Nov. 7, 2009

STANFORD, Calif. -

Final score: Stanford 51, Oregon 42

Stanford earns a big Pac-10 victory, and Stanford fans storms the field.

Fourth quarter (0:11 left): Stanford 51, Oregon 42

Stanford tries a 48-yard field goal. And Nate Whitaker got it. Stanford leads 51-42.

Fourth quarter (0:15 left):

Oregon tried an onside kick, but the ball never went 10 yards, and Stanford tight end Jim Dray fell on the ball at the Oregon 38. Oregon has no timeouts left.

Toby Gerhart carried for three yards. The clock is running, under two minutes. Gerhart gained two. Now, it's third and five at the 33. Gerhart has 221 yards, a Stanford record, breaking Jon Volpe's mark by a yard.

Stanford calls a timeout with 1:03 left.

Gerhart fell short, after a two-yard gain.

Fourth quarter (2:38 left): Stanford 48, Oregon 42

With new life for its faint hopes, Oregon gained 32 yards on its first play, from quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to LaMichael James. On the next play, Masoli kept the ball for a gain to the Stanford 21.

Masoli hit D.J. Davis on a screen to the left and he easily scored on a 21-yard touchdown play. Oregon is now within a touchdown, at 48-41, with 2:38 left.

Fourth quarter (3:32 left): Stanford 48, Oregon 35

On the kickoff, Oregon kicked off to Chris Owusu, who had another big return, this one to Oregon's 45-yard line. It was a 43-yard return.

Toby Gerhart gained five and is closing in on Stanford's single-game rushing record. He is 12 yards short of the record of 220.

On third down and three, Andrew Luck kept the ball, but was stopped short. Stanford faced a fourth and one at the Oregon 35. Oregon challenged the spot, believing Luck should have been ruled farther back, but the original ruling was upheld. Oregon, however, was charged a timeout.

The clock kept ticking and Stanford faced a third and five at the Oregon 28. Gerhart, however, was stopped short with 3:36 left.

Nate Whitaker came on to try a 44-yard field goal, but it went wide right.

Fourth quarter (8:05 left): Stanford 48, Oregon 35

Needing three touchdowns now, Oregon had no room for error.

Jeremiah Masoli completed a short pass to LaMichael James. He was rewarded for his lunge for the down marker with a first down, but a review found that he had stepped out at the 28, two yards short of the first.

Now facing fourth down, James reached the 30 on the next play.

Masoli hit tight end David Paulson for 25 yards. Paulson withstood a vicious hit by safety Delano Howell. On the next play, James dropped a sure touchdown pass as he ran unabated down the right sideline.

Oregon kept moving, with Masoli hitting Jeff Maehl on a crossing pattern for 22 yards. before being pushed out of bounds at the 1. Kenjon Barner scored on the next play, drawing the Ducks within 48-34 with 8:05 left.

Twelve plays, 81 yards on the drive.

Fourth quarter (10:48 left): Stanford 48, Oregon 28

Stanford had the intent to run down the clock, which meant running back Toby Gerhart was in his element. He surpassed 200 yards with a 17-yard gain, giving him 201 yards on 30 carries, with 13:17 still remaining.

Andrew Luck failed to gain the first down on a scramble, as he was hit hard on the play. This set up a 41-yard field goal try by Nate Whitaker. It was good and Stanford took a 48-28 lead with 10:48 left.

End of the third quarter: Stanford 45, Oregon 28

Oregon looked to continue the shootout by driving into Stanford territory. With a third and seven at the Stanford 43, LaMichal James was stopped short. But the Ducks went for it, but Masoli was hit in the backfield by corner Michael Thomas, ending the third quarter and turning the ball over on downs.

Third quarter (3:03 left): Stanford 45, Oregon 28

Stanford moved the ball again, with Gerhart breaking his Stanford season rushing record with an 11-yarder for a first down.

But Stanford faced a third down and nine at the 50. Andrew Luck made it count by hitting Chris Owusu on an out pattern for 15 yards. Owusu had four receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Stanford lined up in a wishbone with Tyler Gaffney and Stepfan Taylor flanking Toby Gerhart. Luck used play action, had no one open and began to run, only to find Taylor for 16 yards to the Oregon 17.

On the next play, Gerhart ran off right guard Andrew Phillips, stiff-armed a defender at the 10 and dragged another defender into the end zone for the touchdown. It was his third touchdown run of the game, giving Stanford a 45-28 lead.

Third quarter (7:04 left): Stanford 38, Oregon 28

Oregon took advantage of a third-down Stanford blitz by throwing a screen to LaMichael James that went for 55 yards.

Masoli took it in from the 3-yard line on the next play. Oregon needed fewer than two minutes to drive 82 yards on the six-play drive.

Oregon was within 10.

Third quarter (8:50 left): Stanford 38, Oregon 21

The Stanford defense faced a gut check with Oregon having a third and nine at its 29 and running a hurry-up offense. A false start pushed Oregon back to the 24. Another penalty, for offensive pass interference, pushed the Ducks back to the 12. An incompletion followed and the Ducks were stopped.

Could the Stanford offense regain its first-half momentum? A false start set Stanford back, but Toby Gerhart ran for 31 yards on the next play, cutting inside the block of pulling guard Andrew Phillips. The run gave Gerhart 1,136 yards on the season, tying his school record of last year.

On the next play, Andrew Luck lofted a deep pass to the left side. Receiver Chris Owusu turned from his inside shoulder to his outside shoulder and caught the ball at the goal line for a 31-yard touchdown play and a 38-21 lead.

Third quarter (11:46 left): Stanford 31, Oregon 21

Stanford took possession at its own 46 after an Oregon pooch kick. Andrew Luck is coming off a first half in which he completed 9 of 14 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown.

Stanford failed to secure a first down when Luck was stopped for a short gain on a third-down scramble.

Instead of answering Oregon's statement touchdown with one of its own, Stanford was left to punt, giving the Ducks an opportunity to cut into its deficit again.

Third quarter (12:46 left): Stanford 31, Oregon 21

Oregon took the second-half kickoff. For Stanford, the task was to prevent a quick touchdown that would give the Ducks confidence and bring them back into the game.

The Ducks got off to a good start, with a 13-yard run by LaMichael James on first down. Jeremiah Masoli hit Ed Dickson for 24 on the next play and Oregon rolled to the Stanford 40-yard line.

Masoli then threw deep to Jamere Holland, who had three steps on the cornerback and safety, for the 40-yard touchdown. Suddenly, Oregon was back in the game, trailing only 31-21.

Halftime: Stanford 31, Oregon 14

Oregon immediately faced a third and three and LaMichael James was stuffed by Shayne Skov, but did just enough to pick up the first down.

Again, the Ducks faced a third down, after Thomas Keiser chased quarterback Jeremiah Masoli out of bounds for a three-yard loss. This time, Chase Thomas pulled off the sack as Masoli had no one open. Oregon was forced to punt.

With 3:31 left in the half, Stanford had one more chance to pull away. Gerhart surpassed 100 yards with a carry and Andrew Luck bought enough time to find Ryan Whalen for a 10-yard pass and a first down.

But the Cardinal could get no farther. A Luck misfire ended the Cardinal series.

Oregon took over on its own 19 with 56 seconds left with three timeouts remaining.

On first down, Shayne Skov stopped LaMichael James for a four-yard loss, but was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting after the play for 15 yards.

On third and long, Jeremiah Masoli's deep pass was broken up by Johnson Bademosi.

Second quarter (6:03 left): Stanford 31, Oregon 14

Andrew Luck pulled off a perfect play-action fake to run for a first down himself and Stanford crossed midfield on a Gerhart run for nine.

Gerhart has 19 carries for 98 yards.

Two-way starter Owen Marecic picked up a first down on short yardage and Luck hit Ryan Whalen with another picturesque and spectacular pass, this one down the sideline to the only place he could have placed it under tight man coverage.

With the ball at the 3, Gerhart picked up one, and Marecic did the rest, scoring from two yards out to give Stanford a 31-14 lead with 6:03 left.

Seven plays, 72 yards on the drive.

Second quarter (9:48 left): Stanford 24, Oregon 14

Stanford fell for a fake handoff around end and instead had to chase Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli on the keeper for a long gain. Delano Howell caught him for the touchdown saving tackle.

But the Oregon drive ended suddenly. Masoli found Ed Dickson, but he was stripped by cornerback Kris Evans, who also recovered the ball on the play.

But on the next play, Toby Gerhart fumbled right back and Oregon was in business at its own 29.

On its first play of the series, Masoli threw into the end zone to Jeff Maehl for the touchdown. The play was under review to determine whether Maehl had control when he stepped out of the end zone. But the ruling on the field ultimately stood.

Second quarter (11:34 left): Stanford 24, Oregon 7

Stanford takes over at its own 13, having kept the ball for 10:48 of the first quarter and doing its job of keeping the Oregon offense off the field.

Luck threw a beautiful 40-yard pass to Chris Owusu, to the Oregon 39. Stepfan Taylor again picked up the blitz for a solid block to free up his quarterback. The ball traveled 40 yards in the air and found Owusu in stride and under tight coverage for the completion.

On the next play, Luck took a hard hit after he released the ball, but found tight end Jim Dray for 29 more yards, setting up a first down at the 10.

Both passes were thrown down the middle.

Two Gerhart runs got Stanford to the 8. On third down, Luck faked to Gerhart, rolled left and found Jim Dray for the touchdown. Suddenly, Stanford led 24-7.

Six plays, 87 yards on the drive.

End of the first quarter: Stanford 17, Oregon 7

Oregon picked up one first down, but faced a third and 11 at its own 45. Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, from Daly City, changed the play at the line and Stanford was offside. But on the next play, Masoli scrambled and pulled up for a short throw, which fell incomplete to end the quarter and the drive.

First quarter (1:33 left): Stanford 17, Oregon 7

Stanford faced a third-and-6 on its next series at its own 24, but Oregon was called for pass interference for the second time in the game to kick-start the Cardinal drive.

Luck threw a laser to tight end Coby Fleener on an out-and-up for a first down. Gerhart gained 10 to the Oregon 29 on the next play, and 13 on the one after that, bulling his way through two defenders at the end of the run.

Gerhart has 10 carries for 45 yards so far.

Luck threw a pinpoint pass to Konrad Reuland on a crossing pattern in the end zone, with help from running back Stepfan Taylor who picked up a blitzer, but the tight end dropped the ball. Facing third and 10 at the Oregon 16, Stanford called timeout.

However, Gerhart picked up his teammates by picking up the first down on a draw play, pushing his way through three defenders to get the first-down yardage and setting up a first-and-goal at the 5.

With the ball on the 4, Stanford line up with a triple stack in the backfield. Luck handed off to Gerhart, who followed Marecic and pulling guard Andrew Phillips over the right side for the score.

The drive covered 80 yards in 11 plays.

First quarter (6:33 left): Stanford 10, Oregon 7

Oregon, however, stormed right back. Jamere Holland ripped off a 20-yard run on the first play after being pinned back at its own 7-yard line because of a penalty on the kickoff.

After converting a third down, LaMichael James blasted through an open hold off left guard and scored untouched on a 60-yard run with 6:33 left.

First quarter (7:49 left): Stanford 10, Oregon 0

Stanford began to move the ball, with Ryan Whalen coming up big on three plays. On the first, Whalen drew a pass interference call on a well-thrown pass down the middle. On two others, Whalen was the go-to receiver on third down, converting each time.

Luck got hit hard on several early plays, and it happened again on a throw to Chris Owusu for 25 yards to the Oregon 4-yard line. But Luck hung tough and so did the Cardinal, with a 1-yard touchdown run by Toby Gerhart with 7:49 left to give Stanford a 10-0 lead.

Gerhart, who entered the game with 994 yards rushing this season, has exceeded 1,000 for the second consecutive year.

The scoring drive took nine plays and traveled 75 yards in 4:17.

First quarter (12:06 left): Stanford 3, Oregon 0

The game began as others have for Stanford, with a long kickoff return by Chris Owusu. The sophomore has returned two opening kickoffs for touchdowns this season and nearly had a third, except that he was tripped up at the Oregon 16-yard line with nobody in front of him.

A pair of Toby Gerhart runs went nowhere and Stanford was forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Nate Whitaker.

Oregon was held without a first down on its first series and Stanford takes over at its own 25.

Pregame

Stanford (5-3, 4-2) faces Oregon (7-1, 5-0), the Pacific-10 Conference leader, at Stanford Stadium today.

Stanford is 4-0 at home this season, but suffered a tough blow when starting linebacker Clinton Snyder was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in practice Tuesday. The Cardinal's starting fullback, Owen Marecic, will be starting in Snyder's spot as well.