FINAL: Stanford 41 – Washington 0
Stanford’s backups prevent any scoring by the Washington second-team offense. Stay tuned for the Daily’s extended recap, which will be posted shortly.
5:41 remaining, fourth quarter
Wilkerson busts a long run of 22 yards on 3rd down, sneaking Stanford past midfield and into Washington territory. Luck misses a wide-open Conrad Reuland on third down, and Harbaugh, not letting his foot off the pedal, decides to go for it on 4th and 2. Stepfan Taylor nears 100 yards on the day as he sneaks across for the first down. Harbaugh yanks Luck from the game in the middle of the drive, and inserts backup Alex Loukas. Gaffney receives his 13th carry of the day, and gets across the 20-yard line on an eight-yard gain. Usua Amanam is stuffed on 3rd and long. Whitaker kicks his second field goal, this time a 39-yarder, and Stanford crosses the 40-point mark. Those who bet on the underdog Huskies at home are weeping, as the Cardinal shows no mercy. Stanford 41, Washington 0.
13:08 remaining, fourth quarter
INTERCEPTION STANFORD
The starting defensive unit stays in, and shows its first sign of weakness as starting CB Richard Sherman misses a tackle. After a short gain, Locker is once again picked off, this time by Howell. Stanford takes over at its own 28.
Locker has been awful this evening, going 7-for-14 for just 64 yards and two interceptions.
End of third quarter
TOUCHDOWN STANFORD
Luck threads the needle to Baldwin for a 21-yard completion to open the drive. Stepfan Taylor converts on a 3rd and short by weaving his way through the middle for a nine-yard gain. On 3rd and 1, Luck tricks the entire stadium with a play-action naked bootleg that goes for 16 yards and gets Stanford to the five-yard line. On 2nd and goal, Luck throws a pass that is begging to be picked off, but it falls incomplete. He finds his accuracy and connects with Ertz on the next play for a five-yard touchdown. Washington loses all hope as Stanford goes up, 38-0. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Harbaugh pull the starters to start the fourth quarter.
5:11 remaining, third quarter
Thomas, who has been dominant thus far, stops Polk on a 3rd and 1. Washington punts it away and Stanford looks to score again, gaining control at its own 33-yard line.
7:12 remaining, third quarter
FIELD GOAL STANFORD
Gaffney plows across the ten-yard line for a Stanford 1st and goal. After Gaffney is stopped for a gain of one, Luck goes to the air and finds Stepfan Taylor for a short completion down to the five. Third down is no better as Zach Ertz catches a one-yard pass. Whitaker redeems himself with a 22-yard field goal. Stanford adds to its lead, 31-0.
10:41 remaining, third quarter
INTERCEPTION STANFORD
Thomas and fellow linebacker Shane Skov record to big tackles that lead to a 4th and 1 from Washington’s 33. Jake Locker barely gets across to keep the drive afloat. On the very next play, Locker is intercepted by Johnson Bademosi, who returns it to Washington’s 22-yard line.
12:44 remaining, third quarter
Stanford punter Daniel Zychlinski sees his first action of the day on a Cardinal 3-and-out. He booms it to the Washington 24 where the Huskies take over.
HALFTIME
Luck scrambles for a gain of nine yards on 2nd down. Taylor barely gets two yards and keeps Stanford’s drive alive. After two botched plays, Luck finds Baldwin, but it’s not enough. Stanford lets the clock wind down and calls timeout. With two seconds remaining in the half, Harbaugh sends the offense out. Luck sends a bomb into the end zone, where it is picked off by Washington’s Nate Fellner. Stanford goes into halftime with a 28-0 lead over the Huskies.
2:50 remaining, second quarter
On Washington’s first play of the drive, Thomas notches his second sack of the day, tackling Locker for a loss of five yards. Thomas then joins safety Delano Howell in tackling Polk for a loss of two on a sweep. On 3rd and 17, Locker finds Kearse for a gain of just eight yards. Washington is forced to punt, yet again. Stanford begins its next possession from its own 34.
4:46 remaining, second quarter
Stanford star fullback Owen Marecic gets involved with a 15-yard pass to open the drive. Fans sarcastically applaud a defensive effort that results in a two-yard loss on a Wikerson rush. On 3rd down and 7 from Washington’s 25, Luck completes a short pass to Ryan Whalen. Stanford finally settles for something other than a touchdown, and Whitaker misses his first field goal on the season as he hooks a 40-yarder wide left. Nonetheless, Stanford remains in control, 28-0.
7:37 remaining, second quarter
Washington begins at its own 20, and continues to struggle on offense. Two errant throws by Locker, combined with a short gain by Polk, results in the fifth Washington punt. Washington is doing its best Washington State impression today, struggling in every aspect of the game. A short return by Michael Taylor places Stanford on Washington’s 44.
8:38 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN STANFORD
Luck picks his spots on Stanford’s drive, finding Baldwin with two quick strikes. The crowd finally comes to life on Stanford’s 3rd and 3, but Luck improvises, scrambles, and finds Baldwin again for a 16-yard pass. On 2nd down and 7 from Washington’s 36, Taylor finds a hole and darts down the far sideline for a gain of 24 yards. Head coach Jim Harbaugh continues to use Gaffney in the red zone, and he gets Stanford inside the five-yard line before punching it in. Gaffney is hit late, and Washington is punished with a 15-yard penalty on the kickoff. 28-0 Stanford.
13:29 remaining, second quarter
Stanford botches a first down completion by Locker by committing a personal foul. The 19-yard pass to star Husky receiver Jermaine Kearse quickly becomes a 34-yard gain, placing Washington in Stanford territory. A controversial no-call on what looked like pass interference by Stanford safety Michael Thomas brings up 3rd down for the Huskies. Locker throws an incomplete pass, and Washington is forced to punt for the fourth time today. Stanford takes over at its own 20 after the punt sails into the end zone.
14:54 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN STANFORD
After the teams switch sides, the Cardinal punches it in behind Taylor. The two-yard touchdown run is once again topped off by Whitaker, and Stanford takes a commanding three-touchdown lead, 21-0.
End of first quarter
On 1st down, Luck connects with Whalen for a gain of 24 yards on a beautifully run post pattern. Taylor follows with two big runs of eight and 11 yards. He is relieved by Tyler Gaffney, who also has no problem getting through the Washington D for a gain of 11. After Gaffney is stopped on 1st and goal from the 7, the quarter ends with Stanford poised to score on the Huskies’ 2-yard line.
At the end of the first quarter, Stanford jumps out to a quick lead, up 14-0 in a disappointed and booing Husky Stadium.
2:02 remaining, first quarter
The Stanford defense remains strong up front, stifling running back Chris Polk yet again. On 2nd down, Locker tries to get out of trouble and is promptly tackled for no gain by a helmetless Chase Thomas. Locker is then sacked by Matt Masifilo, resulting in another Washington punt. Stanford takes over on its own 39-yard line.
4:20 remaining, first quarter
TOUCHDOWN STANFORD
Tight end Cody Fleener drops a crucial pass on 2nd and 7, but makes up for it with a key grab on 3rd down despite defensive holding. Stanford begins to establish its running backs on the drive, handing it off to Taylor and Anthony Wilkerson for gains of five. Luck finds receiver Chris Owusu for a gain of 16 yards to get Stanford to Washington’s 2-yard line. Taylor pounds it in for the score. After a Whitaker extra point, Stanford leads, 14-0.
6:58 remaining, first quarter
Stanford defense comes up with a huge tackle behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of nine yards. Husky quarterback Jake Lucker fumbles on 3rd and long, resulting in four-yard loss. Locker was hit on every down of that possession, as Stanford’s front seven had no trouble finding their way through. Washington punts it away, and Stanford will start its next possession at Washington’s 42-yard line.
8:37 remaining, first quarter
TOUCHDOWN STANFORD.
After two quick first downs, quarterback Andrew Luck scrambles for a 51-yard touchdown after faking the handoff to running back Stepfan Taylor. Whitaker tacks on the extra point. 7-0, Cardinal on top.
10:28 remaining, first quarter
Washington starts its first drive on its own 23-yard line. Washington grinds away for two quick first downs. On 3rd and 1, offensive lineman jumps the gun and is charged with a false start. Huskies are unable to convert on 3rd and 6. Punt goes out of bounds at the 14-yard line where Stanford will begin its first drive.
Start of the first quarter
Stanford won the toss and chose to defer. Kickoff in 30 seconds.
With kickoff less than an hour away, it’s time to preview today’s matchup between the No. 13 Stanford Cardinal (6-1, 3-1 Pac-10) and the Washington Huskies (3-4, 2-2). You can read this week’s Stanford Daily preview here.
With the temperature hovering around 50 degrees and a steady drizzle throughout the day, both teams will undoubtedly need to get it done on the ground in order to have a chance in today’s battle.
We’ll begin bringing you all the action from Husky Stadium this afternoon, starting at approximately 4:10 p.m. Tune in for live updates and analysis beginning at kickoff.