VIDEO: Stanford Football Weekly Press Conference: Hawaii <\/a><\/p>\n #1. Can Ben Gulbranson deliver as the starting quarterback?\u00a0Oregon State grad transfer\u00a0Ben Gulbranson\u00a0has been named the starting quarterback for Stanford. Due to his combination of experience, IQ, and simply playing the best of all the quarterbacks in fall camp, Gulbranson won the starting quarterback competition over redshirt freshman\u00a0Elijah Brown. If Stanford wants to have an improved season this year, Ben Gulbranson better deliver the goods. Can he? We\u2019re about to find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n READ: What it means: Ben Gulbranson named the starting quarterback for Stanford<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n #2. Will Frank Reich\u2019s impact translate into better results on the field?\u00a0Interim head coach\u00a0Frank Reich\u00a0is saying all the right things and by all accounts has brought a great spirit to the program. The players all seem to be fully behind him. On top of that, he\u2019s bringing in an NFL style offense that is different than what was being run last year. All of that on paper sounds good, but will any of it actually translate to better results on the field? That\u2019s probably the biggest question out there right now as it pertains to Stanford.\u00a0<\/p>\n #3. How will having two defensive coordinators work out?\u00a0Stanford has a pair of co-defensive coordinators in\u00a0Bobby April III\u00a0and\u00a0Andy Thompson. April is coaching the outside linebackers as well while Thompson coaches the inside linebackers. Thompson was brought over by\u00a0Troy Taylor\u00a0before Taylor got the pink slip, making for an interesting situation there. Having two defensive coordinators could work out, but it\u2019s still kind of odd. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how that part plays itself out.\u00a0<\/p>\n #4. Who will lead the team in rushing yards?\u00a0Stanford has a lot of different options at running back:\u00a0Micah Ford,\u00a0Cole Tabb,\u00a0Tuna Altahir, and\u00a0Sedrick Irvin Jr.\u00a0are all squarely in the mix to get their share of snaps with\u00a0Chris Davis Jr.\u00a0and\u00a0Champ Hampton\u00a0right behind them. It\u2019ll be interesting to see who leads the team in rushing yards this year and if anyone emerges as ahead of the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n #5. Will the offensive line be markedly better?\u00a0The offensive line has a pair of transfers starting in\u00a0Niki Prongos\u00a0(UCLA) and\u00a0Nick Fattig\u00a0(Texas Tech) with a bunch of other guys returning with more experience. On paper, the unit should be better this season and for Stanford\u2019s sake, it better be. The offensive line is perhaps the most critical unit on the team and it\u2019s hard to get a feel for how much better they really are. We should know soon enough though as Saturday\u2019s opener is fast approaching.\u00a0<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0Cardinal Sports Report has you covered for all the latest news on Stanford as they begin the Andrew Luck era.\u00a0<\/p>\n Join Cardinal Sports Report today for $1 for the first week and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic\u00a0\u00a0\u2013 included with your membership.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss out on this great offer!\u00a0<\/p>\n Sign up here:\u00a0<\/a>https:\/\/www.on3.com\/sites\/cardinal-sports-report\/join\/<\/a><\/p>\n CardinalSportsReport.com<\/a>\u00a0on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), & Bluesky: @StanfordRivals\u00a0<\/p>\n Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406\u00a0<\/p>\n Email:\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n
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