After back-to-back appearances in BCS bowl games, the Cardinal are beginning life anew without quarterback Andrew Luck. The guy under center might be different, but the philosophy and personality of the team shouldn't be. Stanford's identity is a run-first, power football team. That won't change as Stepfan Taylor returns after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. The Cardinal also return six of the starting front seven on defense. Plus, linebacker Shayne Skov is back after a knee injury, which should make them that much better since he is widely regarded as one of the top middle linebackers in the country. Luck is gone, but the Cardinal will continue to do what they do best, grind on offense and punish on defense.
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