Palo Alto, CA (Sports Network) - Toby Gerhart rushed for a school-record 223
yards and scored three times as Stanford shocked seventh-ranked Oregon, 51-42.
Gerhart ran 38 times and eclipsed the Stanford record previously held by Jon
Volpe, who had 220 in a 1988 game against Washington. Andrew Luck connected on
12-of-20 passes for 251 yards with a pair of scores for the Cardinal (6-3, 5-2
Pac-10), who built on a 33-14 home win over Arizona State two weeks ago.
Chris Owusu had four receptions for 111 yards with a touchdown for the
Cardinal, who are bowl eligible for the first time in eight years.
Jeremiah Masoli finished 21-of-37 through the air for 334 yards with three
scores for the Ducks (7-2, 5-1), who had their seven-game winning streak
broken. Oregon, which beat Stanford in the previous seven meetings, was on a
roll after losing its season-opener at Boise State, 19-8.
LaMichael James rushed 18 times for 125 yards with a score and also caught
four balls for 89 yards in defeat as the Ducks were dealt a big blow to their
hopes of getting into the BCS title game.
Kenjon Barner's one-yard TD run with 8:05 left had the visitors within 48-35,
and when Nate Whitaker missed a 44-yard field goal try the Ducks took
advantage. Masoli hit D.J. Davis with a 21-yard scoring pass with 2:38 left
for a six-point margin, but Oregon couldn't recover the ensuing onsides kick
and Stanford sealed the win on Whitaker's 48-yard field goal with 11 seconds
left.
Stanford scored the game's opening 10 points and never trailed. Whitaker
connected on a 29-yard field goal early in the first, and later in the quarter
Gerhart scored from a yard out.
"It doesn't matter what they do, it's about us when we play," said Luck. "I
feel like we have that mindset a little bit. We saw some things we could take
advantage of, but we focused more on us, not them and I think that paid off."
James had a 60-yard TD run just 1:16 after Gerhart's score, but Stanford
widened the margin to 17-7 on Gerhart's four-yard TD run with 1 1/2 minutes
remaining in the opening stanza. That capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive.
The lead widened to 24-7 early in the second on Luck's eight-yard TD pass to
Jim Dray, but the high-powered offenses continued to play a big part as
Oregon's Jeff Maehl caught a 29-yard TD pass from Masoli.
Owen Marecic's two-yard touchdown run pushed the margin to 31-14 at the half.
Jamere Holland's 40-yard scoring grab for the Ducks early in the third was
offset by Owusu's 31-yard TD reception.
Masoli's three-yard run had Oregon within 38-28 midway through the third, but
the Ducks' defense continued to falter. The Cardinal scored on the ensuing
drive with Gerhart powering in from 17 yards out with 3:03 remaining in the
third.
"Usually the first guy doesn't take him down so you have to get more than one
guy to him," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said of Gerhart. "He's a talented,
talented running back. I know he'll be sore tonight, but he's just a physical
tough runner that's tough to knock off is feet."
Masoli failed to move the chains at the end of the quarter when Masoli was
stopped on a fourth down run.
Whitaker's 41-yard field goal early in the fourth widened the margin to 48-28.