STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -Toby Gerhart has lofty expectations for his final college season at Stanford: 2,000 yards rushing and a bowl berth.

``That's the goal. That's what I'm aiming for,'' the star running back declared Tuesday. ``I'd like to shoot for 2,000 yards.''

If Gerhart somehow puts up those kinds of numbers, the Cardinal should be in pretty good shape. He ran for a school-record 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2008, helping Stanford finish with the second-best rushing offense in the Pac-10 and second-highest, single-season yardage total in school history.

The Cardinal are counting on that kind of production again during his highly touted senior campaign.

When Stanford opens the season Saturday at Washington State, Gerhart will look to move into the top 10 on the school's career yards list. He needs 117 yards to tie Ray Handley for 10th place. Last year, Gerhart also made 13 catches for 114 yards.

``I'm going to do what I can to help the team win and get to that bowl,'' Gerhart said. ``We're not going to be satisfied with six wins. We want something beyond that.''

Stanford has been waiting to finally get over the hump and earn that elusive postseason bid. The program has endured a school-record seven straight losing seasons since going 9-3 and playing in the Seattle Bowl in 2001.

Third-year coach Jim Harbaugh had the Cardinal close last season, when they went 5-7 with a couple of costly late-game collapses. Harbaugh is more concerned now with making sure his team is ready to play Saturday than talking about potential postseason play.

Stanford, with 17 starters back in 2009, routed Washington State 58-0 at home last year in the rain.

``In this car we don't have any rearview mirrors,'' Harbaugh said. ``We'll find out a lot about our football team in this first game and then we'll try to make a lot of improvements going from Week 1 to Week 2 and we'll be off and rolling into the season. There's a lot of focus on what's important now.''

Harbaugh has said Stanford ``had one of the best offseasons in the country,'' something he hopes carries over onto the field right away.

A determining factor will be the play of Andrew Luck, a redshirt freshman who will make his debut under center against the Cougars this weekend. He will be the first redshirt freshman quarterback to start a season-opener for Stanford since Kyle Matter at Boston College in 2002. Stanford also will start a pair of freshmen on the offensive line.

``I'm nervous,'' Luck said. ``I don't really know what to expect.''

One thing that should ease his mind: being able to hand the ball off to an experienced back in Gerhart.

``It's awesome to have a running back like Toby,'' Luck said.

Stanford knows a fast start - the opener again is against a conference opponent - is paramount.

``Coming out of the gates fast is what every player wants to do,'' defensive end Erik Lorig said. ``We've had a detailed camp, a thorough camp. We'll be prepared to be flying out of the gates.''

The Cardinal will be without linebacker Alex Debniak for at least their first two games because of a knee injury. Harbaugh wouldn't offer any specifics to the severity, other than to say Debniak would miss the first two games.

Veteran left tackle Allen Smith is listed on the depth chart, ready to return in some capacity after missing all of last season recovering from a torn knee tendon suffered in the third game of '07. He was granted a medical hardship and sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

``I think he's getting close,'' Harbaugh said. ``Allen's been through a lot. It's been a long process. He has really been resilient and very relentless in his pursuit to come back. Hats off to him.''