Highlights from Stanford Coach David Shaw's interview during this week's Pac-12 coaches’ teleconference ...
--He was indignant when asked to compare Andrew Luck to Cody Kessler in terms of accuracy.
“I can’t tell if you’re really asking me that question or baiting me into saying something that’s possibly inflammatory. I don’t know how to answer that. I feel like it’s one of those cartoons where it's a big hole in the ground and you put some flimsy sticks over it and I’m supposed to walk over it. I’ll say this, blanket statement: I won't, don't, ever compare anybody to Andrew. Put it that way. I’ve done the NFL draft with all the NFL scouts for NFL Network. By all accounts, this guy was the best quarterback to come out of college since John Elway. That’s rarified air.
"What you have in Cody Kessler is a quick release; a very accurate quarterback; a very good decision-maker; a better athlete than anybody gives him credit for because he moves great in the pocket; he can slide and find windows to throw the ball. He’s a very, very good quarterback. And the stats and the records are proving it. I’m not putting anybody’s name in the same conversation with Andrew unless you’re talking about guys who are in the doggone Hall of Fame."
--He believes Stanford’s sack numbers are down because teams have adapted to its defense.
"I think in general the balls are coming out quick. You play against a lot of spread offenses. Our reputation precedes us. You don’t see them hanging back there very long. This past game, once UCF was down, they did hold it in the pocket a little bit longer. We didn’t get as many sacks, but we hit him a lot. It’s one of those things, if you can make the quarterback hold the ball a split second longer, then they turn into sacks. Once again, you play spread offenses, you play quick-rhythm passing teams, that throw bubbles, that throw slants, that throw quick shallow crosses, they don’t want to hold the ball."
--He commends USC and Jake Olson.
"I’ve never come across a situation like that. I applaud the young man, and I applaud USC. If someone has a skill set that’s a good skill, any other incapacities that they have shouldn’t hold them back from being able to perform."
--He can’t pinpoint JuJu Smith-Schuster’s best quality but has high praise for his game.
“That’s a tough question – what stands out the most. As good as he was last year, you can just tell now he's got even more savvy. You’re talking about size, speed, strength, athleticism, acceleration. He's one of those guys, he's just fun to watch as a football fan. It's crazy to look at him and still say that he's a sophomore. His future is extremely bright.”
--He was indignant when asked to compare Andrew Luck to Cody Kessler in terms of accuracy.
“I can’t tell if you’re really asking me that question or baiting me into saying something that’s possibly inflammatory. I don’t know how to answer that. I feel like it’s one of those cartoons where it's a big hole in the ground and you put some flimsy sticks over it and I’m supposed to walk over it. I’ll say this, blanket statement: I won't, don't, ever compare anybody to Andrew. Put it that way. I’ve done the NFL draft with all the NFL scouts for NFL Network. By all accounts, this guy was the best quarterback to come out of college since John Elway. That’s rarified air.
"What you have in Cody Kessler is a quick release; a very accurate quarterback; a very good decision-maker; a better athlete than anybody gives him credit for because he moves great in the pocket; he can slide and find windows to throw the ball. He’s a very, very good quarterback. And the stats and the records are proving it. I’m not putting anybody’s name in the same conversation with Andrew unless you’re talking about guys who are in the doggone Hall of Fame."
--He believes Stanford’s sack numbers are down because teams have adapted to its defense.
"I think in general the balls are coming out quick. You play against a lot of spread offenses. Our reputation precedes us. You don’t see them hanging back there very long. This past game, once UCF was down, they did hold it in the pocket a little bit longer. We didn’t get as many sacks, but we hit him a lot. It’s one of those things, if you can make the quarterback hold the ball a split second longer, then they turn into sacks. Once again, you play spread offenses, you play quick-rhythm passing teams, that throw bubbles, that throw slants, that throw quick shallow crosses, they don’t want to hold the ball."
--He commends USC and Jake Olson.
"I’ve never come across a situation like that. I applaud the young man, and I applaud USC. If someone has a skill set that’s a good skill, any other incapacities that they have shouldn’t hold them back from being able to perform."
--He can’t pinpoint JuJu Smith-Schuster’s best quality but has high praise for his game.
“That’s a tough question – what stands out the most. As good as he was last year, you can just tell now he's got even more savvy. You’re talking about size, speed, strength, athleticism, acceleration. He's one of those guys, he's just fun to watch as a football fan. It's crazy to look at him and still say that he's a sophomore. His future is extremely bright.”
