Tag: Stanford

Report: Chargers expected to hire Greg Roman for ‘prominent spot’

Greg Roman’s role remains to be seen.

The Chargers are looking to bring back one of Jim Harbaugh’s closest football confidants, with former Ravens and 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman heading to Los Angeles, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Roman last coached for the Ravens in 2022 but resigned in 2023 with differences in offensive philosophy causing strife. Dating back to Stanford, Roman has been one of Harbaugh’s top figures on staff. He was the Associate Head Coach at Stanford and offensive coordinator of Harbaugh’s Niners for four seasons.

The unknown in this situation is what his exact role will be. Early reporting from Aaron Wilson and other insiders projected Roman as a favorite for offensive coordinator. But, recent reporting from Pelissero and Rapoport has not connected him to that role for the Chargers. It is worth noting that Roman has coached tight ends and offensive line from a positional standpoint before. Run game coordinator could be an interesting role for one of the league’s brightest minds.

Associate or assistant head coach is another type of title that Roman could have. Whichever way you slice it, the odds of him taking the OC position specifically seem pretty low compared to before. That would open the door for a candidate like Tanner Engstrand to take the offensive coordinator job. He does have Harbaugh connections from the San Diego days, which seems noteworthy as Engstrand interviews around the league.

USC’s Lindsay Gottlieb and Beth Burns have figured out how to stop Stanford’s offense

In 2023 and now in 2024, Stanford’s offense has not been able to solve USC’s defense. It’s a trend.

Fans of the Stanford Cardinal are looking at USC women’s basketball with respect, but also annoyance, after the Trojans knocked off the Trees on Friday night in Palo Alto. USC is a legitimately good team, but the Trojans seem to save their best defensive performances for Stanford and Tara VanDerveer. Lindsay Gottlieb coached against Tara for years at Cal. Beth Burns, a veteran coach, owns considerable expertise in her own right as Gottlieb’s defensive coordinator and as a top-rate basketball mind. Gottlieb and Burns always seem to get the scouting report right when attacking Stanford’s offense. If one’s an accident and two is a trend, USC has one and a half trends going right now.

USC’s return to prominence in women’s college basketball began on January 15, 2023, with a 55-46 win over Stanford. USC bothered Stanford stars Cameron Brink and Haley Jones. Just for good measure, USC held Stanford to 50 points a few weeks later in the 2023 season. The Cardinal won, but only because they held USC to 47 points. The Trees never did solve the Gottlieb-Burns defense.

Now, here we are a year later. USC again went into Maples Pavilion and held Stanford under 60 points for a third straight time overall, a second straight time in Stanford’s gym. Cameron Brink was once again contained by the Trojans. She hit just 4 of 14 field goal attempts. She scored 11 of her 19 points at the foul line. USC’s three main frontcourt players — Rayah Marshall, Clarice Akunwafo, and Kaitlyn Davis — used all 15 fouls. The Trojans were then able to withstand Brink even after their frontcourt fouled out.

The rising star for Stanford this season is forward Kiki Iriafen. Brink got injured a few weeks ago (before coming back to the lineup). Iriafen scored 36 points with Brink out against Oregon State, in the win which gave Tara VanDerveer her record-breaking 1,203rd win, passing Mike Krzyzewski as the all-time winningest Division I college basketball coach. Iriafen averaged over 26 points in her previous four games.

Against USC, she managed only 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting. Iriafen and Brink combined to make just 10 of 32 field goal attempts. USC could not have defended the two players any better.

JuJu Watkins scoring 51 was the main highlight of Friday night. USC holding Stanford under 60 for a third straight time is the other central reason the Trojans won. The staff had the right defensive plan, and the players executed it brilliantly … again.

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Pac-12 women’s basketball report: Colorado beats Washington State, ties Stanford for first place

Colorado and Stanford are tied for the Pac-12 league at 8-2, with UCLA and Oregon State 1.5 games back.

USC’s win over Stanford was the headliner on Friday night in Pac-12 women’s basketball, but other big results emerged in the league. Colorado defeated Washington State on the road in Pullman. That result, combined with Stanford’s loss, puts CU and Stanford at 8-2 in the Pac-12, 1.5 games ahead of third-place UCLA and Oregon State. Colorado would be the top seed in the Pac-12 Women’s Tournament if the season ended today, due to a head-to-head win over Stanford.

Buffaloes Wire has more on CU’s 63-57 win at Wazzu:

“Most of CU’s offensive output came from two players: Frida Formann and Aaronette Vonleh. Formann tied a career-high with 27 points while going 6-for-9 from the 3-point line. Vonleh complimented Formann’s outside shooting by outworking the Cougars in the paint, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds. The rest of the Buffs went a combined 8-for-33 from the field.”

Elsewhere in the Pac-12 on Friday, UCLA handled Cal in Berkeley. USC faces Cal on Sunday. Utah went to Seattle and defeated Washington.

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USC win over Stanford moves Trojans closer to top goal for the regular season

USC’s goal of getting a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament is now a lot more likely after the win over Stanford.

The women’s college basketball world is reacting to JuJu Watkins’ absolutely spectacular display against No. 4 Stanford on Friday night. Watkins dropped 51 points on the road against the Pac-12 leader and a team which is contending for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. USC’s ability to beat Stanford on the road is hugely impressive. Watkins’ great performance translated into a great result.

It is worth noting — amid the JuJu Watkins explosion and the massive national reaction it generated — to point out just how big a win this was for USC.

The Trojans probably won’t be able to climb all the way to first place in the Pac-12. There are too many good teams ahead of them in the standings. However, the Trojans have a very clear and obvious goal for the regular season. It is simple enough to grasp: Get a top-four seed in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. A top-four seed means home games at the Galen Center in the first and second rounds on the opening weekend of the event. That’s huge. USC has never previously hosted NCAA Tournament games at the Galen Center.

USC’s three losses in four games knocked the Trojans from a projected No. 2 seed to a No. 4 seed. The Trojans were on the cusp of falling out of that top-four spot. A road win at Stanford — a possible No. 1 seed — should lift USC back to a No. 3 seed. The win puts the Trojans back on course to reach their main regular-season goal.

The main key for USC is to make sure to beat all the teams in the lower half of the Pac-12, starting with Sunday in Berkeley against Cal. If USC cleans up against the lower half of the Pac-12, and its only future losses are against the elite teams in the conference, it will be hard for the Trojans to fall out of that top-four seeding position.

This win over Stanford could make the difference between getting that top-four seed and falling short of it. The next task: Build on the win instead of regressing and stepping off the gas pedal.

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With three players fouled out, McKenzie Forbes helped JuJu Watkins prevail vs Stanford

JuJu Watkins is the main reason USC is winning, but it’s still a team game. McKenzie Forbes proved that vs Stanford.

Championship basketball runs primarily through players such as JuJu Watkins, who put a team on their back and own the biggest moments in crunch time. Watkins’ 51 points against Stanford carried USC and provided the best single-game performance of the women’s college basketball season. However, USC would not have won this game without McKenzie Forbes, a role player who stepped up in a moment of crisis.

USC had led Stanford by a double-digit margin, but three Trojans fouled out and the Women of Troy were both shorthanded and outsized late in the fourth quarter. The three players who fouled out — Rayah Marshall, Clarice Akunwafo, and Kaitlyn Davis — are USC’s primary frontcourt players with the size, length, and power to handle Stanford’s frontcourt. The Marshall-Akunwafo-Davis trio contained Stanford superstar Cameron Brink and emerging forward Kiki Iriafen. Neither Brink nor Iriafen felt comfortable at the offensive end of the floor. Both players shot poorly against the Trojans’ frontcourt defense.

However, with all three Trojans unavailable, USC was undersized and limited. Bench players were thrown into the fray. Defensive assignments changed. When Stanford cut a large deficit down to just two points, at 58-56, with only two minutes left, it was reasonable to think that USC would run out of gas and get caught just before the finish line.

McKenzie Forbes (not just JuJu) would not let that happen.

In the next 90 seconds, Forbes made a basket, grabbed a defensive rebound, and then collected an offensive board to lead to a JuJu made free throw to push that tenuous two-point lead to seven, at 63-56, essentially sealing the game. USC could have panicked. It also could have wasted Watkins’ incredible display. Forbes made the blue-collar plays to ensure the Trojans won on JuJu’s big night.

JuJu is the straw that stirs the drink for this team. No one denies that. However, the role players have to come up big in important moments if this team is going to make a deep run in March. McKenzie Forbes came to the rescue in USC’s hour of need.

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JuJu Watkins owned Stanford, but USC’s defense was also special — and tough

JuJu stole the show against Stanford, but USC’s team defense was also central to this massive victory. Don’t forget it.

JuJu Watkins played what was arguably the best game of the women’s college basketball season on Friday night against Stanford. Everyone is talking about it, and rightly so. How could anyone not be amazed by JuJu after her 51-point performance? JuJu shot over 50 percent from the field (14 of 26) and the 3-point line (6 of 11) while taking 19 free throws and making 17 of them in a fully dominant display. Stanford entered the game as the No. 4 team in the country and the first-place team in the Pac-12, and Watkins simply torched the Cardinal all night long. It was a giant effort in a huge game on a big stage. It was a signature moment from a freshman superstar who is just getting started at USC.

Yet, as great as JuJu was, one other aspect of this USC win has to be discussed: The Trojans were extremely tough and resolute in the final minutes of the game. The other players on the court showed a lot of heart an were essential to the win. Let’s provide more details on this from USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and other observers:

Free throws take JuJu Watkins and USC women’s basketball to the next level

Free throws are a critical piece of the puzzle for JuJu Watkins and USC. Friday night reaffirmed that point.

JuJu Watkins was making shots from every spot on the floor on Friday night against Stanford. She hit 14 of 26 field goals and 6 of 11 3-pointers. She was making it rain in the Bay Area. Crucially, though, a large percentage of her 51 points against Stanford came at the free throw line. She went 17 of 19 at the stripe.

We have noted for weeks the importance of JuJu getting to the foul line so that she can score more easily and get opposing teams in foul trouble:

“As for on-court adjustments, one thing we have seen the past few games is JuJu Watkins taking a lot of field goal attempts and not getting to the free throw line very much. Watkins, in her last two games, attempted 51 field goals and only six free throws. USC has to get Watkins in positions where she can draw fouls.”

When you realize that USC beat Stanford by nine points, JuJu’s 17 made free throws in 19 attempts were very significant. There’s more to say on this topic:

Social media reaction to JuJu Watkins’ epic 51-point performance in USC win over Stanford

Good JuJu? No. Great JuJu. USC’s superstar had the best game of the college basketball season. By anyone.

This was one for the ages, folks. A freshman not only scored 51 points, but did so against the No. 4 team in the country, led by one of the elite defensive players in the country and guided by a Hall of Fame head coach who just became the winningest Division I basketball coach of all time. JuJu Watkins led USC to an upset of Stanford, Cameron Brink, and Tara VanDerveer, with an all-time-great performance.

Have we mentioned that JuJu Watkins is only a freshman?

Watkins faced a Stanford defense which was trying to stop her and straining to get the ball out of her hands. It didn’t work. It didn’t matter. Watkins kept making 3-pointers. She kept getting to the foul line, something we have continuously pointed to as a central key to her game and USC’s success.

Watkins’ final stat line: 14 of 26 field goals, 6 of 11 3-pointers, 17 of 19 free throws. 51, baby. She almost scored as many points as Stanford (58).

See how social media reacted to this historically awesome performance from JuJu Watkins:

Notre Dame Football: Bye Bye, Bye by ACC for 2024

The ACC used to seemingly stack bye weeks for their squads before they took on Notre Dame but that won’t happen in 2024.

Seemingly for years it has been commonplace for opponents to get a bye week before they take on Notre Dame, specifically in the ACC.  This peaked in 2019 when seven of Notre Dame’s 12 opponents took on the Irish coming off a bye with three of those being ACC squads that year.

Last year, no Notre Dame opponent was coming off a bye week when they squared off against the Irish.

Now for 2024, although some details remain for the schedule, we do know that no ACC opponent (there are five) will have a bye week before they take on the Irish.  The full ACC football schedule was released earlier this week and can be seen below.

Notre Dame takes on five ACC opponents in 2024 (Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Stanford, and Virginia).  All five play ACC opponents the week before taking on Notre Dame.

Also, it’s going to probably take forever for me to get used to Stanford (and Cal and SMU for that matter) being in the ACC.

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5 things to know about new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh

Here’s what you need to know about the new head coach in Los Angeles.

The Chargers have an agreement in place with Jim Harbaugh to become their next head coach.

Here are some things to know about the lifetime football coach and recent college football national champion.

Success in both the college and pros

It’s probably the same thing you’ve read everything else, but it’s true: Harbaugh is a winner wherever he goes. At San Diego, he was responsible for the only 11-win seasons in school history. He brought Stanford to national relevance with an 11-win season and the first BCS Bowl victory in school history.

What separates Harbaugh from most college coaches is that he was then able to take his success to the pros. His NFL experience in San Francisco is defined by an NFC Championship, multiple playoff appearances, and a 49-22-1 record.

After a power struggle with the Niners, Harbaugh returned to his alma mater at Michigan and cemented his college legacy with a national championship.

Physicality

Harbaugh probably wouldn’t be identified as an offensive or defensive specialist, specifically in the same way traditional coordinators are hired for head coaching positions. But both sides of the ball for him at any of his stops play tremendously hard and physical.

Michigan’s secondary flies around with a smothering presence up front under Jesse Minter and Harbaugh. In a similar but different fashion, many remember the 2010 49ers defense filled with guys like NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis laying the smackdown.

That aspect of culture that Harbaugh can build is sorely needed for the current Chargers’ defense.

The Chargers went big game hunting

Harbaugh will be the first Chargers’ head coach with prior head coaching experience since Norv Turner was hired in 2007. And unlike Turner, Michigan’s head coach will command a high salary over his current coaching contract.

The Chargers reportedly put a premium on experience in this head coaching search per reports. Harbaugh was undoubtedly one of the top candidates in the field in that regard, in addition to football coaching lifers like Bill Belichick or Pete Carroll.

While Brandon Staley and Anthony Lynn were decent candidates for promotion to head coach in their own rights, there was a certain cache they couldn’t bring to the table as the lead guy at the time of hiring. The Chargers valued that level of proven football acumen in this search instead of letting an unproven commodity grow.

What also shouldn’t be understated is what it took to pry Harbaugh away from Michigan. The Chargers had to go all out in this pursuit, and by all accounts, they did.

A full Rolodex for potential staff hires

Harbaugh comes loaded with names that could be placed on his coaching staff as he plans to build that out in Los Angeles. From Michigan to as far back as Stanford, quality talent could be the new Chargers’ head coach.

Jesse Minter and Greg Roman have been heavily rumored and thrown about the process for the defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator positions, respectively. But even if not one of those selections, there are plenty more potential connections to hit on.

David Shaw, a fellow interviewer for the head coaching job, was Harbaugh’s OC at Stanford. Ed Donatell, Ejiro Evero, Pep Hamilton, and others have also worked with Harbaugh at various stops. Of course Jay Harbaugh also notably serves as special teams coordinator and safeties coach at Michigan.

Whoever the hires end up being, there’s an excellent pool for Harbaugh to choose from—far more than even the examples listed in the previous paragraph.

Not just a head coach, but a CEO

The Chargers’ GM search is also in the process of continuing as the team hires Harbaugh. But the former Michigan HC is also built differently as a candidate in this stage of his career than the more recent group of Chargers’ head coaches. Regardless of who the Chargers hire as GM, the effort in LA is more likely to be collaborative than Harbaugh being directly under someone.

Ideologies and egos clashed in San Francisco when Trent Baalke and Harbaugh eventually parted ways following a power struggle in 2014. The new Chargers’ head coach can now oversee the roster and have significantly more say in personnel decisions than his previous NFL tenure.

As a culture builder in the NFL and an outright program builder in college, Harbaugh knows how difficult the task ahead is. And he believes he can be the one primarily in charge of executing it.