November 14, 1998

Final Stats

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Reserve quarterback Randy Fasani scored on a 2-yard run with 3:53 remaining, his second touchdown of the game, to cap a fourth-quarter Stanford rally as the Cardinal defeated Washington State 38-28 Saturday.

The Cardinal, who trailed by 14 points early in the final period, scored 24 unanswered points to win a battle of teams trying to avoid the Pac-10 cellar.

Both teams came into the game winless in the conference and on six-game losing streaks. Washington State, the conference champion last season, will try to avoid a winless Pac-10 season next Saturday at home against archrival Washington.

Fasani, who earlier scored on a 1-yard run, capped a 34-yard drive set up by free safety Tim Smith's third interception of the game. The Cardinal had five interceptions against the Cougars, who entered the game tied for the most turnovers in the nation this season with 34.

Joe Borchard threw an 80-yard scoring pass to Troy Walters for Stanford (2-8, 1-6) and starter Todd Husak had an 11-yard touchdown pass to DeRonnie Pitts. Jon Eide, a junior playing in his first game for the Cardinal, added an 11-yard scoring run and Kevin Miller kicked a 32-yard field goal.

Paul Mencke threw scoring passes of 75 and 21 yards to Jason White and had a 62-yard touchdown pass to Nian Taylor for Washington State (3-7, 0-7). Kevin Brown added a 55-yard scoring run.

The Cougars have not won at Stanford since 1988.

Walters caught seven passes for 143 yards, moving within 59 yards of matching Justin Armour's school record of 2,482 yards receiving.

Husak, trying to join John Elway and Steve Stenstrom as the only Stanford quarterbacks to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, went 12-of-28 for 142 yards to bring his season total to 2,806 yards passing despite not playing in the second half.

Washington State took a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game when Mencke found a wide-open Taylor behind the Stanford defense.

The Cougars increased their lead to 14-0 less than three minutes later when Mencke threw a short pass to White, who outran the Cardinal defense down the sideline for his 75-yard touchdown.

Fasani scored on a keeper on fourth down to pull Stanford within a touchdown late in the first period, and Pitts' scoring catch tied the game with 5:56 left before halftime.

But the Cougars responded two minutes later with Brown's scoring run on which he broke through a huge hole in the middle of the line and went untouched into the end zone for a 21-14 halftime lead.

White scored his second touchdown early in the fourth period when he took a swing pass from Mencke and scooted 21 yards through the Stanford defense to give the Cougars a 28-14 lead. Eide scored less than two minutes later to pull the Cardinal back within a touchdown.

The Cardinal tied the game with 7:28 left when Borchard faked a handoff and threw a bomb to Walters down the sideline. After Fasani's second touchdown broke the tie, Miller added his field goal with 1:34 remaining.

By ROB GLOSTER
AP Sports Writer