Stanford Football: Will David Shaw bring edge back to Cardinal in 2019?

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: Quarterback K.J. Costello #3 of the Stanford Cardinal celebrates after throwing a 75 yard touchdown pass against the Oregon State Beavers during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /

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After several seasons of winning with dominant physicality, Stanford football regressed last year. Can David Shaw return the edge to the Cardinal?

It says a lot of David Shaw’s Stanford tenure that a 9-4 season with a 6-3 Pac-12 mark was disappointing. In his eight seasons as head coach, the lowest single-season mark for wins came in 2014 with eight victories. Never has Shaw had a losing season, and he’s reached double digits in five of those years.

However, never has a Shaw team faced more unknowns than now. For the first time in Shaw’s tenure, the old-school, power rushing attack wasn’t dominant. As 2019 approaches, the re-invigoration of the offense will be a key storyline.

Similarly, the defense lost its edge. When the Cardinal were playing in Pac-12 title games, this unit was elite. Much like on the offense, 2018 saw a sharp dip in production.

In 2019, Shaw’s mission will be to recapture the physicality and edge that made this one of the premier programs in the Pac-12.

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