Sept 15, 2002

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Stanford, Calif. - Teyo Johnson caught two touchdown passes and J.R. Lemon ran for three scores as Stanford dominated in coach Buddy Teevens' home debut, beating San Jose State 63-26 on Saturday night.

Kenneth Tolon ran for two TDs to help the Cardinal (1-1) roll to their highest-scoring game in nearly 21 years. The fans at Stanford Stadium loved their first look at the high-octane game plans of Teevens, who was Steve Spurrier's last offensive coordinator at Florida before replacing Tyrone Willingham.

With their backups doing most of the damage, the Cardinal racked up 563 total yards in yet another remarkable chapter of this local rivalry's topsy-turvy history.

Kyle Matter, filling in again for Chris Lewis, passed for 123 yards and ran for a score while leading Stanford to five straight touchdowns in the second half. Last week, Matter played while Lewis was suspended; this week, he took over when Lewis was injured late in the first half.

Johnson had seven catches for 107 yards as Stanford beat San Jose State (1-2) for the second straight season following an embarrassing three-game losing streak in the annual series between two schools separated by 15 miles and a vast difference in wealth and prestige.

Charles Pauley scored touchdowns on a 97-yard kickoff return and a 60-yard reception for San Jose State, which has allowed 97 points in its last three halves of play - unfortunately typical for the team that finished dead last in total defense in Division I-A last season.

San Jose State led 10-7 after the first quarter, but Stanford scored three straight touchdowns in the second. The Spartans pulled to 28-26 on Pauley's TD catch early in the opening minute of the third, but the Cardinal reeled off 35 straight points.

Teevens' version of Spurrier's offense was more than San Jose State could handle. With repeated strikes over the Spartans' overmatched defense, Stanford had its highest-scoring game since Nov. 7, 1981, when Stanford beat Oregon State 63-9.

With the victory, Teevens avoided becoming the first Stanford coach to lose his Stanford Stadium debut since Jack Curtice in 1958. It was the Cardinal's highest-scoring home game since Oct. 4, 1975.

When elite Stanford meets blue-collar San Jose State, the ball seems to change hands randomly and many points are scored almost accidentally. In the first half alone, the teams combined for six interceptions, six fumbles, 12 penalties for 106 yards and 48 points.

Lewis returned from a one-game suspension for making personal calls on athletic department phones. He threw for 182 yards and two TDs, but missed the entire second half with a bruise after Mike Liranzo clobbered him on a blitz.

He was available to play in the second half, but Teevens stuck with Matter, the freshman who played well in Stanford's opening loss at Boston College.

With three short scoring runs - the first three TDs of his career - and 69 yards rushing, Lemon also filled in capably for starter Kerry Carter, who went down in the first quarter with a knee injury.

Gerald Jones had two interceptions for the Spartans in the first half, and defensive tackle Matt Leonard intercepted two passes in the first half for Stanford.

Scott Rislov passed for 152 yards and two TDs for San Jose State, but he was replaced by third-stringer Beau Pierce late in the third quarter.

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer