Tag: Andrew Luck (Page 9 of 9)

      Did the uncertainty of the NFL’s labor situation scare Andrew Luck into staying at Stanford?

      January 6, 2011 /
      Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck (12) passes for 287 yards against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 77th Annual Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life stadium in Miami on January 3, 2011. Stanford defeated Virginia Tech 40-12. UPI/Martin Fried

      There will be plenty of people in the next couple of days that will say Andrew Luck is crazy for staying at Stanford. He’s basically just handed over a treasure chest filled with $50 million so he could play in the Pac-10 again next year.

      What are you thinking, kid? Your stock will never be higher! The iron has never been hotter! Carpe poon!

      But maybe the young man is worried about there not being a season next year. And considering Roger Goodell has been all talk and no action when it comes to getting the owners and the NFLPA to come together on a new labor deal, I don’t blame Luck if he is concerned about entering the draft.

      Will a deal probably get done eventually? Yes. Could Luck get hurt next season and wind up losing out on millions? Yes. Would I have left school if I were him and covered my self in chocolate sauce at the thought of receiving $50 million? Yes…what?

      But again, if Luck was concerned about the NFL’s labor situation, I can’t blame him. Why not take the guarantee rather than the possibility of there not being a season next year? (Of course, to that I ask: Why not just wait and take the guaranteed $50 million when they do reach an agreement, numb nuts?)

      On a related note: how screwed are the Carolina Panthers now? They were all set to take Luck with the No. 1 pick next April and now will have to go in another direction unless they think Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett (assuming he comes out) is worth that much guaranteed money. Some believe he’s a top 5 pick and while he certainly has the size and tools, it would be a stretch to say he’s worth the top overall selection.

      It’s not good to be a Panther fan these days.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

      Are the Panthers already set on Andrew Luck at No. 1?

      January 4, 2011 /
      Stanford Cardinals quarterback Andrew Luck (12) completes this first half pass against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 77th Annual Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life stadium in Miami on January 3, 2011. UPI/Michael Bush

      If the 2011 NFL Draft were to start in 20 minutes, the Carolina Panthers would already know whom they’d select with the No. 1 pick.

      According to NFC South beat writer Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Carolina has already decided to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick if the redshirt sophomore enters April’s draft. Luck torched Virginia Tech for 287 yards and four touchdowns in Monday night’s Orange Bowl, but has yet to state his intentions about next season.

      If Yasinskas’ report is accurate, then the Panthers obviously have decided that Jimmy Clausen was a waste of a second round pick in last year’s draft. Some regarded Clausen to be the most NFL-ready quarterback because he ran a pro-style offense for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. But the rookie struggled mightily this year with his decision-making, his accuracy, his pocket presence, his leadership skills, with making the morning coffee for team meetings, with buckling his chinstrap and with parking in between the lines when he arrived to Bank of America Stadium on Sundays.

      Making matters worse for the 2-14 Panthers is that they don’t have a second round pick after trading up for receiver project Armanti Edwards last year. He was a healthy inactive for most of the season and wound up hauling in a whopping zero passes for zero yards and zero touchdowns. The former Appalachian State star has plenty of raw talent and athleticism but given the current state of the Panthers, it’s fair to say that they made a bad decision in reaching for him last April.

      Getting back to Luck, if he decides to return to Stanford then the Panthers can’t draft a quarterback at No. 1. Jake Locker had a brutal senior season, Christian Ponder didn’t even make it to halftime before being benched in Florida State’s bowl game last Friday and Blaine Gabbert of Missouri isn’t No. 1 material. Carolina will still get a great prospect with the top pick but it won’t be a quarterback if Luck stays in school.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Orange Bowl Preview: Stanford vs. Virginia Tech

      December 29, 2010 /

      2011 BCS Bowl Previews: BCS National Championship | Fiesta Bowl | Rose Bowl | Orange Bowl | Sugar Bowl

      Date: Monday, January 3 2011
      Time: 8:30PM ET
      TV: ESPN

      Why Watch: The Hokies became the first program in FBS history to win 11 straight games after starting their season 0-2. Frank Beamer’s squad could have folded after losing to FCS school James Madison but instead it rallied, winning 11 in a row in impressive fashion. VA Tech largely flew under the radar while knocking off ACC opponents with relative ease and then crushing Florida State in the conference championship game. Now the Hokies look to put a bow on their season with a win against arguably the best one-loss team in the nation. Stanford had one of the best seasons in school history, losing only to an undefeated Oregon team in early October. They have a Hesiman finalist at quarterback in Andrew Luck, who would probably go No. 1 in the NFL draft if he decides to go pro next season. The Cardinal also employs one of the hottest head coaches in the nation in Jim Harbaugh.

      Game Facts Stanford is 9-11-1 all-time in bowl play and will be playing in the postseason for the second consecutive year following an eight-year absence. Oklahoma beat the Cardinal 31-27 in last year’s Sun Bowl. The Hokies will be playing in their fourth BCS bowl in the last seven seasons. They’re 9-14 all-time in bowl games and they’ll be making their 17th straight bowl appearance. Under Beamer, they’re 8-9 in bowl games, which includes 37-14 win over Tennessee in last year’s Chick-fil-A Bowl.

      Key Player: Steven Friday, Virginia Tech.
      They say the key to any good pass defense is a good pass rush and for Virginia Tech, that starts with Friday. The senior defensive end had 8.5 sacks to lead the Hokies this season. He’s incredibly quick off the edge and if he can harass quarterback Andrew Luck, the Hokies could slow down the possible No. 1 pick and the Cardinal offense.

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

      Andrew Luck, Ryan Mallett have chance to make big impressions today

      September 25, 2010 /
      PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 11: Andrew Luck of Stanford passes in the pocket against UCLA during the game at the Rose Bowl on September 11, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

      Perhaps the only thing worse for Jake Locker than his atrocious performance against Nebraska last week, is the fact that he has an off week to think about said performance and so does everyone else.

      Locker was many expert’s favorite to be the top pick, or at least the top quarterback, in the 2011 NFL Draft because of his arm strength and mobility. The 4-for-20 stinker against Nebraska changed a lot of those minds, however, including Locker’s stalker biggest fan, ESPN’s Todd McShay.

      So who steps up in his place? We may find out today. The other top QB prospects this year — Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Stanford’s Andrew Luck — each have a big chance to showcase their talents this afternoon on a big stage.

      Mallett gets a chance to prove he can do what Locker couldn’t a week ago: Have a big game against an elite defense. The Razorbacks play host to top-ranked Alabama, and while it’s a relatively inexperienced secondary that he’ll be facing, carving up a Nick Saban-coached defense can do wonders for one’s draft stock. A win could vault Mallett to the top of draft boards, but he could also get there in a loss. Arkansas’ defense has never been looked at as a strength, so if Mallett has a strong game in a shootout, he should still get a lot of credit.

      Luck isn’t facing a defense near as good as the one Mallett will see today, but he is playing on a big stage. Stanford heads to Notre Dame, which — like it or not — is going to get him a lot of attention. The Irish secondary is nowhere near elite, but if Luck puts up huge numbers, he wouldn’t be the first quarterback to be elevated for it (see: Russell, Jamarcus).

      Stanford and Luck should have more success today, but it’s probably Mallett who has more to gain. Either way, all Locker can do is sit and watch.

      College Football, External Sports

      Gerhart goes off as Stanford shocks Oregon

      November 7, 2009 /

      Stanford running back Toby Gerhart rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinal shocked No. 8 Oregon 51-42 on Saturday.

      From ESPN.com:

      Andrew Luck completed 12 of 20 for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions to lead Stanford past Oregon, 51-42. Toby Gerhart rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns.

      Stanford finished with 505 total yards. Oregon had been giving up only 301 yards per game.

      Sure, Oregon seemed to suffer a hangover from its 47-20 win over USC last weekend. But this was about Stanford’s offense dominating the Ducks defense, and the Ducks offense not being able to keep up.

      What does it mean?

      It means the Pac-10 is now wide-open. Arizona controls its own fate, but there is so much football left that it’s almost meaningless to speculate.

      It means the Pac-10 is out of the national title hunt.

      It means the Oregon vs. Boise State rankings debate ends.

      And it means Stanford, at 6-3, is bowl eligible. The Cardinal haven’t gone to a bowl since 2001.

      This had trap written all over it, although I still thought Oregon would prevail. The Ducks just couldn’t match the intensity it had from last week’s huge win over USC. They were emotionally spent and Stanford took full advantage of it but taking it to them for four quarters. Gerhart was amazing today and his performance may have catapulted him back into the Heisman race.

      Boise State stands to benefit the most from Oregon’s loss. Some had started to question whether or not the Ducks deserved to be ranked higher than the Broncos, even though Boise routed Oregon in the opening week of the season. With the Ducks now out of the way, the Broncos can start working on that whole style points thing that they continue to struggle with.

      College Football

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