Tag: Stanford

Sep 29, 2022; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars cheerleaders run with flags after a score in the second quarter against the Utah State Aggies at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Freshman Bear Bachmeier to start at QB for BYU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bear Bachmeier has won the quarterback competition at BYU, coach Kalani Sitake said Tuesday.

“He settled it on the field. He gives us the best chance to win right now,” Sitake said.

He will become the first true freshman in program history to start Week 1 when the Cougars open against Portland State on Aug. 30, ESPN reported.

Bachmeier will wear the unusual QB number of 47, which he showed off in a social media video while dressed as a bear.

It’s a quick turn for BYU, which saw starter Jake Retzlaff withdraw from school on July 11 amid news BYU intended to suspend him for seven games over a violation of the school’s honor code.

Retzlaff now is at Tulane.

Bachmeier initially committed to Stanford and spent the spring in Palo Alto, but he entered the transfer portal in May and headed to BYU. Transferring with him from Stanford was his older brother, Tiger.

Tiger caught 46 passes for 476 yards and two touchdowns over two seasons at Stanford.

The Bachmeier name could sound familiar. Oldest brother Hank concluded his six-year career as a college quarterback in 2024 with Wake Forest after previously playing for Boise State and Louisiana Tech.

Bear was a four-star recruit, as ranked by the 247Sports composite, in the Class of 2025. Tiger was a three-star in the 2023 class. The brothers are from Murrieta, Calif.

Bachmeier bested transfers Treyson Bourguet, a redshirt junior from Western Michigan, and redshirt sophomore McCae Hillstead from Utah State, to win the starting job.

The Cougars finished 11-2 in 2024 in his second season in the Big 12.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Hawaii Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado (12) looks on during the first half against the Washington State Cougars at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Angling for offense, Hawaii welcomes Stanford for early opener

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Stanford opens the season with a new head coach making his debut in a road trip to Honolulu to face Hawaii on Saturday.

If this sounds like a repeat, buckle your chin strap.

Longtime NFL coach Frank Reich assumed the interim title at Stanford on March 31. Stanford parted with Troy Taylor after two disappointing seasons. Taylor’s tenure began with a 37-24 win at Hawaii on Sept. 1, 2023, but the Cardinal went just 5-18 for the remainder of his run with the team. Taylor was fired last March amid allegations he mistreated administrative staff, assertions the dismissed coach has publicly denied.

With off-field controversy still swirling, the 2025 Cardinal aim for their first winning season since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and first postseason appearance since 2018.

“As I look at what the players have accomplished since we’ve been here, it gives me a lot of confidence,” Reich said.

Among those inspiring confidence in the new coaching staff is Ben Gulbranson, who was named starting quarterback for the opener. An Oregon State transfer, Gulbranson helped lead the Beavers to a 10-win finish in 2022, but functioned primarily as a reserve in 2023 and 2024.

Gulbranson, who passed for 2,648 yards and 15 touchdowns in his time at Oregon State, is vital in the mission to revive a Stanford offense that ranked No. 106 nationally in scoring last season with 22.8 points per game.

“The coaches over here, they’re great resources and they know so much about the game,” Gulbranson told Cardinal Sports Report. “I’m just trying to come in here, be a sponge and learn as much as possible every day.”

Select few FBS offenses were less prolific than Stanford a season ago. Hawaii was among that group.

The Rainbow Warriors averaged 22.3 points per game to rank No. 111 nationally, which was the program’s best in three seasons.

Hawaii coach Timmy Chang set the NCAA career passing record as the Rainbow Warriors quarterback in 2004, operating in a pass-happy, run-and-shoot attack.

Visions of returning to those high-scoring days was revived at the conclusion of the 2024 season when freshman quarterback Micah Alejado threw for 469 yards on 37-of-57 passing with five touchdowns against New Mexico.

Alejado is throwing to a corps of pass catchers that includes a familiar face for Stanford, wide receiver Jackson Harris. Harris transferred to Hawaii from Stanford where he played nine games in the previous two seasons and caught for a touchdown last year.

“I can’t wait for everybody to get to watch him,” Chang said of Harris. “People will get to see how much of a talent he is.”

The position group should be a team strength. Beyond Harris, Hawaii features Kentucky transfer Brandon White and two preseason All-Mountain West picks in slotbacks Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle.

This is the earliest Hawaii has ever opened a college football season by one day and the only time the program has played an active member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback Ben Gulbranson (17) throws the ball during the third quarter against the San Jose State Spartans at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Stanford tabs Ben Gulbranson as QB1

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Ben Gulbranson, long a backup for Stanford’s ex-Pac-12 rival Oregon State, will be the Cardinal’s starting quarterback to open the season.

Stanford interim head coach Frank Reich named Gulbranson, a redshirt senior, his starter Monday ahead of the season-opening trip to Honolulu to face Hawaii on Saturday.

Gulbranson’s chief competition was redshirt freshman Elijah Brown, a former four-star recruit who played in three games before being redshirted last year.

“That has nothing to do with a lack of confidence in Elijah,” Reich told reporters. “(Elijah) is a really good player. He’s had a phenomenal camp. Like was mentioned earlier, Ben’s experience probably gave him the edge in the long run, but we’re super excited about Elijah and the rest of the group.”

Reich said Gulbranson showed “good command and mastery of the offense” throughout fall camp, among other positives.

Gulbranson chose to transfer to Stanford after the Cardinal’s new general manager and former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Andrew Luck reached out to him.

He’ll also play for Luck’s former coach with the Indianapolis Colts in Reich.

“Just trying to learn as much as I can from those guys,” Gulbranson said. “Obviously NFL guys that have seen so much football and have learned so much, and they are just great teachers. They always have something new that I’ve never even really thought about or heard about, and it’s really great having them.”

In 18 appearances for Oregon State (2020, 2022-24), Gulbranson has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,648 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also has scored six rushing touchdowns, five coming during his redshirt freshman campaign at Oregon State in 2022.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal place kicker Emmet Kenney (13) is carried by teammates following his game winning field goal against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Ex-Nike CEO John Donahoe named AD at Stanford

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Former Nike CEO John Donahoe will take over as the athletic director at Stanford, where he earned his graduate degree.

His first day on the job will be Sept. 8.

Donahoe, 65, comes to the position with decades of management experience. He was the CEO of Nike from 2020-24 and served on its board of directors beginning in 2014. In previous roles, he was the CEO of ServiceNow, a global software company, of eBay and of Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. He also was the board chair at PayPal from 2015-25.

“Stanford occupies a unique place in the national athletics landscape,” campus president Jon Levin said in a statement. “We needed a distinctive leader — someone with the vision, judgment, and strategic acumen for a new era of college athletics, and with a deep appreciation for Stanford’s model of scholar-athlete excellence. John embodies these characteristics. We’re grateful he has agreed to lead Stanford Athletics through this critical period in college sports.”

Donahoe holds his undergraduate degree in economics from Dartmouth College and his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

“My north star for 40 years has been servant leadership, and it is a tremendous honor to be able to come back to serve a university I love and to lead Stanford Athletics through a pivotal and tumultuous time in collegiate sports,” Donahoe said. “Stanford has enormous strengths and enormous potential in a changing environment, including being the model for achieving both academic and athletic excellence at the highest levels.”

Stanford competes in 36 sports. In football, he will work with a Stanford alum, former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck, who is entering his second season as the school’s football general manager.

“He brings unparalleled experience and elite leadership to our athletic department in a time of opportunity and change,” Luck said. “I could not be more excited to partner with and learn from him.”

Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who also earned his MBA at Stanford, endorsed the hire.

“Stanford has made an excellent choice for its new athletic director in John Donahoe. They will not find anyone smarter or with more integrity and dedication,” Knight said.

Donahoe replaces Bernard Muir, who was athletic director for 13 years before stepping down at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ron Rivera on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Report: Prominent Cal football donors withhold money over Ron Rivera role

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Prominent donors to the Cal football name, image and likeness collective said they won’t give any more money to the organization until former NFL head coach Ron Rivera is given the authority to run the Golden Bears program, SFGate reported.

Rivera, a former All-American linebacker at Cal, was hired March 20 as the school’s first football general manager. He was tasked with focusing on building the program to “compete and win at the highest level” as well as fundraising.

But that isn’t enough for two board members of the California Legends Collective, a third-party NIL collective, who want Rivera to hold a role similar to that of Andrew Luck at Cal’s Bay Area neighbor, Stanford, and are sharing that idea with other donors.

Luck was hired in November.

“I think we feel a certain sense of obligation to inform the donors that we have brought in and cultivated for the past several years who have helped fund the collective and help generate the success that we’ve generated,” Kevin Kennedy, president of California Legends Collective, told SFGate. “We owe them full insights into what we’re personally doing with our investments. I think it behooves all of us, and we firmly believe that, to have just clear reporting lines, and have it be clearly specified that Ron Rivera is in control of football.”

At Cal, Rivera reports to university chancellor Rich Lyons. Head coach Justin Wilcox reports to athletic director Jim Knowlton.

Kennedy said that isn’t right.

“You don’t hire Mario Andretti and ask him to sit in the passenger seat, right?” he told SFGate. “There’s a reason that you bring someone like that on staff: In order to give him control.”

In response to questions posed by SFGate, Lyons responded with this statement:

“I am confident we have the right people, in the right places, doing the right things in support of a Cal Athletics football program that can and will excel. The world of intercollegiate sports is changing rapidly, and Cal will continue to adapt rapidly to that.”

Cal finished the 2024 season with a 6-7 (2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) record. Stanford was 3-9 overall and 2-6 in its first year in the ACC.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich watches his team play against the Chicago Bears in the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Reports: Stanford hiring Frank Reich as interim coach

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Stanford is hiring former NFL head coach Frank Reich to be the Cardinal’s interim coach for the 2025 season, multiple outlets reported Monday.

Both sides have agreed that it will be a one-year deal as Stanford conducts a national search to replace Troy Taylor, who was fired last week after allegations of bullying and belittling female athletic staff members.

Reich, 63, has never coached at the college level. The former NFL quarterback was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-22, posting a 40-33-1 record with two playoff appearances. Reich took over the Carolina Panthers in 2023 but was fired after a 1-10 start.

Reich previously spent time on the West Coast as quarterbacks coach (2013) and offensive coordinator (2014-15) for the then-San Diego Chargers. He was the Philadelphia Eagles’ OC from 2016-17 before being hired to lead the Colts.

Per ESPN, Stanford also is promoting tight ends coach Nate Byham to offensive coordinator. He also will call the plays.

Taylor, 56, was fired last Tuesday, less than a week after an ESPN report outlined allegations by staff members.

“After continued consideration it is evident to me that our program needs a reset,” Stanford general manager Andrew Luck said in a statement announcing Taylor’s dismissal. “In consultation with university leadership I no longer believe that Coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program. Coach Taylor has been informed today and the change is effective immediately.”

Reich’s first season as head coach of the Colts in 2018 was also Luck’s final season as the Indianapolis quarterback. The Colts finished 10-6 and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional playoffs before Luck unexpectedly retired ahead of the 2019 campaign at age 29.

Stanford has posted four straight 3-9 seasons, the last two under Taylor. The Cardinal’s last postseason appearance was the Sun Bowl in 2018.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw before the game against the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Former Stanford coach David Shaw joins Lions’ staff

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The Detroit Lions added former Stanford head coach David Shaw to a revamped coaching staff on Tuesday as their passing game coordinator.

Shaw, 52, was a four-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year at Stanford from 2011-22. With a record of 96-54, he resigned as the winningest coach in Cardinal history.

Joining head coach Dan Campbell’s staff marks Shaw’s first formal position since leaving Stanford. He spent the 2024 NFL season as a senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos but hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2005.

Shaw’s NFL experience includes stints as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles (1997), then-Oakland Raiders (1998-2001) and Baltimore Ravens (2002-05).

The Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears) and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (New York Jets) to head coaching positions following a franchise-record 15-win season in 2024.

In addition to Shaw and new OC John Morton and new DC Kelvin Sheppard, the staff changes announced Tuesday include hiring Tashard Choice as running backs coach and moving Scottie Montgomery from RBs coach to assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal and NFL former quarterback Andrew Luck stands on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stanford football names alum Andrew Luck its GM

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Stanford has done what the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t do. Lure Andrew Luck out of retirement.

The university announced Saturday that Luck has been named the general manager of Stanford football, effective immediately. He will oversee all aspects of the program at his alma mater.

“I am a product of this University, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck, 35, said in a team news release. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach (Troy) Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.”

Luck was with the Cardinal from 2008-11, leading the team to a 31-7 record as its starting quarterback after taking a redshirt in his first season. Before becoming the No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Colts, Luck finished second in Heisman Trophy voting twice (2010-11) and won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award following the 2011 season.

Indianapolis pushed future Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning aside to make room for Luck, who was a four-time Pro Bowl selection in six seasons before shocking the Colts and retiring just before the 2019 season.

Luck earned his bachelor’s degree in architectural design in 2012 and 11 years later, his master’s in education., from Stanford.

“Andrew Luck exemplifies the Stanford student-athlete,” said Jonathan Levin, Stanford’s president. “I’m excited he’s returning to campus to help lead our football program and ensure that our student-athletes achieve excellence in the changing collegiate athletics environment.”

Luck be counted to work with Taylor, who will enter his third year as head coach in 2025, on recruiting and roster management. In addition, he’ll run much of the business side of things, including fundraising, sponsorships, alumni relations and student-ahtlete support.

“He also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford Football,” athletic director Bernard Muir said. “I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.”

Stanford finished the 2024 season on Friday with a 34-31 loss to San Jose State. The Cardinal were 3-9 overall and 2-8 as a first-year member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash (3) makes a catch in front of Boise State Broncos cornerback A'Marion McCoy (7) in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

San Jose State WR Nick Nash out to test Stanford DBs

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San Jose State’s Nick Nash enters Friday’s regular-season finale at home against Stanford with a national-best 96 catches.

The Cardinal may have to start three freshmen in the secondary after injuries ravaged their depth during last Saturday’s 24-21 Big Game loss to California.

Stanford coach Troy Taylor, finishing his second year on the job, is hopeful experiences like last week’s and the one his team may endure this week will strengthen his defensive backs room in years to come.

“You gain stuff from experience,” Taylor said. “These (freshmen defensive backs) went through trial by fire. Maybe a little more seasoning would’ve been in their best interest but they knew they had to step up because of injuries.”

Those fresh faces may have to endure their toughest on-the-job training yet.

Nash, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s best wide receiver, caught a touchdown pass in the team’s first 10 games. He was kept out of the end zone during last week’s 27-16 loss by a combination of good UNLV defense and horrific weather that made throwing a sub-optimal option.

Nash has 1,291 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, one shy of the school’s single-season record for receivers. He leads FBS in catches and touchdowns while ranking second in yardage. The former quarterback still appears to have plenty of ceiling, too, as he’s only played receiver for two years.

“I think I’m an underdog,” he said. “I wasn’t majorly recruited and then seeing where I am now and always believing in myself. … I worked so hard to get to this point.”

Nash’s work has helped the Spartans (6-5) qualify for a bowl in coach Ken Niumatalolo’s first season. Meanwhile, the Cardinal (3-8) can only hope to jump into the offseason with a win that would snap a stretch of seven losses in eight games.

Stanford leads the teams’ all-time series 52-14-1, although they haven’t played since the Cardinal’s 34-13 victory in 2013. This will be the first time San Jose State has hosted this game since 2006.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) carries the ball against the Stanford Cardinal during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal scores twice late to edge Stanford in Big Game’s ACC debut

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Fernando Mendoza connected with Jonathan Brady for a pair of touchdown passes in the final 10:09 on Saturday afternoon, rallying California to a 24-21 victory over rival Stanford in the annual Big Game’s first Atlantic Coast Conference edition in Berkeley, Calif.

Mendoza threw for 299 yards and three scores, the first of which was a second-quarter, 16-yard toss to Trond Grizzell for Cal’s only TD in the game’s first three quarters as Stanford built a 21-10 lead.

But Mendoza found Brady for a 30-yard TD to cap a 71-yard drive with 10:09 to play to get the Golden Bears (6-5, 2-5 ACC) within five, then hit his wideout again for a 22-yard score that put Cal on top with 2:40 to go.

A two-point shovel pass from Mendoza to Jaydn Ott increased the margin to 24-21, before the Cal defense forced a turnover on downs on Stanford’s ensuing possession, giving the host Golden Bears command of the game.

Mendoza’s late accuracy left him 25-for-36 without an interception, helping the Golden Bears gain bowl eligibility with a sixth win.

Brady finished with five catches for 64 yards and his two scores, while Grizzell had four catches for a game-high 70 yards and the first-half TD. Mendoza also was Cal’s leading rusher with 11 carries for 35 yards.

Stanford dominated the early going, taking a 14-0 lead in the 14th minute of the game on 1- and 2-yard plunges by Stanford backup quarterback Justin Lamson.

Seeking to end a three-game losing streak in the rivalry, the Cardinal (3-8, 2-6) created a two-touchdown cushion midway through the third quarter when running back Micah Ford flipped a 2-yard TD pass to Emmett Mosley V on a fourth-down trick play. Emmet Kenney’s PAT made it 21-7.

Ryan Coe hit a 46-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in the third period, getting Cal within 21-10 and setting up the fourth-quarter rally.

Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels went 14-for-26 for 139 yards with no interceptions and added a game-high 63 yards on 21 rushes. Mosley hauled in six of Daniels’ 14 completions for 63 yards.

The Stanford defense sacked Mendoza six times.

Cal outgained the visitors 371-259, but had the game’s only turnover, a fumble on a kickoff return.

–Field Level Media