September 5, 1998

Game Stats

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Brian Vye passed for 196 yards and two touchdowns and Carlos Meeks rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown as San Jose State upset Stanford 35-23 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.

San Jose State's Omarr Smith partially blocked a field goal attempt by Stanford kicker Kevin Miller, and turned it into the go-ahead touchdown.

Donte Scarbrough and Vye hooked up for a 51-yard touchdown pass. Scarbrough was wide open along the sideline and caught the pass in stride.

It was the first time San Jose State, which came into the game an 18-point underdog, had led Stanford since the fourth quarter of the 1993 contest, which the Cardinal came back to win 31-28. The Spartans hadn't beaten Stanford since a 29-23 victory in 1990, and hadn't won a non-conference game since beating Utah State 32-20 on Sept. 30, 1995.

The Spartans tied the score 14-all four minutes into the third quarter, marching 68 yards in eight plays. Meeks, who put his singing career on hold to return for his final year of football, raced 11 yards for the touchdown.

Miller added a career-best 40-yard field goal at 13:18 of the fourth quarter to close the gap to 21-17. The scoring drive was kept alive when San Jose was caught with too many men on the field.

Scarbrough's second touchdown of the game, a 28-yard run, gave San Jose a 28-17 lead with 10:46 remaining to play.

Stanford closed to 28-23 on a 24-yard pass from Husak to Dave Davis, but Casey LeBlanc took the on-side kick and raced 35 yards to give San Jose a 35-23 lead.

Stanford opened the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Todd Husak to Troy Walters on the final play of the first quarter.

Walters, who set Stanford records for pass receptions (86) and receiving yards (1,206) last year, caught the pass over the middle and raced untouched into the end zone.

Husak, making his first career start, missed on his first three pass attempts, but wound up 29-of-54 for 298 yards.

San Jose responded with a six-play, 74-yard drive that culminated in a seven-yard scoring toss from Vye to Eric Ruhle at 7:06 of the second quarter.

It was Ruhle's first reception since last year's Stanford game. Ruhle suffered a season-ending knee injury during a practice a few days later.

Vye, who completed passes of 29 yards to Scarbrough and 34 yards to Gabe Payne on the scoring drive, was 11-of-12 in the first half for 145 yards.

The Cardinal took a 14-7 lead with five seconds remaining in the second quarter on a 4-yard pass from Husak to DeRonnie Pitts.

The Spartans turned the ball over to Stanford on downs at midfield with 1:17 left in the first half after attempting to run on a fake punt.

FINAL               1ST  2ND  3RD  4TH     TOTAL
                    ---  ---  ---  ---     -----
SAN JOSE ST           0    7   14   14      35
STANFORD              7    7    0    9      23   FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QTR: STFD - TD, TROY WALTERS 28 YD PASS FROM TODD HUSAK (KEVIN
                    MILLER KICK), 15:00
2ND QTR: SJSU - TD, ERIC RUHLE 8 YD PASS FROM BRIAN VYE (DAVID
                    SILBERSTEIN KICK), 7:54
         STFD - TD, DERONNIE PITTS 4 YD PASS FROM TODD HUSAK
                    (KEVIN MILLER KICK), 14:55
3RD QTR: SJSU - TD, CARLOS MEEKS 11 YD RUN (DAVID SILBERSTEIN
                    KICK), 3:56
         SJSU - TD, DONTE SCARBROUGH 51 YD PASS FROM BRIAN VYE
                    (DAVID SILBERSTEIN KICK), 11:46
4TH QTR: STFD - FG, KEVIN MILLER 40 YD, 1:42
         SJSU - TD, DONTE SCARBROUGH 29 YD RUN (DAVID SILBERSTEIN
                    KICK), 4:14
         STFD - TD, DAVE DAVIS 24 YD PASS FROM TODD HUSAK
                    (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED), 12:13
         SJSU - TD, CASEY LEBLANC 45 YD KICKOFF RETURN (DAVID
                    SILBERSTEIN KICK), 12:20