Festivities are a distraction for Harris
Michelle Smith, Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writers
Stanford coach Walt Harris is not a hoopla guy. "I like spirit," Harris clarified, "but I don't like hoopla.'' So this experience, his first as the head coach for Stanford during Big Game Week, and all the appearances, lunches and dinners it entails, is going to be a tough one. Harris, whose penchant for intense preparation is one of his hallmarks, will be a reluctant participant in any event that cuts into his game-planning. "I think it's unfair to me and (Cal head coach) Jeff (Tedford)," Harris said at the annual media luncheon at Patxi's restaurant in San Francisco, addressing Tedford. "I know where you'd like to be and where I'd like to be. "This is such a big game for the coaching perspective, I wish we didn't have to participate in all this other stuff," Harris said. "I'd rather focus on getting our team ready. That's our job." Harris brought wide receivers coach Tucker Waugh along for the ride to San Francisco on Monday morning and the two of them watched Cal video and worked on game-planning in the back seat. Waugh stayed in the car, continuing to work on Xs and Os while Harris made his media rounds.
Back-seat game-planning made Harris carsick. "I had to roll the window down,'' he said. "I was getting ready to throw up. It was probably a bad idea." Harris was the linebackers coach at Cal from 1974 through '77. He has his own vivid Big Game memory. "I can still close my eyes and see a sea of white jerseys at Memorial Stadium, when Mike Langford kicked a 50-yard field goal at the gun (giving Stanford a 22-20 win in 1974),'' Harris said. "So, this is a different perspective for me. I'll get a better look at it with more time here."
Quarterback drama: Tedford says it will pretty much be a normal week for his quarterbacks. Well, there will be a couple of variations. Tedford hasn't named a starter for the Big Game. And he says Steve Levy will get more reps in practice than he usually does. Tedford says he'll be evaluating things as the game nears, and he might not name a starter until later in the week. Joe Ayoob, who took over the starter's job when Nate Longshore was lost with an ankle injury in the season opener, was pulled from Saturday's 35-10 loss to USC after completing nine passes in 19 attempts for 98 yards. He was intercepted four times. He was booed during the game and when leaving the field. Levy was 4-for-4 for 34 yards in relief. Ayoob has had an up-and-down year, and acknowledges he is fighting to regain his confidence. He has completed 49.2 percent of his passes this season for 1,707 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Wounded Cardinal: Harris doesn't like to talk about injuries, which means there's plenty not to discuss, particularly on offense. Wide receiver Justin McCullum, fullback Nick Frank and left tackle Allen Smith all left Saturday's game at Oregon State and did not return. Tight end Matt Traverso, who has started seven games this season, did not play at all. The nature and extent of those injuries is not known and Harris isn't telling, except to say, "We were banged up during that game, and that's why I think we did a tremendous job finding a way to win,'' Harris said.
Briefly: Tedford has suspended freshman linebacker Zack Follett for the first quarter of the Big Game for a personal foul he committed against USC. ... Tickets are still available, though Stanford expects a crowd of more than 70,000 on Saturday.
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