October 8, 2009

Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football

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Stanford's Toby Gerhart was one of them. In fact, Gerhart exceeded 100 yards in eight games, set a single-season school record with 1,136 yards and earned second-team All-Pac 10 acclaim.

But he entered this season rarely mentioned among the nation's top tailbacks.

Maybe it was because he was overshadowed by other Pac-10 tailbacks, such as Oregon's LeGarrette Blount, Cal's Jahvid Best, Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers (the other back to hit triple digits against the Trojans) and USC's Joe McKnight. Or it could have been a matter of Stanford struggling to a 5-7 finish.

Was there any other reason such a productive tailback could be overlooked?

"There is an obvious one," said Gerhart, who is white, with a nervous laugh Wednesday. "There definitely have been people I've met who'd say, 'Oh, you play football for Stanford? What position?'

"Even in high school, I'd say I play running back and they'd say, 'Oh, you're a fullback.' I'd say, 'No, I'm a tailback,' and they would take a look at me and shake their heads."

Gerhart, a senior, still is making people shake their heads. He leads the nation with 650 rushing yards heading into Saturday's game at Oregon State. He has scored eight touchdowns. He has led Stanford to a 4-1 record and an unlikely place atop the Pac-10 standings.

He's fast like most tailbacks and he cuts like most tailbacks, but he doesn't look like most tailbacks.

Once, it was thought blacks couldn't play quarterback. That misguided notion has been shattered over and over again, by players such as Ohio State's Troy Smith, Kansas State's Michael Bishop, Florida State's Charlie Ward, Texas' Vince Young and Virginia Tech's Michael Vick, among many others. Now, there are similar doubts about white tailbacks even though '07 national champion LSU was led in rushing by Jacob Hester.

Gerhart had to be stubborn just to get a chance to play tailback.

"When I was recruited out of high school, certain teams would say, 'We want you to play linebacker for us; we don't see you as a running back,' " Gerhart said. "USC was up front about it, and I respect that. They said, 'We'll give you a shot at tailback, but we see you more as a fullback or outside linebacker.' "

Now it's plain to see that Gerhart (6 feet 1, 235 pounds) is among the best running backs in the nation, not just in the Pac-10.

"The No. 1 thing you just talk about is he's kind of a prototype athletic running back," said Oregon State coach Mike Riley, who saw Gerhart rush for 147 yards against his Beavers last season. "He has a combination of speed and power, and then he's also got a niftiness and quick feet that allows him to get out of tight spaces and make good cuts.

"He's downhill with his shoulders all the time and he carries a punch. He's got all the stuff. He's as good a running back as we've seen."

If Gerhart has another big day against the Beavers on Saturday, Stanford may be seen in the national rankings next week. That's quite an accomplishment, considering the Cardinal haven't posted a winning season since 2001 and were 1-11 just three seasons ago.

"We haven't been good in a while and people are still unsure about us," Gerhart said. "Are we making a miracle run or are we for real? I think each week, we get more and more respect.

"I think we're a good team. We need to take the next step as the season goes on to being a great team. Each week we're getting better and better. The passing game has definitely improved. The defense continues to get better. If we eliminate penalties and turnovers, we have a chance to be a great team."

Stanford's rise isn't just about Gerhart. Redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Luck has brought stability to what was a trouble-position a year ago. Sophomore wide receiver Chris Owusu has emerged as one of the country's most electrifying players; he's already returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and is averaging 15.4 yards on 16 receptions. The defense has held four opponents to fewer than 20 points.

Suddenly, the atmosphere is changing in Palo Alto.

"My freshman year we had a 1-and-11 season. Football wasn't fun. Everybody dreaded practice," Gerhart said. "But Coach [Jim] Harbaugh brought this enthusiasm that's transformed the program and inspired us to get better, and now everybody can't wait for practice.

"The culture has changed. The size of the student section at games has gotten bigger and bigger. This year, it's huge and the stadium is getting loud."

Gerhart said his creative writing teacher told him she'd never before followed the football team, but now she is looking at the depth chart and the statistics.

"She told me she was at a conference in North Dakota last week and couldn't get the game," Gerhart said. "She was texting continuously to get updates. That shows how the whole campus is getting involved."

If Gerhart continues at his current pace, he'll contend for All-America honors. He could help the Cardinal make a run at the Pac-10 championship, and he may even emerge as a Heisman candidate.

Then, he'd have to consider his future. He's also a baseball player and could seek a MLB career. Because he lost a season (2007) to injury, he could return to Stanford as a fifth-year senior. He also could have NFL scouts evaluate him and consider entering the NFL draft.

Of course, they might recommend he play fullback or linebacker.

"I've been through that before," Gerhart said.

KEY MATCHUP: Gerhart vs. Oregon State run defense. Gerhart has gained a combined 334 yards in the past two games, both Stanford victories. In fact, he's exceeded 100 yards rushing in all four of the Cardinal's wins, but he failed to reach triple digits in the lone loss. Reaching 100 yards against Oregon State won't be easy. The Beavers rank 12th in the nation in rushing defense, and no opposing running back has managed more than 48 yards against them. Last season, Gerhart rushed for 147 yards in a 36-28 victory over Oregon State.

PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: Oregon CBs Anthony Gildon and Chad Peppars. Oregon has lost starting cornerbacks in each of the last two weeks, so the seldom-used Gildon and Peppars figure to be tested by UCLA on Saturday. One of those will replace Willie Glasper, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during Tuesday's practice. Glasper was starting in place of Walter Thurmond III, who endured a season-ending knee injury against California on Sept. 26.

NUMBERS GAME: Oregon State junior WR James Rodgers often is overshadowed by his teammate/younger brother Jacquizz Rodgers, but James is having an all-conference-type season. He leads the Pac-10 with 7.4 receptions per game, 93.2 receiving yards per game and 187 all-purpose yards per game. A week ago, he had 10 catches for 114 yards and posted 209 all-purpose yards in a win at Arizona State.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"Nate's our guy this week." - Oregon TE Ed Dickson, to the Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard, on QB Nate Costa filling in for injured starter Jeremiah Masoli.

"The bottom line is, like I told him, 'If they're doubling you, then someone is one-on-one, and they better start getting a frickin' pass rush.' " - Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson, on what he told DE Dexter Davis, who has yet to record a sack this season.

"Two of the toughest things to do in our conference are to play at [Oregon's] Autzen Stadium and to play against USC. We haven't played well, but there's a lot of football left. There's no shame in being knocked down. But if we don't get back up, there is." - California coach Jeff Tedford, on his Golden Bears being outscored 72-6 in back-to-back losses to Oregon and USC.

Etc.: Erickson announced that senior Danny Sullivan would remain the Sun Devils' starting quarterback. Sullivan is last in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency. ASU fans booed him and chanted for freshman Brock Osweiler during last week's loss to Oregon State. Meanwhile, Sun Devils C Garth Gerhart (toe) and S Ryan McFoy (foot) have been slowed by injuries, but are expected to play on Saturday against Washington State. Garth is Toby's younger brother. ... Masoli has a knee injury and is expected to be replaced in the Oregon starting lineup by Costa, who was to be the Ducks' starter in 2008 before injuring his knee in fall camp. ... Oregon State CB Tim Clark didn't start last week's game against Arizona State because he had two impacted wisdom teeth removed. He said he'll be back in the starting lineup against Stanford on Saturday. ... UCLA has won six of its past nine home game against opponents ranked in the AP poll. This week, the Bruins play host to No. 13 Oregon. UCLA's offensive line has allowed just six sacks through four games. Last season, the Bruins allowed 35. And Bruins FS Rahim Moore is optimistic he can play on Saturday after getting knocked out of last week's game with a neck stinger. ... Washington is the only Pac-10 team converting better than 50 percent on third down. The Huskies have a 54.5 percent success rate. QB Jake Locker leads the Pac-10 with an average of 256.6 passing yards per game and an average of 278.0 yards in total offense. The Huskies may be without FS Nate Williams and WR D'Andre Goodwin against Arizona. Both suffered concussions last week. ... Washington State P Reid Forrest leads the Pac-10 with seven punts of more than 50 yards, including three of more than 60 yards. He also leads the conference with 11 punts killed inside the 20-yard line. He ranks second in the conference with a 44.7 yard average. ... There are many theories for Cal's back-to-back blowout losses to Oregon and USC - poor quarterback play, bad play-calling, suspect line play. But the most basic reason is probably the Bears' inability to stop the run. The Ducks and USC combined for 519 rushing yards against Cal. ... USC WR Ronald Johnson is back in practice after recovering from a broken collarbone suffered in a preseason scrimmage. Johnson caught 33 passes last season. ... Washington State freshman QB Jeff Tuel is hobbled with a hip pointer, but is expected to be in the starting lineup Saturday against Arizona State. ... Oregon freshman TB LaMichael James has rushed for 351 yards and four touchdowns in the Ducks' past three games. He's averaged 5.8 yards per carry in that span. ... How's this for not missing a beat? Even though USC lost eight starters from last season's starting defense, the Trojans rank third in the nation in scoring defense (8.6 points per game), fifth in rushing defense (64.8 yards per game) and third in pass efficiency defense (90.01 ranking). The Trojans have allowed only three touchdowns and none via the air.

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.