The seventh-ranked Stanford Cardinal gun for a school-record 11th victory this weekend, as they host the Oregon State Beavers in Pac-10 play.
No. 7 Stanford Vs. Oregon State: When The Beaver Meets The Tree
The Cardinal are enjoying a memorable campaign that has already seen the team win 10 regular-season games for the first time since 1926. Last weekend, Stanford improved to 10-1 with a 48-14 thrashing of California.
“I thought our players put an exclamation point on things today by playing their best football,” stated head coach Jim Harbaugh. Playing smart, playing disciplined, playing poised. Just playing.”
It marked the sixth straight win since Stanford dropped a 52-31 decision to top-ranked Oregon. The Cardinal have had three 10-win campaigns overall, but never has the program tallied 11 victories in one season.
On the other side, the Beavers are hoping to earn bowl eligibility with a win in one of their two remaining games. With Oregon left on tap, this actually may be OSU’s best shot. The Beavers nearly blew their postseason chances following consecutive losses to UCLA and Washington State, but they were able to bounce back with a 36-7 upset of nationally-ranked USC last weekend.
“I am really proud of the team for being able to bring this back and play like this after the last couple of weeks,” stated head coach Mike Riley.
As far as the all-time series is concerned, Stanford holds a 48-25-3 lead over OSU dating back to 1919. The Beavers though, have won seven of the past nine meetings, including a 38-28 decision in Corvallis last season.
Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 128 yards and a TD and he added seven receptions for 43 yards, as the Beavers routed USC last weekend.
“It’s all about execution,” stated Rodgers. “The line opened up holes for me. I told them at the beginning of the game I am going to stick with them no matter what.”
The talented back is enjoying another fine campaign, as Rodgers has rushed for 1,021 yards ands 14 TDs. He also gets his touches in the passing game, ranking second on the team with 35 receptions.
Rodgers wasn't the only one who had a good game versus USC, as QB Ryan Katz threw for 154 yards and two TDs on 17-of-24 pass attempts. It was a solid performance from Katz, who has completed 61.3 percent of his pass attempts, with 16 TDs against only five INTs for the season. The Beavers have only lost two fumbles, so protecting the ball has been an area of strength for this offense.
OSU's defense elevated its game last weekend, keeping USC to a mere 255 total yards and one TD. Furthermore, the unit forced a pair of turnovers, one of which was a 65-yard INT return for a TD by Jordan Poyer.
“Jordan’s play was awesome and was a big factor in the game,” stated Riley.
Poyer’s INT wasn’t the only big play, as OSU also came up with four sacks, giving the team 29 for the year. It was clearly a stout performance from a defense that has lacked consistency and is still giving up 393.4 total ypg.
Dwight Roberson heads the defense in tackles (78), to go with four sacks, while James Dockery has a team-best four INTs to his credit.
The Cardinal dialed up 467 total yards and 48 points, as they routed Cal last weekend. Stanford has enjoyed great success, averaging 467.1 ypg and 44.6 ppg, but last weekend’s performance came as bit of a surprise after Cal shutdown Oregon’s high powered attack just one week earlier.
QB Andrew Luck was once again sensational, as he completed 16-of-20 pass attempts for 235 yards and two TDs. He also added 72 yards on the ground for Stanford, which rolled up 232 rushing yards as a team. Clearly one of the top QBs around, Luck has now rushed for 445 yards and three scores, in addition to completing 70.2 percent of his tosses for another 24 TDs.
Doug Baldwin has really thrived with Luck under center and he leads the team with 51 catches, 727 yards and seven TDs. Last weekend, Baldwin made five catches that went for 97 yards and a TD.
“Doug Baldwin was just huge in this game,” stated Harbaugh. “He was getting grabbed a lot. The young corners were holding him, but he was still making the plays. The big catch down here between two guys and the one in the end zone was huge. Doug is really having an amazing year.”
In the backfield, Stepfan Taylor heads a powerful ground game with 908 yards and 14 TDs. He certainly got involved in the win over Cal, rushing 15 times for 59 yards and three scores.
Defensively, Stanford was also terrific last weekend, keeping Cal to just 299 total yards and only 14 points. The unit didn’t allow a point until the fourth quarter and forced three turnovers as well.
“I thought we played really good defense and not relying on turnovers either. Our defense was playing outstanding football, putting pressure on the quarterbacks, shut down the run,” stated Harbaugh.
The Cardinal defense has played well for a majority of the year by holding opponents to 329.5 total ypg and forcing them into 24 turnovers. Shayne Skov guides the defense with 68 tackles and 4.5 sacks, while Chase Thomas adds 57 stops and five sacks. The duo combined for 10 tackles in last weekend's victory.
Stanford is having an outstanding year and it should be able to cap off its regular-season success with a victory engineered by Luck this weekend.
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