STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Stepfan Taylor’s eyes light up every time he sees a safety dropping into coverage or a linebacker cheating back to play the pass.
At Stanford, it happens almost every play.
With Heisman Trophy favorite Andrew Luck piling up points passing, sixth-ranked Stanford’s stout running game can be easy to overlook. Not that Taylor or any of the other backs mind playing in relative anonymity.
Taylor ran for 1,137 yards last season in a four-back rotation, becoming the sixth Stanford player to reach the 1,000-yard milestone. The Cardinal finished only 58 yards shy a year ago of breaking the school’s rushing record (2,837) set in 2009.
After a slow start rushing in a season-opening 57-3 victory over San Jose State, Stanford’s backs are looking to show rapid improvement Saturday at Duke.
