Jim Harbaugh At Stanford: The Statistics

by nocal81(Vincent) on Jun 12, 2011 9:00 AM PDT in Jim Harbaugh 49ers Coaching Staff

Yesterday I focused on Jim Harbaugh's brief tenure at the University of San Diego. I looked at, and analyzed their offensive statistics under Harb. As you can imagine, information in regards to the Toreoes was hard to find, however, I was able to see some game film and analyze it through that perspective. Needless to say, those statistics were eye opening. San Diego led FCS in scoring offense, passing yards and 1st downs for two consecutive seasons. This after Harbaugh took over the previously failed football program there.

This morning I am going to take a look at Harbaugh's extremely successful tenure at Stanford. I am going to give you the statistics and together we can analyze them to see what they mean for the 49ers moving forward.

2007 Season

Record: 4-8 No Post-Season Game

T.C. Ostrander: 56.8 Completion Percentage- 1422 Yards- 7 TD- 2 INT- 116.4 Rating

Tavita Pritchard: 50.0 Completion Percentage- 5 TD- 9 INT- 97.5 Rating

Anthony Kimble: 509 Rush Yards- 4.4 AVG- 8 TD

Jeremy Stewart: 343 Rush Yards- 3.3 AVG- 3 TD

Richard Sherman: 39 Receptions- 651 Yards- 4 TD

Mark Bradford: 51 Receptions- 642 Yards- 3 TD

Points Per Game: 18.9 Total Yards Per Game: 322.5

2008 Season

Record: 5-7 No Post-Season Game

Tavita Pritchard: 57.9 Completion Percentage- 1633 Yards- 10 TD- 13 INT

Toby Gerhart: 1136 Rush Yards- 5.4 AVG- 15 TD

Anthony Kimble: 717 Rush Yards- 6.0 AVG- 6 TD

Ryan Whalen: 41 Receptions- 508 Yards- 1 TD

Doug Baldwin: 23 Receptions- 332 Yards- 4 TD

Points Per Game: 26.3 Total Yards Per Game: 351.8

2009 Season

Record: 8-5 Lost to Oklahoma in Sun Bowl

Andrew Luck: 56.3 Completion Percentage- 2575 Yards- 13 TD- 4 INT- 143.5 Rating

Toby Gerhart: 1871 Rush Yards- 5.5 AVG- 27 TD

Stepfan Taylor: 303 Rush Yards- 5.4 AVG- 2 TD

Ryan Whalen: 57 Receptions- 926 Yards- 4 TD

Chris Owusu: 37 Receptions- 682 Yards- 5 TD

Points Per Game: 35.5 (21st NCAA) Total Yards Per Game: 427.6

2010 Season

Record: 12-1 Beat Virginia Tech in Orange Bowl

Andrew Luck: 70.7 Completion Percentage- 3338 Yards- 32 TD- 8 INT- 170.2 Rating

Stepfan Taylor: 1137 Yards- 5.1 AVG- 15 TD

Doug Baldwin: 58 Receptions- 857 Yards- 9 TD

Ryan Whalen: 41 Receptions- 439 Yards- 2 TD

Colby Fleener: 28 Receptions- 434 Yards- 7 TD

Points Per Game: 39.8 (9th NCAA) Total Yards Per Game: 472.5 (14th NCAA)

Analysis: Just like we saw at San Diego, Jim Harbaugh's teams seemed to progress each season. This is obvious if you look at Stanford's points per game and total yardage statistics each of the four seasons Harbaugh coached the Cardinal.

Talent level is a primary reason for Stanford's progression under Jim Harbaugh. I am not sure how many teams would succeed with Tavita Pritchard as your starting QB. The difference between Harbaugh taking over the 49ers and when he took over Stanford is talent level. The 49ers have the talent to succeed, they just need the system and play calling that best suits their skills.

Yesterday I mentioned the fact that Harbaugh loves to utilize tight ends in his WCO scheme. But, what stood out to me was his ability to utilize the running backs. Stanford averaged over 213 yards rushing per game last season, But, with the talent they had in Stepfan Taylor and Anthony Wilkerson that is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is the fact that Stanford averaged over 5 yards per rush in four seasons under Harbaugh.

A lot has been said about Harbaugh being a "QB friendly" head coach, which is true. However, he finds a way to utilize all the talents on offense whether it be in the passing or running game. It doesn't hurt that you have Owen Marecic blocking, but the scheme does show a lot about how effective an offense is going to be.

The use of play action roll-outs really kept defenses off balance in 2010 against Stanford. You would see the play action but not know where Luck was going to go with the ball. Now, some of that has to do with his great ability to disguise the play. However, some of it has to do with the scheme Stanford was running. Their offense molded throughout the last couple seasons and ended up becoming a true juggernaut. It is a thing of beauty to see an offense run flawlessly, from the QB to the Head Coach. This is something I am looking forward to for the 49ers in 2011. We have been missing the fluidity that is necessary in the NFL, and Harbaugh's scheme should enable us to see that moving forward.

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Comments

from socal to nocal

Thanks for series. Reason fans are excited & itching…

by oldfoggy on Jun 12, 2011 9:58 AM PDT reply actions

Yes...very good breakdown.

consistent improvement is definitely a staple of JH’s offenses. Now if only our defense can match that production. I hope we can bring in a quality veteran to impact at least one if not all three levels of our defense.

Give tha guy a break...I remember losing most of our games because of mistakes by players that did not play the quarterback position.

I'm sure Norv Turner is a good judge of a good QB...even he said the guy can be good w/ quality people around him.

by NewAgecorner1 on Jun 12, 2011 10:11 AM PDT reply actions

Offensive line

The running game was impressive but I’m wondering how much was offensive line and how much was running back talent.

by David Fucillo on Jun 12, 2011 11:51 AM PDT reply actions

Great series!

Many thanks!

by Bigmouth on Jun 12, 2011 12:47 PM PDT reply actions

I'm not sure how much the stats actually prove in regards to coaching.

Specifically, because in college football, despite good or bad coaching, teams have ups and downs due to recruiting. Having a player like Toby Gerhart opposed to Anthony Kimble is going to make a world of difference in the run game… same goes for Luck vs. Pritchard or Ostrander.

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by Drew Kerr on Jun 12, 2011 1:39 PM PDT reply actions

I mean good coaching can make or break a team even with talent but stats one way or the other are not a complete determiner.

If you would have dove in to the offensive and defensive systems pre-Harbaugh, then that could have added some context to the piece. I mean you mention WCO and how he uses TE’s but the article could’ve used more depth in regards to the specifics. Stats should always just be used a supporting detail, not the primary detail.

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by Drew Kerr on Jun 12, 2011 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions

I can't quote specifics...

…but I do remember Stanford’s being atrocious before he arrived. Like 1-11 bad.

It’s the steady improvement that’s telling, though it may be recruiting, as you note. Also, his creativity in terms of offensive formations was just obvious watching the games.

I think Tre9er(?) covered some of the territory you ask for regarding Harbaugh’s hybrid WCO, including his use of the TEs. I believe Drummer(?) noted how similar his schemes were to McCarthy’s, which has since been confirmed.

by Bigmouth on Jun 12, 2011 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Records

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Cardinal_football

2002 Teevens 2–9
2003 Teevens 4–7
2004 Teevens 4–7
2005 Harris 5–6
2006 Harris 1–11

by smileyman on Jun 12, 2011 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Oops...

…it was goatfather who noted the similarity to McCarthy’s offense — sorry for the confusion. But Tre9er did a series of film breakdowns of Stanford’s performance against various teams. Worth a read if you haven’t already.

by Bigmouth on Jun 12, 2011 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah it wasn't I...

but Stanford’s recent success aside, it’s still nowhere the success of Pete Carroll, who many think is a bust coach in the NFL. Of course it’s the talent level, yet at the same time we see that talent not reaching as high or anywhere on the NFL level. What Harbaugh did was impressive at Stanford, but I seriously doubt he would have been at least as consistent as Jeff Tedford was as long as his tenure.

Harbaugh has a nice bump within the Pac 10 going in decline. The stakes are very high in Big Time College Football, just ask Tressel and Carroll. The reality is Harbaugh had Stanford at it’s best within the Pac 10, a division is disarray in 2010 with a QB at his peak, and a team that would be fast to go back into the abyss without Luck and a few key players. He may have built a program, but the window is closed for Stanford. That means he didn’t build for the long term. He just Luck’ed out in the short term.

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by drummer on Jun 14, 2011 12:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Well

I do think that I prefaced these two posts by pointing out that stats do not make the entire story. That in fact, they aren’t the story. However, the overriding fact was that both San Diego and Stanford improved, statistically, each year Harbaugh was with them.

Also, I did point out the Pritchard/Luck situation in terms of talent. Did you not read that?

Mila "Sweet Lips" Kunis, as stated by Scarlett Johansson. I couldn't agree more. Reverse would be true too!!!!

by nocal81(Vincent) on Jun 12, 2011 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Probelm is..

you don’t really qualify the stats and the reason. It’s more window dressing that leads to lack of discussion.

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by drummer on Jun 14, 2011 12:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Stanford and USD

It is possible that some of the improvement at Stanford were not related to Harbaugh’s great leadership and football IQ, including intuition born of experience and strategy. However, it seems overkill to explain all the vast improvement at both Stanford and USD as due to a weak Pac 10 or luck [pun intended]. Also, Stanford is not done. They have a very good core of players going forward, more coming in the fall, and with the school’s academic excellence will continue to recruit great athletes and students. They will never recruit like USC or Alabama, but they have done well with much less. No one wanted to play Stanford in a bowl game. They took on Harbaugh’s chaarater and beat people up and down. Are you a Cal guy? Or just green with envy?

by petillius7 on Jun 25, 2011 12:24 PM PDT reply actions