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Stanford head coach David Shaw rounded out his staff by naming David Kotulski his new inside linebackers coach.

Kotulski spent the past six seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Lehigh University of the Patriot League. He replaces Jason Tarver, who left last month to be the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders.

"David Kotulski is a veteran in 3-4 defense and has a very positive history with both [defensive coordinator] Derek Mason and [OLB coach] Lance Anderson,” Shaw said in a statement. "He has demonstrated through the years that he is an outstanding teacher, great motivator and a very good recruiter -- especially in the Northeast. Our entire staff will benefit from his experience and expertise."

During his 31-year career, Kotulski has worked at Holy Cross, Utah State, Bucknell, Saint Mary's and Utah. It was at Bucknell that he crossed paths with Mason and Anderson, and again with Anderson at Utah State. He started his career in 1978 at Utah.

Kotulski, 59, isn't a big name on the West Coast, and he doesn't have the NFL coaching pedigree that Tarver had -- which included 10 years with the San Francisco 49ers. But he seems to know the 3-4 scheme and how to create pressure, and that's what Stanford's defense is all about. Last year, Lehigh's defense ranked in the top three in six defensive categories, including first in pass efficiency defense, sacks and third-down defense.

As noted earlier in the week, the Cardinal have two budding stars at inside linebackers in Jarek Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley -- who flourished under Tarver's tutelage. Both have shown good ball instincts and Lancaster's open-field tackling was spectacular toward the end of the season. The Cardinal also hope to have Shayne Skov back and healthy after a season-ending knee injury last year. He still has to serve some sort of punishment -- likely a suspension -- stemming from his DUI arrest last month and his rehab will keep him from participating in spring drills. But if he's back at 100 percent, he'll be one of the top inside linebackers in the country.

Worth noting also in Shaw's released statement is the recruiting factor. Stanford is one of the few true national recruiters and having a known presence in the Northeast can't hurt.

You can see the full release with Kotulski's complete bio here.

Stanford head coach David Shaw is going to spend this week looking.

• Looking for a new quarterback.
• Looking to fill holes on his offensive line.
• Looking for a couple of new safeties.
• Looking to fill out his coaching staff with a linebackers coach.

But he's also looking for something that trumps all of the above: Stanford's identity.

"I need to see what we're becoming," Shaw said. "I need to see what Stanford football in 2012 is going to look like. We're not going to have all of the answers. But hopefully we'll have a better idea of where we're headed on both sides of the ball."

The Cardinal kick off the first of two spring sessions today, and Shaw said he hopes that by the end of the week he'll be able to make an announcement on a new inside linebackers coach. Last week, he named Pete Alamar the new special teams coordinator. Alamar replaces Brian Polian, who left for Texas A&M last month. The new linebackers coach will replace Jason Tarver, who also served as co-defensive coordinator before leaving this month to be defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.

Shaw said that Derek Mason -- who was co-defensive coordinator with Tarver -- will oversee the defense as the sole coordinator next season. While he'd like to have a linebackers coach in place this week, he said it's not an immediate priority.

"I'm in no hurry," Shaw said. "We have seven practices this session, and if we get it filled, great. If not, I'm fine. The most important thing is that I get the right guy that fits us and fits what we want to do."

Naturally, quarterback will be hot debate throughout the offseason as the Cardinal take the field for the first time in three years without Andrew Luck leading the offense. This first session of practices will focus mainly on the base offense and defense, and third downs. The second session will involve more situational practice.

Shaw said he expects all of the position battles to be hotly contested. The practices will be high-energy, full contact (though the NCAA limits how many days you can go in full pads during the spring) and he wants to see which players are going to separate themselves. Only then will he have a better idea of what his team is going to look like next season.

"Where are we at the safety positions could dictate what we do coverage-wise," Shaw said. "What we do on the offensive line will dictate what we do in protection and the running game. Who has the edge at QB leaving spring? It won't be decided, but whoever has the edge, we might know a little bit more what we want to do scheme-wise. They won't be final answers. But they'll be clues as to where Stanford football in 2012 is going to go."

On Thursday, Stanford head coach David Shaw said he would name his new special teams coach on Monday. Apparently, the news couldn't wait.

Shaw annouced Friday that Pete Alamar, a Pac-12 veteran of Cal and Arizona, would be Stanford's new special teams coordinator.

"Pete came highly recommended by people who I respect in the coaching profession," Shaw said in a statement. "He is one of those rare coaches who can coach not only scheme, but also the technique of snapping, punting and kicking."

Alamar replaces Brian Polian, who left Stanford last month to join Kevin Sumlin's staff at Texas A&M.

Alamar was the special teams coach at Cal from 2003-09. He was on staff at Arizona in 1993 and again from 1995-99. He spent the past two years coordinating special teams and coaching the tight ends at Fresno State. He has also worked as a running backs coach, on the offensive line and was the offensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan from 2000-02.

Stanford was neither bad nor great at special teams last year. Within the Pac-12, the Cardinal ranked 10th in punting, fourth in kickoff coverage, third in punt returns, fifth in field goals and seventh in PAT kicking.

There are some holes on the special teams units to fill. Punter David Green is gone, as is long-snapper Andrew Fowler. Kicker Jordan Williamson was second-team All-Pac-12 as a freshman. Ty Montgomery emerged as a solid kick returner and Drew Terrell, who was All-Pac-12 honorable mention, will likely continue punt return duties.

The hiring leaves Shaw with one vacancy on the staff. He said yesterday that he expects to name an inside linebackers coach sometime next week. He added that the new coach would not serve as co-defensive coordinator, as was the case with former coach Jason Tarver, who left earlier this month to be the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. Derek Mason will have full defensive coordinator responsibilities next season.

The Cardinal open the first of two spring football sessions on Monday.

Stanford head coach David Shaw announced that running backs coach Mike Sanford will take over the recruiting coordinator responsibilities for the Cardinal.

Sanford, now in his second season with the program, fills the void left by special teams coach/recruiting coordinator Brian Polian, who left last month to take a similar position on Kevin Sumlin’s staff at Texas A&M.

Sanford’s new role takes effect immediately.

“Mike Sanford is a proven recruiter who truly loves and understands Stanford University,” Shaw said in a statement. “He works extremely hard and develops great relationships.”

Sanford played an instrumental role in Stanford landing one of the top recruiting classes in the country, which included six players on the 2012 ESPNU 150 list.

In his first year as the Cardinal’s running backs coach in 2011, Sanford oversaw a rushing attack that ranked 18th nationally with an average of 210.6 yards per game.

The move comes on the heels of running game coordinator/offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren being named one of the top recruiters in the country and the No. 1 recruiter in the Pac-12. To round out his staff, Shaw still has to find a special teams replacement for Polian and someone to replace co-defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Jason Tarver, who was hired earlier this month as the defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.

Sanford, a 2005 graduate of Boise State, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UNLV. He served at Stanford as an offensive assistant from 2007-2008 before moving to Yale in 2009 (tight ends, fullbacks, recruiting coordinator) and Western Kentucky in 2010 (passing game coordinator, running backs).

Scott in Redwood City, Calif., writes: Stanford's high admissions standards for the footballers is under-appreciated, I don't think you'll dispute. Especially remarkable to me is the fact that Stanford imposes the exact same labor-intensive admissions process (essays, recommendations, etc.) on football players as any other applicant. Comparing any school in D-I to Stanford in regards to academics is laughable, in my opinion. This used to be merely an interesting side-note (and a handy explanation/excuse). But now, with all this program is accomplishing, I find it remarkable that this topic doesn't get more "run." What gives?

Kevin Gemmell: No doubt, the admissions process is brutal. Just ask some of the commits who didn't end up gaining admission and were left scrambling to find a spot days before signing day. I asked head coach David Shaw about that specifically in our post-recruiting day Q&A and he gave, I thought, was a pretty candid answer. But I'm not sure how much more "run" you can give it. Stanford is a great academic institution. It's tough to get into. Now the Cardinal play good football to boot. What more is there to say?

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Jorge in San Francisco writes: With the hoopla and depth surrounding next season's crew of Tunnel Workers O-lineman, could Stanford be a better running team than last year? We lose top talent in Moose [Jonathan Martin] and [David] DeCastro, but perhaps we may be able to run 7 or even 8 (!) lineman formations? The RBs are probably improved too. Going out on a limb, we may even match up better with Oregon next year with an increased focus on the running game. On the other hand, the O-line will be young and we lose Andrew Luck's pre-snap run-audibles and passing threat.

KG: First, great question. Second, I think you answered it with the last sentence. No matter how much Shaw tried to stress how important Luck was to the running game, I don't think it was ever really appreciated outside of the Pac-12. Now, that's not to say that Shaw and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton can't call plays -- because they can and they're very good at it. When you look at the line, you love having Sam Schwartzstein back at center. No one understands the offense better than him -- except for Luck. And now he's gone. Cameron Fleming and David Yankey should be even better next year. I'd imagine we'll see more of Kevin Danser on the line and I'm really curious to see which of the new linemen can contribute right away. Guards traditionally see playing time sooner than tackles, but there is nothing traditional about this group coming in. I think we'll continue to see Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney get better. You lose the goal-line back in Jeremy Stewart, though fullback Ryan Hewitt was equally effective in short-yardage situations last year. And then there's the question of Barry Sanders and whether he sees time. As for the Oregon question, hang on, because you're about to fall off that limb. No matter how you slice it, losing Andrew Luck never helps you match up better against anyone.

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Amber in Saratoga, Calif., writes: I was shocked at your statement: "Skov has neither the history nor the offense to warrant that severe of a punishment." How could you consider a DUI not that serious of an offense?

KG: Amber, first, I was in no way was downplaying the severity of a DUI. The point was that Shayne Skov didn't have a history of misconduct and that as far as we know this was his first slip-up. And I still don't think he should be kicked off the team, as opposed to Washington State linebacker C.J. Mizell, which is where the comparison came from. I certainly don't condone his actions and clearly neither does Shaw. Punishment is warranted. But blackballing him from the team would be too severe. Others disagree and think he should be booted. I don't buy that. And neither do I buy the "it could have been worse" argument. Of course it could have been worse. But it wasn't. So let this be a lesson to Skov, his teammates and valuable teaching moment for Shaw. I expect Skov to be a model citizen for the rest of his days at Stanford and Shaw to handle the situation justly and without prejudice.

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Tony in Fresno, Calif., writes: Does David Shaw hire someone to be another co-defensive coordinator, or does Derek Mason take the job all to himself?

KG: Personally, I like the idea of one coordinator handling the pass defense and another handling the front end -- which was Jason Tarver's job. It probably happens more than we think on other teams, it's just that one guy usually gets the title. Whether the new coach gets the title or not, it was clear that Stanford's weekly defensive scheme was built on a collaborative effort and that won't change. More important I think is finding a coach well-versed in the 3-4. Tarver's knowledge was beyond vast. That's why he's now an NFL coordinator.

This is what happens. You get good, and then the getting gets good for other teams to come in and start picking off assistant coaches.

Stanford is no exception. It happened last year with the head coach. And another successful season means another round of the coaching carousel.

The fact that co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver left the Cardinal after just one year to return to the NFL is no real shock. He's one of the brightest defensive minds in football and his star is on the rise. There are only 32 defensive coordinator gigs in the NFL -- and when one of them opens up, you have to take it. If it were a lateral move to another college team, you might scratch your head. But none of that is needed with Tarver. Great move for him and a validation for David Shaw for hiring him in the first place.

So where does this leave the Cardinal -- specifically that monster front seven we've been chatting about since the end of the season? Tarver's is a beautiful mind -- and not just in the football sense. The guy is smart. There probably aren't a lot of other NFL defensive coordinators who have masters degrees in molecular biology and biochemistry from UCLA hanging on their office wall.

What he brought to Stanford was an unbelievable understanding of the 3-4 defense. In the decade prior to his time on The Farm, Tarver learned every strand, strain, wrinkle and wiggle there is to know about the scheme from some of the best defensive minds in the NFL.

At Stanford, he worked directly with the inside linebackers and deserves a ton of credit for the rapid development of Jarek Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley from good prospects to legitimate Pac-12 starters.

Without a doubt, losing Tarver is a blow. But if Stanford is anything, it's resilient. Wasn't the team supposed to lose its swagger once Jim Harbaugh left? Remember how the run defense was shot after Shayne Skov went down? Wasn't recruiting going to decline once Andrew Luck was gone?

From a game-planning perspective, little will change with Tarver's departure. Co-defensive coordinator Derek Mason (who we can only assume is running the show solo until otherwise told), will continue to install the game plan with the direct input from Lance Anderson, Randy Hart and an inside linebackers coach to be named later. (And don't be surprised either to see Mason's name popping up for head-coaching gigs either in the future).

In extensive conversations with Tarver during the season, one of the things he always made clear was that every week it was a collaborative effort, and every week there was something in the defensive game plan from each contributing coach.

Mason is not a micro-manager, and that's why he works so well with Anderson, Hart and Tarver. Now a quarter of that brain trust will be missing, but it will be replaced.

Where the real impact will be felt is teaching technique and installing the front seven's schemes. Tarver was very good at implementing the same blitz or stunt out of several different looks in the front seven -- and then tweaking it each week based on the opponent. As he often said, it allowed the defense to play faster without having to think slower.

Mason, Hart and Anderson are all fantastic coaches in their own right with an unquestioned wealth of knowledge. But none has the next-level experience of 10 years in the The League that Tarver brought -- the last five specifically working with linebackers in an NFL 3-4 scheme.

Because of who remains on staff, Tarver's departure doesn't make or break the Stanford defense. But whoever comes in has some big brains to fill.

Stanford co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is headed back to the NFL after one season with the Cardinal. Here's an excerpt from the news story on ESPN.com:

Tarver had spent the previous decade as a 49ers assistant, including the final six seasons (2005-2010) coaching the outside linebackers. After the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh, Tarver went back to the college ranks to team with co-defensive coordinator Derek Mason at Stanford.

Tarver returns to the NFL with an even more monumental task.

Despite having many high-priced players on that side of the ball, the Raiders struggled mightily on defense last season. Oakland had franchise worsts in touchdown passes allowed (31), yards per carry (5.1), yards passing (4,262) and total yards (6,201) while giving up the third-most points (433) in team history.

For the full story, click here.

Has there ever been a 3-8 defense? Three linemen, eight linebackers?

"Uh, I don't think so," laughed Stanford linebacker Jarek Lancaster. "But who knows. I'm sure the coaches will find a way to figure it out. There are far too many talented guys to just leave them on the bench."

It's the proverbial great problem for Stanford to have — too many good players for only four linebacker spots.

All four of Stanford's starting linebackers return next season — Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley on the inside and Trent Murphy and Chase Thomas on the outside. Not to mention that two of the three starting defensive linemen — Ben Gardner and Terrence Stephens — are also back.

Then, you factor in that Shayne Skov will be returning from a knee injury, Joe Hemschoot picked up good playing time, James Vaughters is chomping at the bit and incoming freshman Noor Davis — the No. 1 outside linebacker recruit in the nation — may fight for snaps.

Co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver said the key to rotating so many players is making sure the snaps they get are about quality, not quantity.

"We'll use them for what they do well," Tarver said. "We're excited about the depth and they are good young men. There are also a lot of young guys out there who are excited about playing and taking the baton and taking what we started to another level."

The unit obviously got a huge boost when Thomas opted to return to Stanford for his senior year. After going through the NFL projections, he decided his NFL future would still be too hazy to leave early.

"It was probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make," Thomas told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Each day I woke up and I'd be changing my mind ... I just had to go with my gut instinct."

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projects Thomas to be the No. 1 senior outside linebacker in the country next season.

Chase Thomas had a chance to crack the second round, but in going back to Palo Alto for another year, I think he has the chance to improve his stock a bit.

The biggest question mark will be Skov -- who went down with a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the season. He was the team's leading tackler and probably would have left for the NFL had he stayed healthy. Kiper rates him as the No. 3 senior inside linebacker.

Skov is an interesting prospect, and if he's fully healthy the Stanford defense is going to be quite good.

While head coach David Shaw's expertise is on the offensive side of the ball, he knows his linebacker cup runneth over with talent. And it's not something he can ignore.

"We'll find a way to get them all involved. We have to," Shaw said. "With Ben and Terrence Stephens, A.J. and Lancaster — the experience those guys got this year — and Shayne hopefully coming back to form and both outside linebackers, it's an exciting group when you look at it on paper."

If 2011 was the season of learning for Stanford linebacker Jarek Lancaster, then the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State was graduation. And the first-year starter walked away with defensive valedictorian honors. In a game that wasn't exactly overflowing with defensive bright spots -- for either team for that matter -- Lancaster was one of the few defenders who stood out.

"He made a lot of plays," said head coach David Shaw. "He was physical. In a game where we missed some tackles on defense, he was as sure a tackler as there was in space. He made big-time stops at big times. It's how the season went for him. We ask him to do more and he steps up and does more."

And more is on the way, both in the production and expectation departments. The third-year sophomore admits that when he first stepped in to the starting inside linebacker spot following Shayne Skov's injury, there were plenty of jitters. But he also knew that in time, they would pass.

"When you first get thrust into a starting position, you want to think you'll get better and believe you have the potential to get to another level," Lancaster said. "When I first got in there, the game seemed really fast and I wasn't as comfortable as I am now. It's been real nice to see the game slow down in front of my eyes and be able to feel more confident when I'm in there."

And confidence wasn't a problem in the Fiesta Bowl, where he matched senior safety Delano Howell for the team high in tackles with seven.

"I felt like I played pretty well with the open-field tackles, because they are a speed team," Lancaster said. "They didn't really run the ball, which is something you want to do -- make them one-dimensional. They were the better team that night, but overall I thought I played pretty well."

So next season, there won't be any excuses. No first-year starter excuses to fall back on. Not that Lancaster did anyway. But the better he plays, the better he will be expected to play.

"His open-field tackling was outstanding," said co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver. "They were big-time drive-stoppers for us. I was really excited about that. I was happy to see him do that. After a long season and starting on two special teams and playing almost every snap on defense, he worked through everything in his first year starting and his production per play was very good.

"I can't wait to see him progress. We were already talking about certain areas where he needs to grow right after the game and on the way home. He put a lot of good things on film. Jarek's a pretty amazing kid and he has a great ability to stay in the moment."

Despite leading the Cardinal with 70 tackles this season, Lancaster had just one sack on the year. That's something he said will be a major point of emphasis in the offseason.

"I need to get better at my pass rush," Lancaster said. "Maybe I can get some hands, too, so I can get a pick next season."

Is A.J. Tarpley, the other starting inside linebacker, giving him a hard time because he has a pick?

"Yeah, a little bit," Lancaster joked. "I need to fix that."

Bigger, stronger, faster. Those are the goals for Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas, who announced over the weekend that he would return to Stanford for another season.

"Chase is a leader," said co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver. "He's great on the pass rush and with his hands. The next thing will be him putting on the size to do it all of the time and getting a little more weight. He's done a good job building himself into a very good player. If he continues on that progression, we'll be in good shape."

Thomas, a first-team all-Pac-12 selection, led the Cardinal with 8.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss this season. He led the conference in tackles for a loss and was second in sacks. He also forced a team-high five fumbles and totaled 52 tackles. But those numbers weren't enough to lure him into the NFL draft. At least, not yet.

"It took a lot of thought," Thomas said in a released statement through the school, noting that there would be no further comment. "Each day I leaned in a different direction but when it came down to my gut, I knew what I wanted to do. I love my school and my teammates and we have unfinished business."

Stanford's season ended on a sour note with an overtime loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. News of his return, which first came via Twitter, provided a much-needed bright spot following the heart-breaking loss, compounded with the announcements that offensive linemen David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin would join quarterback Andrew Luck in the NFL draft.

Tarver, obviously, is excited that Thomas will be returning and said he's looking for more consistent, dominant play from the 6-foot-4, 240-pound pass-rush specialist.

"The best thing that he does is destroy and defeat blockers and use his hands," Tarver said. "His ability to destroy blockers and not stay blocked is the best thing. Everyone gets blocked, it's whether you stay blocked or not. Hopefully his strength will continue ... if he can improve on those things, and show it all of the time and if he makes the same jump he's made every year he's been at Stanford after coming in as a 205-pound freshman, he'll be fine."

Thomas will also have the benefit of growing in a 3-4 scheme that is very similar to those used by NFL teams. That will give him a leg up when his time comes, Tarver said.

"We use the same terminology and a lot of the same techniques that a lot of the NFL 3-4 and 4-3's use," said Tarver, who had previously been with the San Francisco 49ers since 2001 -- the last five coaching the outside linebackers. "Another year in the system is only going to help him. We like to think that our defense can highlight guys like Chase -- not just on the outside, but at all positions. The NFL guys can see players do exactly what they are going to be asked to do at the next level. That's something we pride ourselves on. Putting these guys in spots to, No. 1, make plays. We want everyone to be productive. That's the bottom line. And No. 2, in our scheme, you get to see everybody do everything."

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Watching the first round of pregame warmups, you'd never know it's been more than a month between games. Except for one major difference -- there are a lot more healthy Cardinal players stretching out than there were at the end of November.

The time off, while it might temporarily hinder the timing of the offense, did the Cardinal more good than harm as several key players rested and recovered from injuries that either kept them out of the final games of the regular season or limited their time.

Other than that, quarterback Andrew Luck went through his usual routine, capping his warmups with a tippy-toe touchdown pass from Griff Whalen before heading back to the locker room. Co-defensive coordinators Jason Tarver and Derek Mason jogged their usual laps around the field.

Shaw said this week that keeping the schedule and the routine the same as they have all season was important for the team mentally and physically.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- We know Oregon has speed. Chip Kelly might as well have it printed on his business card:

Chip Kelly, head coach, Oregon. “I recruit speed.”

Speed at the skill positions, speed in which they get off plays and speed in which they execute those plays.

In the time it took you to read this, Oregon has run four plays and gained 72 yards.

But it’s what they do with that speed that makes them so dangerous.

Let’s take a look at what Oregon does on offense that makes them so potent.

Setting up in the shotgun, a standard run play starts with the double-option. Quarterback Darron Thomas reads the defensive end and then decides whether to hand off to one of his blistering backs if the defensive end dives or he keeps it himself.

Simple enough. But then…

Oregon starts bringing slot backs across in a fly motion or arc motion which adds a pitch element -- turning the double option into the triple option. They’ll also do this out of a triple-I formation or split backs -- which is what you would see from traditional wishbone teams, only the Ducks do it out of the shotgun.

Getting tougher. But then…

Thomas starts reading the man inside of the defensive end -- be it an inside linebacker or nose guard in the 3-4 scheme -- and it becomes a mid-line option.

Getting a lot tougher. But then…

Oregon pulls one of its athletic guards on a trap block and Thomas fakes the dive and follows the trap.

Getting really hard now. But then…

Eight or nine defenders have been sucked in and are committed to the run and Thomas pulls off the play-action -- or simply spreads out his receivers to create crater-sized pockets in the secondary.

By the way, they will do all of the above out of multiple formations, from the hurry-up and with the nation’s leading rusher LaMichael James -- or the equally fast Kenjon Barner or De'Anthony Thomas -- standing next to or behind Thomas. Starting to the get the picture?

“It’s pretty tough,” said linebacker Jarek Lancaster, who then corrected himself. “Actually, it’s really tough. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. They do a lot of different things. But we’ve put in some really good calls that have made it as simple as possible for us … The type of defense we have is built-in to stop those runs. Just play your man and don’t be a hero out there. That’s how you do your job.

“No freelancing on these guys because they will burn you if you freelance.”

A defensive coach whom I admire greatly once told me there is no way to stop the triple-option on a chalkboard because the defense is always outnumbered.

Some pretty doom-and-gloom stuff if you happen to play defense for the boys in red. But there are ways around it – option rules that players can adhere to in order to minimize the impact of what Oregon can do offensively.

“What Chip and the guys do, they do a great job picking different formations every week,” said Stanford co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver. “What he’s shown, he’ll run the same play out of different formations. He uses all of that speed he has to cross your vision.”

And then you start thinking. Too much.

“If you think about all of those things when you are on the field, that’s when you get into trouble,” said safety Michael Thomas. “ … Coaches are coming up with a game plan that is very simple for us and allows us to go out and play fast. They are going to have motions and move guys around. You can’t get caught up in all of that. You just have to line up and play fast.”

An important key for Stanford is to stay multiple on defense. Keep changing up the looks. Keep changing up the formations and the blitz patterns so that Thomas’ reads are increasingly difficult. Teams that become stagnant in their alignments make it easier for Thomas to make his reads as the game progresses. The more multiple Stanford can be, the tougher it will be Thomas to make a clean read.

“That’s their pace,” Tarver said. “Their pace goes so fast that they want the simple looks so they read you in the same spot all of the time. The biggest thing you have to do is be ready and play sound. We’re a multiple-look team anyway.”

Stanford head coach David Shaw said there is no way to simulate Oregon’s players in practice. But he can simulate the pace. He’s running two scout teams -- right when one gets done, the other is on the line ready to go. The safeties have to react quickly and make the calls in a short amount of time so they can get a feel for how quickly Oregon moves.

And there is always the trap of getting away from what you do well to try to stop a certain play.

“You gotta remember, this game is being played by 18-22 year olds,” Shaw said. “And you asked them to do a lot against an offense that does a lot. There is a lot of variance in there where one guy just has to be out of position to give up a big play. You want to give multiple looks, but you have to trust your base defense to a certain degree because the guys know it and they know where to line up.”

Every play is a chess match. A 2-yard Oregon run might be setting up another play two drives later. Likewise a Stanford blitz might be setting up a different coverage later in the drive.

“This is the kind of game where you better be on your best behavior schematically,” Shaw said.

Picked some highlights from Monday's BCS Journey live chat session. Here's the link to the complete chat session with all of the ESPN writers and bloggers. The Stanford stuff starts at about 1:30 (10:30 for the West Coasters). Check out the link because Ted Miller and Mark Schlabach also add some great insight. Enjoy.

Comment from Dante: Stanford is overrated. Love (Andrew) Luck but he isn't any better than (Kellen) Moore and he doesn't have the players around him Moore does. They are a pretender and will struggle this weekend against a decent UW team.

Kevin Gemmell: Dante: Seen a lot of Luck and a lot of Moore. Two different styles of quarterback, but Luck is far more polished and NFL ready than Moore.

Comment from Tim: Last year, Oregon really looked too fast for Stanford once they got rolling. Has Stanford closed the gap, or is Oregon simply not as good this year?

Kevin Gemmell: Tim: I think with Stanford vs. Oregon, it's more of a match-up issue than a speed issue this year. Stanford's coaching staff has been very good at exploiting the mismatches with the TEs and using the NFL-strands of the 3-4 that Jason Tarver brings to the defense. They know how to put the right combinations together.

Comment from Eric: What I find most interesting about Stanford & Oregon is that they are both clearly 2nd half teams that work to grind out their opponents in the first half with their running game. So far, Stanford's D is playing lights out, but Oregon is a different beast. Whoever can stay fresh in the 2nd half on defense probably wins out.

Kevin Gemmell: Eric: Stanford's coaches have also been very good at halftime adjustments. They aren't afraid to experiment in the first half. Last weekend, the experiment blew up in their faces. They made the changes at halftime and blew up the scoreboard.

Comment from Josh: What does UW have to do to beat Stanford Saturday?

Kevin Gemmell: Josh: Stop the pass rush. That's where it starts with Stanford.

Comment from guest: I feel like the Stanford tight ends are just going to eat the Oregon defense alive by just finding small holes in the coverage and picking them apart on short-mid pass plays.

Kevin Gemmell: Guest: Even if they don't find the holes, they are so tall that they can go up and get the ball. Fleener is incredibly fast for his size, Ertz might have the best hands of the group and Toilolo is a beast at 6-8.

Comment from Michael: Who is more likely to lose, Oregon or Stanford, to someone other than themselves?

Kevin Gemmell: Michael: Stanford's secondary could have some trouble with the Barkley-Woods combo at USC. That's one to worry about before the Oregon game. But outside of those two, I don't see Stanford losing.

Comment from Trent: Shouldn't Pac-12 defenses be able to defend Oregon better? I mean they see the same Oregon offense every year. Are they that much worse than Boise State, LSU, Auburn etc that have completely shut Oregon down in recent years?

Kevin Gemmell: Trent: I think Stanford's 3-4 scheme is the perfect defense to handle Oregon. It gets more speedy tacklers on the field and with Terrence Stevens having a great season at NG, he's blowing off the ball and eating up three linemen at once. Would feel a lot better about it if Skov was still in, but Lancaster and Tarpley have filled in nicely.

Comment from Nick: What's made Stanford's defensive line such a pleasant surprise?

Kevin Gemmell: Nick: Terrence Stephens is playing great and Ben Gardner is a monster. Matt Masifilo has been his usual steady self. Those guys eat up blockers, but also push guys backwards and collapse the pocket. That lets guys like Chase Thomas do the mop-up work.

PULLMAN, Wash. -- It happened ... again. And the defense responded ... again.

That's three straight games where the Stanford defense had to make a play -- or a few -- in the opening minutes of a football game.

• Against UCLA, it was a four-down, goal-line stand that netted zero points for the Bruins despite a first-and-goal from the Stanford 4-yard line on the UCLA opening possession.
• Against Colorado, it was a fumble on the opening kickoff that put the defense in their own territory. A blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by Max Bergen swayed the momentum back in Stanford's favor.
• And again against Washington State, Andrew Luck was intercepted on his first pass of the game. The defense tallied two of their six sacks on that first possession and forced a five-and-out.

"Wherever they get the ball, it's our job to stop it," said co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver. "We don't care where they get the ball, that's what we do. Our job is to keep them from scoring points and get the ball back in the hands of Andrew. That's it. That's what we do."

It was an unusual first 30 minutes from the Stanford offense, which unsuccessfully shied away from its tight ends in lieu of getting the wide receivers more involved in the offense. And there was a rare fumble from running back Stepfan Taylor -- his first in 219 carries.

"I was surprised to see our offense turn the ball over, but not fazed," said defensive lineman Ben Gardner, who forced a fumble, broke up a pass and had three tackles, including one for a loss. "We remained confident the whole game. We know how hard it is to stop our offense and we know how they wear on your through four quarters. Our offensive line is big and physical. As a D-lineman taking on those double teams, by the third and fourth quarter, you're not having too much fun out there. We remained confident in our offense and we know if we get them the ball, they're going to put points on the board."

And that's exactly what happened. Washington State did score off Taylor's fumble in the second quarter, but they were blanked the rest of the way. The defense held Washington State to 48 yards rushing and limiting WSU quarterback Jeff Tuel to just 145 yards in the air.

Meanwhile, the offense exploded in the second half behind four touchdown passes from Luck and a big second half from tight ends Levine Toilolo, Coby Fleener and Zach Ertz. Even if it hadn't, Stanford's minute-man defense said they would have been up to the challenge.

"We're always ready," said cornerback Johnson Bademosi, who had five tackles and forced a pair of fumbles. "Whether the ball is on our side of the half or their side of the half. It's an opportunity for greatness. We can be backed up on our 1-yard line. Whatever. We have to show up. But we knew our offense would get going and they did."

In case you missed it, we had a great chat Monday with a lot of really good Stanford-oriented questions. Here’s a link to the complete, two-hour chat session with all of the bloggers and ESPN.com writers. Stanford stuff starts at 1:29 (10:29 for those of us still sucking down coffee on the West Coast). I pulled a few highlights for your reading/debating enjoyment.

Comment from gl: (Repeating now that Kevin is here :)) ...What chance does an undefeated Stanford have of sneaking past a 1-loss OU/OSU or SEC team into the title game? Does a 1-loss Stanford or Oregon deserve at-large BCS attention, or is the Pac-12 too down this year?

Kevin Gemmell: GL: Stanford needs to run the table. That simple. Their strength of schedule isn't strong enough to support them on 1-loss. And they need help from Notre Dame, Oregon et. all to boost that schedule. It's going to come down to computers, and unless some teams start dropping in front of them, Stanford doesn't compute for the national championship. Nothing wrong with the Rose Bowl, though.

Kevin Gemmell: As for a one-loss Stanford team, I think that's a possibility for at-large, but they'd rather it not come to that.

Comment from Tyler: Wisconsin vs. Stanford in the Rose Bowl? I think it’s destined to happen.

Kevin Gemmell: Tyler: Would love to watch that game. It can be called the “What Could Have Been” Bowl.

Comment from LAW: I still don't get the doubts about Stanford. 5-0 this year, win every game by 27+ points, haven't yet trailed in a game or been tied (except 0-0). Also they've won 13 straight are are 17-1 last two seasons. I admit they haven't played anyone yet this season, but I don't get why you would predict against them...

Kevin Gemmell: LAW: There are doubts BECAUSE they haven't trailed and BECAUSE they haven't played a tough schedule. I'm with you. I think they are a complete team. But I can also understand where the criticism comes from. The couple of times they have faced adversity early in games (UCLA and Colorado) they have risen up and performed wonderfully.

Comment from Michael: Yes, but who has Stanford played? LSU would have beat them too – Oregon will beat Stanford and play Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Kevin Gemmell: Michael: I'd like to see that Stanford/LSU matchup. I can't say for sure LSU would win or that Stanford would win. But I'd love to see Stanford's TEs and Luck go against that defense.

Comment from bobby: Besides Oregon, who in the Pac-12 has the best shot at Stanford?

Kevin Gemmell: Bobby: USC is always a threat. They can throw the ball and if there is a hole in Stanford's defense, it's the secondary. I wouldn't sleep on Washington. They are proving to be tougher than expected.

Comment from Jason: Does Stanford have the speed to play with Oregon this year?

Kevin Gemmell: Jason: Maybe not the speed, but they have the matchups. The trio of tight ends (6-6, 6-6, 6-8) are mismatches for everyone in the conference -- maybe the country. When they run their three-tight end sets, it's fun to watch dumbfounded defenses try to figure out who to cover.

Comment from Chris: If the Trojans can punch Luck in the mouth, they might have a chance.

Kevin Gemmell: Chris: Big if. Stanford has allowed just two sacks all year (and one of them was Luck running out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage). But Luck is very tough -- tougher than I expected when I first met him. He'll take his licks and get right back in there. I think underestimating him, on any level, is a big mistake.

Comment from Jason: Last year Stanford's D just looked slow against Oregon. Why will they not look slow this year?

Kevin Gemmell: Jason: A big reason is the addition of Jason Tarver as co-defensive coordinator. They are playing an NFL-style 3-4 defense with all of the strands and intricacies that go along with it.

Comment from khermanson61: Kevin. Compare Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck in their campaigns for the heisman. Wilson's numbers are superior and the heisman is not about being the better pro prospect.

Kevin Gemmell: Khermanson62: Good question. Luck does a lot of things that make him NFL-ready. Quick release, pro-style offense, reads defenses. Not saying that Wilson doesn't do all of those things, I just think Luck does them better. Remember, Luck has really good numbers, but he's in a system that is more geared toward the run. I think their ratio is about 55 percent run, 45 pass (don't quote me). And then there is the fact that he's been calling the plays from the field the last couple of weeks in the no-huddle. That's an amazing talent to have.