Owls looking for a fresh start Down Under against Cardinal
Australia journey like a bowl game for Bailiff’s team
As Rice wraps up its final practices before departing for Sydney, coaches and players are training their eyes toward the Cardinal.
“Stanford’s an elite football team. We knew that when we put them on the schedule, and at the same time, I think it’s one where you want to start with an elite football team because it shows us where we’re strong at and what we’re strong at and what we need to work at,” coach David Bailiff said Friday. “Strong football teams expose weaknesses and we’re going to need to get them corrected. We’re going to be open, then we play UTEP, and we need to have them corrected by the time we get to El Paso.”
With new schemes, staff and healthy personnel, the 2017 campaign feels like a fresh start for an Owls program looking to return to its 2013 glory.
To get there, they’ll need stability at quarterback. Glaesmann to start
The path to finding that stability starts with recently named starter Sam Glaesmann. Despite impressing in the spring game and winning a threeway contest for the job this summer, the redshirt freshman hasn’t played a competitive football game since high school.
Despite questions at quarterback and changes in the trenches, Stanford is seen as a Pac-12 championship contender off the strength of skill players like running back Bryce Love.
Glaesmann will be challenged by a loaded secondary that features two players on the Thorpe watch list in cornerback Quenton Meeks and safety Jason Reid — the younger brother of 49ers safety Eric Reid.
Bailiff brushed off the idea that his quarterback’s inexperience presents a unique challenge.
“We just have to do our best and worry about what we do,” he said.
Center Trey Martin, a preseason all-conference selection, said he’s encouraged Glaesmann to approach the game like any other.
“I just tell him go out here and approach everyday like an interview like Coach Bailiff tells us,” he said. “Be consistent, do your job, go out there and play.”
Bailiff said the team aimed to arrive in Australia early enough to resume camp and to avoid travel fatigue during the game. He also wants to ensure the team gets enough rest upon its return, something former California coach Sonny Dykes advised. From scheduling to player curfews, he said the team is approaching next Saturday as if it were a bowl game.
“It’s the most unique camp I’ve ever had. We started when we were in summer school so we were practicing really early so we could get them into class and now we’re leaving in camp to go to a foreign country,” he said. “We’ll have the longest trip in the country and probably the shortest trip. There’s a lot of firsts this year and a lot of optimism.”
Speaking of firsts, Bailiff is excited to experiment with true freshman receiver Cameron Montgomery in space.
At just 5 feet 5 inches tall and 150 pounds light, the Stafford-product runs the 100 meters in an impressive 10.4 seconds.
Bailiff said other newcomers like receiver Austin Trammell, tight end Jaegar Bull and defensive back Isaiah Richardson could potentially see playing time, too.
Despite losing firstround draft pick Solomon Thomas, the Stanford defensive line is expected to be solid. It’s led by Harrison Phillips, a versatile lineman who garnered all-conference honorable mention last season. He’ll likely line up opposite Martin throughout the game. New turnover recipe
Linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee said the defense brings a new mentality into the opener and the season.
“The mentality we have is we’re not going to give an inch. Nothing is going to be given; you’re going to have to earn it,” he said.
Ellerbee added that they’ll be more aggressive pursuing turnovers after placing 112th in the country in turnover margin last year.
“The defense is something that is exciting to go and play for because (defensive coordinator Brian Stewart) shows us some of the things he’s done in the NFL,” he said. “You kind of have aspirations to go and play in the NFL so you can see yourself doing some of that against the guys we’ll be playing this season.”
“We’ll be a different football team,” Bailiff said. “We’re a healthy football team and we played a lot of young ones last year, so I think we’ll be a lot better this season.”