Washington State had some opportunities to give Stanford a scare early on, but the Cougars’ mistakes continued to mount until a pair of pick-sixes in the third quarter eliminated any chance of a comeback with Stanford cruising to a 55-17 win.
Stanford vs. Washington State final score: Cardinal cruise past Cougars 55-17
Washington State kept it close through halftime, but Stanford blew past the Cougars with a big third quarter on their way to a comfortable win in Seattle.
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After trading field goals with Washington State to start the game, Stanford jumped out to a 10-3 lead on a 57-yard Kevin Hogan touchdown strike to Devon Cajuste. The pair connected again on a 33-yard pass to push the Cardinal lead to two touchdowns.
Hogan and Cajuste nearly connected for a third touchdown, but Deone Bucannan picked Hogan off in the end zone as Stanford was threatening to expand its lead to 24-3 just before halftime.
In the third quarter, Connor Halliday was intercepted by Jordan Richards, who promptly ran the ball back for 30 yards for a Cardinal touchdown and the rout was on from there. Halliday was knocked out of the game on that same play when Stanford defensive end Trent Murphy delivered a bone-crushing hit as Halliday was releasing the ball. Murphy intercepted a pass himself when, Austin Apodaca, who replaced Halliday, failed to recognize Stanford's zone blitz, and Murphy ran the ball into the end zone for a pick six of his own.
Box Score Hero:
Devon Cajuste proved to be an absolute nightmare of a matchup for the Washington State secondary, hauling in four catches for 115 yards and the only two touchdowns that Stanford would need.
Rankings Ramifications:
Stanford came in ranked No. 5 in both polls but will likely be staying put thanks to strong performances from the four teams in front of them.
But Did They Cover?
The betting lines closed with Stanford favored by 9.5, so yeah, they covered the spread with room to spare.
For More On This Game:
For more on Cardinal football, visit Stanford community Rule Of Tree, plus Pac-12 community Pacific Takes and SB Nation Bay Area.
For more on Wazzu football, visit Washington State community Coug Center, plus Pac-12 community Pacific Takes.
Next Week’s Schedule:
Stanford: 10/5, vs. Washington
Washington State: 10/5, at Cal.
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