, a two-time First-Team Academic All-Pac-10 selection the last two years, is a co-term student working on his Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering.
9 Returning Letterman Lead Experienced Offensive Line
Nine returning lettermen, all five starters from 2004 and a group of four prep All-Americas who redshirted last season help give the Cardinal one of its most experienced groups of offensive linemen in recent memory ... Stanford's roster includes six players who started a total of 83 games for the Cardinal and earned 15 letters prior to the 2005 season ...Two of the Cardinal's returning starters are in their third season in the starting lineup, including OT Jeff Edwards (21 career starts) and C Brian Head (15) ... Both OT Jon Cochran (15) and OG Josiah Vinson (15) were starters in 2004 and part-time starters in '03 while sophomore Alex Fletcher made his debut in the starting lineup in the season opener at Navy ...OG Ismail Simpson started 22 games in 2003 and '04 while Mikal Brewer started three games last season ... Reserves Preston Clover, David Long and Tim Mattran are also returning letter-winners ... In addition, the Cardinal has four sophomores who were prep All-Americas in 2003, redshirted their freshman season on The Farm a year ago and are now in position to play a significant role in 2005 ... The foursome includes Bobby Dockter, Ben Muth, Allen Smith and Fletcher, who has earned a spot in the starting lineup.
Converted WR Kimble Stanford's No. 1 Running Back
A year ago at this time, Anthony Kimble was a true freshman wide receiver who had just come on the Stanford campus from Baton Rouge, LA. ... Now, Kimble is the team's number one running back and the team's leading rushing after two games with 110 yards gained on 21 carries (5.2 ypc) ... Kimble made his collegiate debut on September 10 at Navy and gained 59 yards on 11 carries, including a three-yard touchdown run ... He also added three catches for 28 yards ... In his second game, Kimble rushed for 51 yards on 10 carries ... After redshirting the 2004 season, Kimble was moved to running back last spring under new head coach Walt Harris ... Kimble was impressive during spring drills and his continued improvement vaulted him into the No. 1 role ... He played some running back in high school, but came to Stanford as a highly-touted wide receiver ... Kimble, 6-1, 195, only played two years of football in high school and redshirted last season on The Farm ... While other running backs were limited due to injury during fall camp, Kimble continued to impress.
Jenkins Among Top Defensive Lineman in Pac-10
Senior defensive end Julian Jenkins, recognized as one of the best in the Pacific-10 Conference, began his final season on The Farm in the season opener at Navy by recording eight tackles in Stanford's win at Navy ... Jenkins, who has record 91 career tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, has appeared in 33 games and started 14 since playing as a true freshman in 2002 ... A 6-4, 275-pounder from Atlanta, Ga., Jenkins continues to be one of the team leaders both on and off the field ... He was named First-Team preseason All-Pac-10 and rated among the top defensive lineman in the country heading into the 2005 campaign.
Rydstedt Makes Collegiate Debut vs. Navy
When fifth-year senior Casey Carroll suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall camp, it vaulted second-year sophomore Gustav Rydstedt into the No. 1 spot opposite Julian Jenkins at defensive end ... Rydstedt, who redshirted last season as a true freshman, is a 6-3, 290-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden who is still learning the game of football ... He was one of the top junior players in Europe and was named the No. 1 player in his age group in Sweden in 2003 ... He played for the Swedish National Team and was a starter for Team Europe, which played in the 2003 NFL Global Junior Championships in San Diego ... He played one year of high school football in the United States as a foreign exchange student at Southhaven High School in Mississippi ... Rydstedt, who is 21 years old, was invited to play in the NFL Europe Youth Elite Camp ... And now, in his second year at Stanford, Rydstedt will be asked to play a key role on the Cardinal defense in 2005.
Okwo Moves From Special Teams to Starter at ILB
A First-Team All-Pac-10 selection last year as a special teams player, junior Michael Okwo is now one of Stanford's key players in the middle of its defense and one of the top young players in the conference ... Okwo earned his reputation as a special teams player last year, but after starter Kevin Schimmelmann went out with an injury the final two games of the 2004 season, Okwo moved in to the starting lineup and made an immediate impact (22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, fumble recovery over last three games) ... In his first game as a full-time starter, Okwo continued to impress as he accounted for six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in Stanford's win at Navy ... He added eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a half-sack against UC Davis.
Cardinal Finds New Fullback in Former Defensive Tackle
Now in his third season on The Farm, Nick Frank, has transformed himself from backup defensive tackle to first team fullback ... He made his debut at fullback in Stanford's season opening win at Navy and was an integral part of the Cardinal offense as he played virtually every snap ... He wound up scoring his first collegiate touchdown on a two-yard run and was the team's leading receiver with six catches for 45 yards ... In 2003 and '04, Frank played in 21 of Stanford's 22 games at both nose and defensive tackle and tallied 17 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks ... He was moved to fullback last spring and continued to climb up the depth chart until eventually landing at the No. 1 spot ... Frank, who plans to pursue a career in medicine, is Stanford's only player from New Orleans.
Rushing Among All-Time Best Kickoff Return Specialists
Senior T.J. Rushing, a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection as a kickoff return specialist last season, took his first kickoff return of the season and raced 93 yards for a touchdown in the Cardinal's season opening win at Navy, the second touchdown return of his career (99-yard return last year vs. BYU) ... He had two returns against the Mids for 127 yards - a 63.5 yards per return average ... Since he did not have a return against UC Davis, Rushing does not qualify for NCAA or Pac-10 stats ... In his career, Rushing has 33 kickoff returns for 961 yards and two touchdowns ... His 29.0 career kickoff return average currently places him No. 1 in the Cardinal record book ahead of Ron Inge (27.8, 1973-76) ... Rushing needs 39 more kickoff return yards to become the seventh player in school history to amass 1,000 yards in kickoff return yards ... Last year, he led the conference and was sixth in the nation with a 28.4 yard average.
Sgroi Among All-Time Best Placekickers
Fifth-year senior placekicker Michael Sgroi has placed his name among the school's all-time best placekickers ... He has hit three field goals in five attempts in two games this season - all five attempts have come from 40-48 yards out - and his career total of 35 field goals places him sixth in the Cardinal record book ... He is also eighth all-time with 73 PATs ... Walt Harris called Sgroi the "difference maker" in Stanford's 41-38 win at Navy in the season opener ... That's because Sgroi hit two, fourth quarter field goals, from 40 and 47 yards out to help the Cardinal hold off Navy ... Sgroi, who made 16-of-24 field goals in 2004, has now made 35-of-57 in his career... Last season, Sgroi made 10 consecutive field goals, which tied for the third longest in school history.
Cardinal Again Among NCAA Leaders in Kickoff Returns
Stanford led the league and was eighth in the nation last season in kickoff returns, averaging 24.63 yards per return ... This year, the Cardinal is again among the national leaders as its 33.0 yards per return average ranks it first in the Pac-10 and ninth in the country ... Stanford has returned six kickoffs in '05 for 198 yards and one touchdown, that coming on the first return of the season when T.J. Rushing brought one back 93 yards for a TD against Navy ... Rushing has two returns for 127 yards and a 63.5 average while Marcus McCutcheon has returned three kickoffs for 71 yards and a 23.7 average ... He had a 43-yard return against UC Davis
26 Former Cardinal Players on NFL Rosters
Stanford football alumni in the NFL includes 26 former players, including nine off last year's team ... The Cardinal had six players selected in last year's NFL Draft - tops in the Pac-10 and among the best in the nation - and three others signed as free agents ... All nine players are currently on NFL rosters ... The drafted players include Oshiomogho Atogwe (St. Louis), Alex Smith (Tampa Bay), Stanley Wilson (Detroit), Will Svitek (Kansas City), Jared Newberry (New England) and David Bergeron (practice squad, Tennessee) ... The three free agents include Scott Scharff (practice squad, San Francisco), Leigh Torrence (practice squad, Atlanta) and Greg Camarillo (practice squad, San Diego) ... The remaining list includes: John Lynch (Denver), Bob Whitfield (New York), Jason Fisk (Cleveland), Brad Badger (Oakland), Kailee Wong (Houston Texans), Chris Draft (Carolina), Troy Walters (Indianapolis Colts), Donnie Spragan (Miami), Tank Williams (Tennessee), Coy Wire (Buffalo), Eric Heitmann and Kwame Harris (San Francisco), Colin Branch (Carolina), Brett Pierce (Dallas Cowboys), Drew Caylor (IR, Baltimore), Kirk Chambers (Cleveland) and Teyo Johnson (Arizona).
Sept. 25, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
GAME INFORMATION
Date: October 1, 2005
Kickoff: 2:00 pm
Site: Stanford, CA
Television: No live television
Radio: KNEW, 910 am (Tim Roye, Bob Murphy)
Campus Radio: KZSU, 90.1 fm
Internet: www.gostanford.com (live audio, live stats)
The Series: Stanford leads series 43-24-1
Last Meeting: Oregon 16, Stanford 13, at Stanford, 11/23/04
Series Notes: Oregon has won last three meetings
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Cardinal Opens Pac-10 Play at Home Against Oregon
Stanford (1-1) opens the Pacific-10 Conference season on Saturday, October 1 with a home date against Oregon (3-1, 0-1) ... The Cardinal is coming off a bye week after opening the season with a road win at Navy and a home loss to UC Davis ... Stanford will play eight consecutive conference games and the season finale vs. Notre Dame ... The Ducks got off to a 3-0 start and were ranked No. 25 in the nation before losing last Saturday to top-ranked USC, 45-13 ... The Ducks led early 13-0 before the Trojans scored 45 unanswered points ... ...Oregon won its three non-conference games against Houston, Montana and Fresno State while averaging over 40 points scored in those games ... The Ducks have won the last three meetings with Stanford, including a 16-13 win at Stanford Stadium last season.
Stanford to Honor Hall of Fame Class of 2005
Stanford's Hall of Fame Class of 2005 will be honored at halftime on Saturday's game against Oregon ... The group of seven individuals and an Olympic Crew will be formally inducted in the Hall of Fame on Friday, September 30 ... The Class includes men's basketball coach Mike Montgomery, currently the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, women's tennis All-American and NCAA champion Sandra Birch, All-American and U.S. Olympic water polo player Doug Burke, football All-American Ed Cummings, baseball All-American Eric Hardgrave, All-American, Olympian and NCAA swimmer Janel Jorgensen, Chuck Evans, one of the school's all-time great football players, and a group of Olympic rowers that includes Conn Findlay, Kurt Seiffert, Kent Mitchell and Ed Ferry.
Remaining Schedule Includes Five Ranked Teams
Stanford's remaining schedule includes five teams currently ranked among the nation's top-25 who have combined for a 16-2 record to date ... The Cardinal's final nine opponents have an aggregate record of 25-8 and a winning percentage of .758 ... Among Stanford's future opponents are No. 1 ranked USC (3-0), No. 11 Cal (4-0), No. 14 Notre Dame (3-1), No. 15 Arizona State (3-1) and No. 20 UCLA (3-0).
Stanford Looks to Snap Three-Game Losing Skid vs Ducks
Oregon has won the last three meetings with the Cardinal and four of the last five dating back to 1998 ... A year ago, the Ducks came from behind to win at Stanford Stadium 16-13 on October 23 ... The Cardinal took a 13-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, but a two-yard run by Terrence Whitehead capped a 70-yard drive and put the Ducks ahead to stay 16-13 ... Stanford took possession on its 23-yard line with 16 seconds remaining and after two pass completions of 17 and 28 yards, the Cardinal found itself in field goal position ... Michael Sgroi then missed a 48-yard attempt as time expired, giving the Ducks a hard-fought road win against the Cardinal ... For the series, which dates back to 1900, the Cardinal owns a 43-24-1 advantage ... The two teams have been known to produce high-scoring games ... In fact, in the last 10 meetings between the Cardinal and the Ducks, Oregon has average almost 38 points per game while Stanford has averaged almost 28 per game ... In the last three games, however, Oregon has outscored the Cardinal 92-27, including a 41-14 win in 2002 and a 35-0 victory in '03 ... Stanford has also lost its last three Pac-10 openers (2002 at ASU, 2003 at Washington, 2004 at home vs. USC).
Head Coach Walt Harris
In eight seasons at Pitt, Walt Harris turned the Panthers into a perennial bowl contender and among the top programs in the country ... He led Pitt to six bowl games in eight seasons, including the last five, and a first-ever BCS bowl (Fiesta) following the 2004 campaign ... He was named Stanford's head coach on December 13, 2004 ... Harris, a Bay Area native, has coached for over 30 years, including 11 as a head coach ... His career record stands at 64-69, which includes a 52-44 record at Pitt, three years at UOP (1989-91), where the Tigers improved each season under Harris, and 1-1 at Stanford ... Harris has coached at Ohio State, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan State and Cal along with a three-year stint with the New York Jets ... In the last five seasons at Pitt, Harris' teams went 39-23, won at least seven games each year and advanced to a bowl game each season.
Final Season in Original Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium, built in 1921, has served as home of the Cardinal football program for the past 83 years ... This season, however, will mark the final year in the original Stadium before a major renovation begins immediately following the Cardinal's season finale vs. Notre Dame on November 26, 2005 ... The Cardinal will play six home games in Stanford Stadium this season and moments after the season finale against the Fighting Irish, the process will begin on an $85-90 million renovation project ... See page 6 of this press release for more details on the Stadium renovation project.
Alston Et Al.... Earn Pre-Season Honors
Fifth-year senior OLB Jon Alston was tabbed a consensus First-Team All-Pac-10 selection while several other Cardinal player earned pre-season honors recognition ... Alston, who was named Second-Team All-Pac-10 a year ago, was also named to a few pre-season All-America teams while being ranked among the top outside linebackers in the country ... Other Cardinal players receiving First-Team All-Pac-10 recognition include DT Julian Jenkins, NT Babatunde Oshinowo and KOR T.J. Rushing ... Also earning pre-season honors were ILB Kevin Schimmelmann, WR Evan Moore, PK Michael Sgroi, OT Jeff Edwards and SS Brandon Harrison.
Alston Tabbed As One of Nation's Top OLBs
Senior outside linebacker Jon Alston enters his fifth season on The Farm as one of the top defensive players in the Pac-10 and in the nation ... At 6-2, 220, Alston is Stanford's best pass rushing threat in the Cardinal's 3-4 defense ... He was the only player in the Pac-10 to be among the top six in the conference in sacks (fourth with 9.5), forced fumbles (tied for fifth with three) and tackles for loss (sixth with 14.0) ... A three-year letter-winner, Alston has recorded 123 total tackles, 15.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in his career and has received pre-season All-America recognition in 2005.
Edwards Leads Offense in Win at Navy; Injured vs. Davis
Senior Trent Edwards, who started nine games last year, has started the first two games of the 2005 campaign, but was limited in Stanford's second game vs. UC Davis after sustaining a hand injury on the second series of the game ... Edwards has completed 22-of-37 for 245 yards this year ... He was named the team's starting quarterback on August 28 after an intense competition with junior T.C. Ostrander ... Edwards, who has one more year of eligibility remaining after the 2005 season, completed 21-of-33 against Navy in the season opener for 235 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions ... He has started 15 games in his career and thrown for 2,713 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing 247-of-478 ... Trent came to Stanford as one of the nation's most highly sought-after prep quarterbacks from nearby Los Gatos High School in 2002 and, after sitting out his true freshman season, he earned a starting role during the 2003 and '04 campaigns ... He was the team's starter a year ago over the first nine games before an injury forced him to miss the final two ... He threw for 1,732 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004 while completing 149-of-274 (.544) ... Missed the final two games of the year vs. Oregon State and California ... He began the year by completing 14-of-22 for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Stanford's 43-3 win over San Jose State ... He came back the next week to throw for a career-high 297 yards and three touchdowns in the Cardinal's win over BYU ... Edwards was impressive in game three vs. top-ranked USC as he engineered two long drives in the first half and finished the game completing 23-of-35 for 183 yards and two TDs ... He had seven touchdown passes and just one interception through the first three games of the year ... In game four, he was equally effective in Stanford's 27-13 win over Washington as he completed 23-of-33 for 254 yards ... He set career high marks by completing 24 passes and attempting 46 at the Rose Bowl vs. UCLA ... Injuries forced him from game seven against Oregon and game nine against Arizona State.
Schimmelmann Among Pac-10 Leaders
Three-year letter-winner and two-year starter Kevin Schimmelmann was leading the Cardinal in tackles last season when an injury forced him to miss the final two games of the year ... But, the fifth-year senior ILB seems to have picked up right where he left off as he again is among Stanford's top defensive players ... Schimmelmann is the only player in the Pac-10 to be among the top three in the league in tackles, fumbles forced and fumbles recovered ... Schimmelmann is No. 1 in the conference in tackles per game, averaging 11.0 through the first two games of the year ... He is tied for first in fumbles recovered and tied for third in fumbles forced ... In addition to leading the team in those categories, he also leads the team in tackles for loss (3.5) and quarterback sacks (2.0) ... In the season opener at Navy, he had 12 tackles, one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss ... In game two vs. UC Davis, Schimmelmann had 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery ... He scored a touchdown against the Aggies after he sacked QB Jon Grant in the end zone and recovered the fumble for Stanford's first TD of the game ... Schimmelmann, a three-time First-Team Academic All-Pac-10 selection, has played in 32 games and started 17 for Stanford since 2002 ... Throughout his career on The Farm, Schimmelmann has played four positions, including inside and outside linebacker and free and strong safety
Stanford's Starting Nose Tackle: Babatunde Oluwasegun Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa Oshinowo, Jr.
NT Babatunde Oshinowo, a two-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection, is one of the top defensive lineman in the Pac-10 Conference ... A native of Naperville, Ill., Oshinowo is of Nigerian decent and his full name is Babatunde Oluwasegun Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa Oshinowo, Jr. ... He entered the 2005 season as a First-Team preseason all-conference pick and ranked among the top defensive lineman in the nation ... In the season opener against Navy, Oshinowo recorded eight tackles and one tackle for loss ... A 6-2, 320-pounder, he has started 24 straight games for the Cardinal (2003-05) and played in all 35 in his Stanford career (2002-05) ... He is tops among Cardinal lineman with 100 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks ... Oshinowo, a two-time First-Team Academic All-Pac-10 selection the last two years, is a co-term student working on his Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering.
9 Returning Letterman Lead Experienced Offensive Line
Nine returning lettermen, all five starters from 2004 and a group of four prep All-Americas who redshirted last season help give the Cardinal one of its most experienced groups of offensive linemen in recent memory ... Stanford's roster includes six players who started a total of 83 games for the Cardinal and earned 15 letters prior to the 2005 season ...Two of the Cardinal's returning starters are in their third season in the starting lineup, including OT Jeff Edwards (21 career starts) and C Brian Head (15) ... Both OT Jon Cochran (15) and OG Josiah Vinson (15) were starters in 2004 and part-time starters in '03 while sophomore Alex Fletcher made his debut in the starting lineup in the season opener at Navy ...OG Ismail Simpson started 22 games in 2003 and '04 while Mikal Brewer started three games last season ... Reserves Preston Clover, David Long and Tim Mattran are also returning letter-winners ... In addition, the Cardinal has four sophomores who were prep All-Americas in 2003, redshirted their freshman season on The Farm a year ago and are now in position to play a significant role in 2005 ... The foursome includes Bobby Dockter, Ben Muth, Allen Smith and Fletcher, who has earned a spot in the starting lineup.
Converted WR Kimble Stanford's No. 1 Running Back
A year ago at this time, Anthony Kimble was a true freshman wide receiver who had just come on the Stanford campus from Baton Rouge, LA. ... Now, Kimble is the team's number one running back and the team's leading rushing after two games with 110 yards gained on 21 carries (5.2 ypc) ... Kimble made his collegiate debut on September 10 at Navy and gained 59 yards on 11 carries, including a three-yard touchdown run ... He also added three catches for 28 yards ... In his second game, Kimble rushed for 51 yards on 10 carries ... After redshirting the 2004 season, Kimble was moved to running back last spring under new head coach Walt Harris ... Kimble was impressive during spring drills and his continued improvement vaulted him into the No. 1 role ... He played some running back in high school, but came to Stanford as a highly-touted wide receiver ... Kimble, 6-1, 195, only played two years of football in high school and redshirted last season on The Farm ... While other running backs were limited due to injury during fall camp, Kimble continued to impress.
Jenkins Among Top Defensive Lineman in Pac-10
Senior defensive end Julian Jenkins, recognized as one of the best in the Pacific-10 Conference, began his final season on The Farm in the season opener at Navy by recording eight tackles in Stanford's win at Navy ... Jenkins, who has record 91 career tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, has appeared in 33 games and started 14 since playing as a true freshman in 2002 ... A 6-4, 275-pounder from Atlanta, Ga., Jenkins continues to be one of the team leaders both on and off the field ... He was named First-Team preseason All-Pac-10 and rated among the top defensive lineman in the country heading into the 2005 campaign.
Rydstedt Makes Collegiate Debut vs. Navy
When fifth-year senior Casey Carroll suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall camp, it vaulted second-year sophomore Gustav Rydstedt into the No. 1 spot opposite Julian Jenkins at defensive end ... Rydstedt, who redshirted last season as a true freshman, is a 6-3, 290-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden who is still learning the game of football ... He was one of the top junior players in Europe and was named the No. 1 player in his age group in Sweden in 2003 ... He played for the Swedish National Team and was a starter for Team Europe, which played in the 2003 NFL Global Junior Championships in San Diego ... He played one year of high school football in the United States as a foreign exchange student at Southhaven High School in Mississippi ... Rydstedt, who is 21 years old, was invited to play in the NFL Europe Youth Elite Camp ... And now, in his second year at Stanford, Rydstedt will be asked to play a key role on the Cardinal defense in 2005.
Okwo Moves From Special Teams to Starter at ILB
A First-Team All-Pac-10 selection last year as a special teams player, junior Michael Okwo is now one of Stanford's key players in the middle of its defense and one of the top young players in the conference ... Okwo earned his reputation as a special teams player last year, but after starter Kevin Schimmelmann went out with an injury the final two games of the 2004 season, Okwo moved in to the starting lineup and made an immediate impact (22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, fumble recovery over last three games) ... In his first game as a full-time starter, Okwo continued to impress as he accounted for six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in Stanford's win at Navy ... He added eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a half-sack against UC Davis.
Cardinal Finds New Fullback in Former Defensive Tackle
Now in his third season on The Farm, Nick Frank, has transformed himself from backup defensive tackle to first team fullback ... He made his debut at fullback in Stanford's season opening win at Navy and was an integral part of the Cardinal offense as he played virtually every snap ... He wound up scoring his first collegiate touchdown on a two-yard run and was the team's leading receiver with six catches for 45 yards ... In 2003 and '04, Frank played in 21 of Stanford's 22 games at both nose and defensive tackle and tallied 17 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks ... He was moved to fullback last spring and continued to climb up the depth chart until eventually landing at the No. 1 spot ... Frank, who plans to pursue a career in medicine, is Stanford's only player from New Orleans.
Rushing Among All-Time Best Kickoff Return Specialists
Senior T.J. Rushing, a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection as a kickoff return specialist last season, took his first kickoff return of the season and raced 93 yards for a touchdown in the Cardinal's season opening win at Navy, the second touchdown return of his career (99-yard return last year vs. BYU) ... He had two returns against the Mids for 127 yards - a 63.5 yards per return average ... Since he did not have a return against UC Davis, Rushing does not qualify for NCAA or Pac-10 stats ... In his career, Rushing has 33 kickoff returns for 961 yards and two touchdowns ... His 29.0 career kickoff return average currently places him No. 1 in the Cardinal record book ahead of Ron Inge (27.8, 1973-76) ... Rushing needs 39 more kickoff return yards to become the seventh player in school history to amass 1,000 yards in kickoff return yards ... Last year, he led the conference and was sixth in the nation with a 28.4 yard average.
Sgroi Among All-Time Best Placekickers
Fifth-year senior placekicker Michael Sgroi has placed his name among the school's all-time best placekickers ... He has hit three field goals in five attempts in two games this season - all five attempts have come from 40-48 yards out - and his career total of 35 field goals places him sixth in the Cardinal record book ... He is also eighth all-time with 73 PATs ... Walt Harris called Sgroi the "difference maker" in Stanford's 41-38 win at Navy in the season opener ... That's because Sgroi hit two, fourth quarter field goals, from 40 and 47 yards out to help the Cardinal hold off Navy ... Sgroi, who made 16-of-24 field goals in 2004, has now made 35-of-57 in his career... Last season, Sgroi made 10 consecutive field goals, which tied for the third longest in school history.
Cardinal Again Among NCAA Leaders in Kickoff Returns
Stanford led the league and was eighth in the nation last season in kickoff returns, averaging 24.63 yards per return ... This year, the Cardinal is again among the national leaders as its 33.0 yards per return average ranks it first in the Pac-10 and ninth in the country ... Stanford has returned six kickoffs in '05 for 198 yards and one touchdown, that coming on the first return of the season when T.J. Rushing brought one back 93 yards for a TD against Navy ... Rushing has two returns for 127 yards and a 63.5 average while Marcus McCutcheon has returned three kickoffs for 71 yards and a 23.7 average ... He had a 43-yard return against UC Davis
26 Former Cardinal Players on NFL Rosters
Stanford football alumni in the NFL includes 26 former players, including nine off last year's team ... The Cardinal had six players selected in last year's NFL Draft - tops in the Pac-10 and among the best in the nation - and three others signed as free agents ... All nine players are currently on NFL rosters ... The drafted players include Oshiomogho Atogwe (St. Louis), Alex Smith (Tampa Bay), Stanley Wilson (Detroit), Will Svitek (Kansas City), Jared Newberry (New England) and David Bergeron (practice squad, Tennessee) ... The three free agents include Scott Scharff (practice squad, San Francisco), Leigh Torrence (practice squad, Atlanta) and Greg Camarillo (practice squad, San Diego) ... The remaining list includes: John Lynch (Denver), Bob Whitfield (New York), Jason Fisk (Cleveland), Brad Badger (Oakland), Kailee Wong (Houston Texans), Chris Draft (Carolina), Troy Walters (Indianapolis Colts), Donnie Spragan (Miami), Tank Williams (Tennessee), Coy Wire (Buffalo), Eric Heitmann and Kwame Harris (San Francisco), Colin Branch (Carolina), Brett Pierce (Dallas Cowboys), Drew Caylor (IR, Baltimore), Kirk Chambers (Cleveland) and Teyo Johnson (Arizona).
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