Stanford football linemen boast low injury rate

STANFORD -- All around them, the injuries mount.

Arizona State lost two defensive linemen last week. A handful of Cal players left the Big Game on crutches. Arizona's offensive line is depleted; Washington's is shredded. Oregon has lost two key players for the season.

And yet, through it all -- game after game, season after season -- Stanford players remain remarkably healthy, especially where limbs are most vulnerable: along the line of scrimmage.

The Cardinal's starting offensive and defensive linemen have lost just two games to injury in the past two-and-a-half seasons.

That's eight positions (five on offense, three on defense) over 33 games -- or 264 possible starts.

And only two have been lost to injury.

"We've been fortunate," said coach David Shaw, whose team hosts Washington State on Saturday.

Fortune plays a part, as does Stanford's requirement that all linemen wear knee braces in practice and games.

But the Cardinal's philosophy might play a role, as well.

Many teams use a zone blocking system in which linemen move laterally and block defensive players below the waist (i.e., cut blocks) -- thus causing them to hit the ground.

But Stanford uses a straightforward, helmet-on-helmet approach.

"There aren't a lot of people on the ground," Shaw said.

Fewer players on the ground means fewer chances for upright linemen to twist their knees and roll their ankles.

Stanford's offense is hardly a finished product. The third-down and red-zone efficiency must improve. There are too many dropped passes and missed assignments.

But one facet of the attack has improved significantly since the early weeks, according to quarterback Josh Nunes:

"The communication up front. That allows us to run the ball better and be more effective with our blocking schemes."

It also cuts down on delay-of-game penalties.

Tailback Stepfan Taylor needs 418 yards to break Darrin Nelson's school rushing record of 4,033 yards.

At his current pace of 121 yards per game, which ranks 13th nationally, the steady, soft-spoken Taylor would set the record at Oregon on Nov. 17.

"The people who talk about him the most are NFL scouts," Shaw said. "He just gets yards."

Receiver Ty Montgomery, who missed two games with a knee injury, has returned to practice but is questionable for WSU.

The Nov. 3 game at Colorado will start at 11 a.m. (PDT) and be televised by FX.

True freshman cornerback Alex Carter, expected to make his second consecutive start this week, is the son of former Notre Dame and NFL cornerback Tom Carter.

Carter's sisters and parents attended Stanford's loss at Notre Dame, with most of them cheering for the Irish.

"My dad told me after the game that we got robbed," Carter said.

For more on college sports, see Jon Wilner's College Hotline at blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports. Contact him at jwilner@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5716.

saturday's game

Washington State (2-5, 0-4 Pac-12) at Stanford (5-2, 3-1), 3:15 p.m. Pac-12 Networks

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/college-sports/ci_21838671/stanford-linemen-boast-low-injury-rate?source=rss

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