Jim Harbaugh and the Stanford Cardinal run a dynamic, pro style offense that will prepare players for the next level.  We have a system that is expansive enough that we can tailor it each year to utilize the skills of all of our playmakers.  However there are certain philosophies that we have every year that will allow us to have an exciting and explosive offense on the field.

At Stanford we have a balanced attack in both the running game and the passing game.  We attack and stretch the whole field, using a variety of formations, shifts and motions.  We believe that in the pass game you must spread the ball around to all eligible receivers, forcing defenses to defend the whole field.  We utilize plays that take shots down the field stretching the defense vertically.  We also attack the underneath zones, stretching the defense horizontally and getting players the ball in space with a chance to make plays after the catch.  We move the quarterback around, so defenses have to account for the quarterback running the ball.

A core belief in the Stanford program is that we are going to be the most physical team on the field.  The way we establish this on offense is running the ball.  We apply a physical, attacking and precise run game that uses a variety of blocking schemes.  Our starting point is our zone blocking schemes.  These plays allow a lineman to come off the ball aggressively and to attack the man across from him.  The running backs are then given a chance to use their vision and running ability to take the ball into a variety of holes.  We also use draw plays that force the defense to play us honest as well as power and lead schemes that allow us to force our will on opponents.

By adhering to these core values we will always put a physical, yet exciting and dynamic offense on the field.

The Stanford Cardinal defense under Jim Harbaugh attacks our opponents.  Our Team defensive coordinators, Ron Lynn and Andy Buh use both an attacking 4-3 and a blitzing Okie (3-4) package.  Our number one objective is always to play a physical style of defense that will stop the run, pressure the quarterback, and have a relentless pursuit of the football.  Our attacking 4-3 stops the run by allowing our defensive linemen to attack their gaps, our linebackers to run and make plays, and our defensive backs to always be in position to attack the line of scrimmage to stop runners in their tracks.

We do not stand still and let offenses get comfortable.  We use our speed, quickness, athletic ability and our intelligence to move around and give offenses multiple looks.  We line up and blitz from so many different spots that it disrupts even the most potent offenses rhythm.  Our blitz packages have the flexibility to bring anybody on the field, making sure that we have our best blitzers hunting down the quarterback.  We also utilize a package of run-stopping dogs and blitzes that frequently allow us to stop runs for a loss.

In summary the Stanford Cardinal will always put an athletic group of playmakers out on the field and let them use their natural abilities to make plays and attack the football.