Final Score: Stanford 42, Arizona 17
This was a big win for Stanford. The Cardinal thoroughly dominated the No. 15 team in the country, stating its case to be included in the discussion among the country’s top teams. Stanford now has a showcase win on its resume, and it helps that the Cardinal’s only loss came to the current No. 1 team in the country, Oregon.
Look for full coverage of Stanford’s big win over Arizona later tonight on The Stanford Daily’s website, stanforddaily.com. I’ll see you folks in two weeks at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, as Stanford travels across the Bay to take on the Golden Bears.
1:30 remaining, fourth quarter
On a last-ditch effort, Foles throws an incomplete pass on fourth down. Stanford takes over on downs, and will just kneel it out for the victory.
3:23 remaining, fourth quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Stepfan Taylor takes it in from five yards out for his fourth touchdown of the night. Stanford holds a commanding lead, 42-17.
Stanford has absolutely run Arizona out of the building. For such a hyped matchup, the Cardinal has come in and thoroughly dominated its opposition, bending the Arizona front seven to its will. That last drive went 83 yards in 11 plays and took 5 minutes and 31 seconds off the clock, and Stanford didn’t throw the football once, relying heavily on its running backs (with a couple Andrew Luck runs mixed in for good measure). With so little time left on this clock, the outcome of this game is pretty much decided: Stanford will go home with a win, sole possession of second place in the Pac-10 and its BCS bowl hopes intact.
5:00 remaining, fourth quarter
Stanford has not thrown a pass on this drive, just feeding the ball to Taylor and Wilkerson. The Card has already held the ball for over four minutes, and with plenty of green in front of it, it shows no sign of giving it up. It wouldn’t matter if the Wildcat run defense, supposed to be among the best in the country, could make a stop, but it can’t, and the Cardinal is just continuing to generate first downs. A 15-yard facemask penalty just called against Arizona doesn’t help, either.
8:00 remaining, fourth quarter
Stanford is just running the football now, lining up in jumbo packages inside their own territory, running the ball straight at the Wildcats and daring them to make a stop. We’ve also seen another designed Andrew Luck run, which worked so beautifully last weekend.
A side contribution from Miles Bennett-Smith, as Stanford continues to rotate running backs in its backfield: “It doesn’t matter who they throw back there. You just put them behind the offensive line and push.”
9:02 remaining, fourth quarter
TOUCHDOWN, ARIZONA! Keola Antolin takes the ball in from 1 yard out to add to the Wildcats’ total. Stanford still leads it, 35-17. A 14 play, 63 yard drive in 2:57 for Arizona.
The Wildcat offense is finally starting to gain some ground against the Stanford defense, driving deep into Stanford territory on its last few drives. However, it may end up being too little and too late for Arizona, as they still have a big 18-point deficit to make up with just nine minutes remaining. I’d be very surprised if Harbaugh came out on this next drive and didn’t follow a very conservative game plan, opting for runs up the middle and short passes to keep the ball moving, the clock running, and Nick Foles on the sideline.
9:30 remaining, fourth quarter
Arizona driving again, deep into Stanford territory. First and goal now at the Stanford 3-yard line. Going to take another goal-line stand to keep the Cats out of the end zone.
14:57 remaining, fourth quarter
STANFORD STOPS ARIZONA ON FOURTH DOWN! Thomas Keiser deflects Nick Foles’ pass, and the incompletion sees Arizona turn the ball over to Stanford on downs.
That’s a momentum killer if I ever saw one. Expect Stanford to come out and follow a conservative Jim Harbaugh game plan: keeping the ball and the clock moving by punishing the Wildcats on the line of scrimmage and running it down their throat.
On a separate note, Stanford’s offense has cruised in what was expected to be a very tough test against a strong Arizona defense. Through the first three quarters of play, Stanford has 412 yards of total offense against a defense that came in surrendering 287 yards per game.
End of the third quarter: Stanford 35, Arizona 10
The third quarter ends with a fourth down for Arizona on the Stanford 5-yard line.
So Arizona did come back and respond to Stanford’s touchdown with a deep drive of their own. The biggest play of the game might just be the first one of the fourth quarter, with a fourth-down push for the end zone by the Wildcats. More to come in a minute.
0:37 remaining, third quarter
Wildcats are driving now, parked inside the Stanford red zone.
1:24 remaining, third quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Stepfan Taylor busts into the end zone from a yard out for his third rushing touchdown of the night. A good PAT makes it Stanford 35, Arizona 10.
That 10 play, 78 yard drive is the exact response that Stanford needed after Arizona scored its first touchdown of the game. The Cardinal now has a commanding 25-point lead with little over a quarter left in the game, and the pressure is squarely on Nick Foles and the Arizona offense. If the Wildcats don’t score on this next drive, their prospects for coming back in this game look very dim indeed. Of course, the Stanford defense won’t make it easy for them. I feel like this next drive will be crucial in determining how this game plays out.
Although, I suppose Arizona still could come back in the fourth quarter. After all, earlier today Kansas did score 35 points in the fourth quarter to come back and stun Colorado. You never know…
3:00 remaining, third quarter
Stanford is driving here, inside the Arizona red zone.
5:45 remaining, third quarter
TOUCHDOWN, ARIZONA! Foles throws a seven-yard touchdown pass to Juron Criner, putting Arizona on the board for the first time in the second half. After a good PAT, Stanford leads Arizona, 28-10.
Arizona’s offense finally showed signs of life on that drive, gaining chunks of yardage against the Stanford defense. Arizona’s playmakers, especially sophomore running back Greg Nwoko, dodged past Stanford defenders and finally started to gain some ground. Arizona is far from out of this game, but if Stanford’s offense can drive down the field with its next possession and score, it will make life very difficult for the Wildcats.
7:16 remaining, third quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Andrew Luck tosses a shovel pass to Tyler Gaffney for a five-yard touchdown pass. A good PAT puts Stanford on top, 28-3.
Luck has been absolutely brilliant in this game. So far, he’s 20-25 for 203 yards passing with two touchdowns to his name. In the battle between the Stanford offense and the Arizona defense, the Cardinal definitely has the upper hand, and that’s thanks largely to Stanford’s offensive line. Luck hasn’t been sacked yet, and the running game is making a lot of solid progress. That last drive went 10 plays for 79 yards in 4:29, and it doesn’t look like the Stanford offense is slowing down anytime soon.
12:22 remaining, third quarter
Stanford’s defense is coming up with huge stops again here on the Wildcats’ first drive of the second half. On third and long, Sione Fua broke through the Arizona offensive line and took down Nick Foles for a big loss. Arizona is forced into a punt, its fifth of the game, on its first drive of the second half.
For you statheads out there, Stanford has now allowed just three points in its last six quarters of play. The defense is continuing its stellar performance here in the second half, making critical plays on third down and keeping Arizona from driving deep into Stanford territory. While Luck and offense were supposed to lead this team today, it looks like the Stanford attack won’t have to do as much as many (including myself) had anticipated heading into tonight’s matchup.
14:53 remaining, third quarter
Arizona will start the second half with the ball at their own 25-yard line.
Halftime: Stanford 21, Arizona 3
It’s now time for my halftime thoughts.
Stanford has looked very good through the first half. Though the Cardinal offense stalled at times against a good Arizona defense, it’s been able to gain a good amount of ground, with one passing touchdown from Andrew Luck and two rushing scores from Stepfan Taylor. Luck especially has been his usual excellent self, going 15-20 for 163 yards and the aforementioned touchdowns in the first half.
Meanwhile, the Stanford defense is once again exceeding expectations, holding Nick Foles, Keola Antolin and Juron Criner to just three points in the first half (and it’s worth noting that the Wildcats’ lone scoring drive came when they started the drive on the Cardinal 43-yard line). Stanford is winning the battle on the line of scrimmage defensively, constantly hurrying and pressuring Nick Foles and knocking him down with (if you’re an Arizona fan) frightening regularity.
A big stat for the Stanford defense so far has been its success on third down. So far, the Wildcats are just 3-for-8 on third down plays, and the Stanford defense has come up with a lot of critical stops. Arizona has been forced into four punts on the day.
With the LSJUMB out on the field now, Stanford Stadium is far from a sellout; however, the student section and the lower bowl is (mostly) full. Still, when ESPN Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller (sitting a few seats to my right) is calling you out on his blog for having low attendance in a top-15 matchup, it’s a sign that the fan support could (and should) be a lot better.
In other news around the Pac-10, UCLA beat Oregon State in Pasadena, 17-14, on a last-second field goal; Oregon crushed Washington, 53-16, earlier this afternoon; Cal squeaked by Washington State, 20-13; and Arizona State and USC are set to square off at the Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. PST.
0:16 remaining, second quarter
INTERCEPTION, STANFORD! Foles throws an errant pass straight into Richard Sherman’s hands, killing an Arizona drive that was deep inside Stanford territory. The interception likely saves at least a field goal, and Stanford gets the ball back at its own 27. However, Harbaugh elects to have Luck just take a knee, sending both teams into the locker room for halftime with the score Stanford 21, Arizona 3.
1:18 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Stepfan Taylor takes it in from 5 yards out for his second touchdown of the game. After a successful PAT, Stanford leads Arizona, 21-3.
That drive was an excellent way to build momentum heading into the locker room at halftime. The Cardinal looked firmly in control, using the running game to pound the Wildcats into submission and establish itself as the force in this game. However, it’s still too early to make any predictions on how this one will turn out. Don’t forget, early in October, Stanford held a 21-3 on Oregon only to see the Ducks come back in a big way. Not that Arizona is quite as good as Oregon, but I think Stanford fans have learned to never count an opponent out, especially this early in the football game.
2:37 remaining, second quarter
Drew Terrell gets a spectacular return on an Arizona punt, giving Stanford the ball on the Arizona 35 after the defense forces the Wildcats into a fourth-down situation. Stanford leads, 14-3.
The Stanford defense has been nothing short of excellent in tonight’s game, getting a ton of stops against the Arizona offense and making incredibly clutch plays in third down situations. The Stanford offense should put some points on the board with this next drive, given that it’s starting it at the Arizona 35-yard line.
4:08 remaining, second quarter
Stanford is forced into a punt, and the Wildcats will start the drive at their own 17-yard line. The Card leads, 14-3.
After a weak opening performance, the Arizona defense has been very strong on the last couple of Stanford drives. The offensive line hasn’t been as successful in containing the Wildcat rush, and the Card has been forced into two consecutive punts. It’ll be interesting to see how this battle continues to play out, both as the first half winds down and into the second half.
5:55 remaining, second quarter
FIELD GOAL, ARIZONA! After getting stopped on third down on a dropped pass, the Wildcats kick a field goal to get on the board with their first score of the game. Stanford 14, Arizona 3.
Despite giving up its first points of the game, Stanford’s defense still played well on that drive. The Wildcats only went 27 yards in five plays, and Nick Foles was on his back more times than I can keep track of. Nevertheless, they were able to capitalize on their good field position to stay in this game. Clearly, this game is far from decided, but the outcome could become much clearer depending on what Stanford is able to do on its next drive.
7:36 remaining, second quarter
Stanford is forced into a quick three-and-out, ending with a Zychlinski punt. The punt only travels to the Stanford 43-yard line, which is where the Wildcats will start with the ball. Stanford 14, Arizona 0.
This drive represents Arizona’s biggest opportunity to get back into this game. They are starting with excellent field position, and are in great shape to try and make a run deep into Stanford territory. And they did just that: on the first play of the drive, Juron Criner took the ball 24 yards into the Cardinal red zone.
9:17 remaining, second quarter
Stanford forces Arizona into yet another punt, making crucial stops and getting Nick Foles to make mistakes. The defense has been stellar so far this evening, and Stanford will get the ball back (although it’s deep inside its own territory) with a 14-0 lead here in the second quarter.
I can say with confidence that Nick Foles is going to wake up and feel very sore tomorrow morning. He’s been getting brutally pounded on every drive by the Stanford defense, getting knocked down or hurried on almost every play. If the Wildcats want to get a score and start drawing even with the Card, its offensive line needs to step up and start making some blocks on the Cardinal linebacking corps.
11:43 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Stepfan Taylor bulldozes his way into the end zone from 2 yards out to score the Cardinal’s second touchdown of the day. Stanford leads Arizona, 14-0.
That was another strong drive from Stanford: 14 plays, 89 yards in 7:45. The Cardinal used a combination of bruising runs from Taylor and fellow back Tyler Gaffney and clutch throws from Andrew Luck to move the ball down the field.
Arizona’s defense might have entered this game very overrated (as my colleague Jacob Jaffe pointed out to me earlier this week). The offensive line has been spectacular, preventing the Wildcat defensive line from wreaking havoc in the backfield. I can definitely see Stanford going to its conservative game plan in its next couple of drives, relying again on that fantastic offensive line to win the battle on the line of scrimmage.
End of the first quarter. Stanford 7, Arizona 0.
The quarter ends with Stanford facing a third-and-15 at the Arizona 47-yard line. Time for some analysis!
Stanford’s game plan is similar to what it did last week at Washington: dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and everything will go from there. So far, it’s been working pretty well on the defensive side of the ball, with two stops from the Stanford defense. However, on the offensive side, Stanford has been killed by penalties. Luck, Taylor and the rest of the offense have made some big plays, but one big pass got called back on a holding penalty, and those penalties and false starts killed one Cardinal drive and is threatening to kill this one too.
Meanwhile, Foles and the Arizona offense have made some plays, but Foles barely has any time to get off his throws before Cardinal defenders are in the backfield. If the Wildcats want to gain any traction in this game, they need to do a much better job of protecting their quarterback from the Stanford’s pass rush.
1:07 remaining, first quarter
Stanford is rolling against the Wildcat defense, with Luck making huge throws to his entire receiving corps to keep his offense moving down the field. However, penalties could hurt the Cardinal again on this drive, as Jonathan Martin on the offensive line just got called for a holding penalty. Stanford still leads, 7-0, as the first quarter winds down.
4:28 remaining, first quarter
Stanford’s defense gets a ton of pressure on Nick Foles, hitting him twice consecutively on second and third down to force the Wildcats into a punt, which goes all the way to the Stanford 11-yard line. Stanford leads, 7-0.
This is the type of game Stanford’s defense wanted to have: winning the battle against Arizona’s offensive line and giving Foles little time to make plays. Vic Fangio’s defense is using multiple looks, too, with the last hit on Foles coming from safety Michael Thomas, blitzing from the corner.
6:00 remaining, first quarter
The Arizona defense makes a key stop on third-and-15, finally getting some significant pressure on Andrew Luck and forcing him into an errant throw well past receiver Ryan Whalen. Stanford still leads, 7-0, as it’s forced to punt away to the Wildcats.
We saw a couple of undisciplined penalties from Stanford on that drive, with a crucial holding penalty and a couple of false starts. If the Wildcat offense can come out and respond with a score, the pressure will be squarely on the Stanford offense to perform. However, if the defense can make another stop, it’ll give the Cardinal an opportunity to build a pretty solid lead. So far, the defense seems to be following the same formula that took it to success last week: get a lot of pressure on the quarterback and win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
8:23 remaining, first quarter
After Nick Foles is sacked for a big loss on third down (technically an intentional grounding penalty, but Foles was going down anyway), Arizona is forced to punt to the Cardinal. Stanford still holds a 7-0 lead.
The Stanford defense came up with a big stop on that drive; not only did it hold the Wildcats on third down, but knocked Arizona out of field goal range, forcing them to punt the ball back to Stanford. After a touchback, Stanford will start the drive on its own 20-yard line.
9:47 remaining, first quarter
The Stanford defense is looking like its old self on this opening drive from the Wildcats; specifically, Arizona is moving the ball with ease, both through the air and on the ground. Nick Foles doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat despite being out with a knee injury, and Wildcat running back Keola Antolin is finding and exploiting big gaps in the Stanford defense.
10:50 remaining, first quarter
After a complete pass from Nick Foles to Juron Criner, Stanford LB Shayne Skov delivers a punishing hit and knocks the ball out of Criner’s hands, and the fumble is recovered by Richard Sherman at the Arizona 40-yard line. However, upon further review the pass is ruled incomplete, eliciting boos from the Stanford crowd.
12:06 remaining, first quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Luck throws a deep 45-yard bomb to Chris Owusu, who got behind the Arizona secondary and was wide open. A tremendous route by Owusu and an excellent throw by Luck, giving Stanford an early 7-0 lead.
Stanford looked great against the Arizona defense on its opening drive. Stepfan Taylor made some good runs, and Andrew Luck has had all the time in the world to find open receivers and complete passes, both underneath (early in the drive) and over the top (the big touchdown strike to Owusu). Six plays, 69 yards in 2:54 for Stanford here on its opening drive, exactly the type of start the Cardinal offense was looking for.
5:10 p.m., Pregame
Stanford Stadium remains fairly empty, just a few minutes before kickoff here.
Stanford lost the toss and Arizona deferred, so the Cardinal will receive the kickoff to start the game.
4:30 p.m., Pregame
With kickoff a half hour away here at Stanford Stadium, The Stanford Daily is bringing you live coverage of Stanford football’s game tonight against the Arizona Wildcats. We will be updating you throughout the game with scores and instant analysis of tonight’s contest. You can read this week’s Stanford Daily preview here.
No. 13 Stanford and No. 15 Arizona enter tonight’s game with identical 7-1 records, including 4-1 records in conference play. Both teams currently sit behind Oregon in the Pac-10 standings; however, Stanford lost to Oregon earlier this season, while the Wildcats have yet to play the Ducks.
As with many games in the Pac-10, both quarterbacks figure to play very prominent roles. Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Arizona’s Nick Foles are both among the country’s elite passers, and each has stepped up and taken big leadership roles this season. Luck has been the more prolific of the two this season, ranking near the top of the conference in a number of statistical categories. Foles, meanwhile, is coming off a knee injury that saw him miss Arizona’s last two games. His backup, Matt Scott, performed very well in the Wildcats’ recent wins over Washington and UCLA, but Arizona head coach Mike Stoops has indicated that Foles will start.
Another big storyline in tonight’s game is the matchup of the Arizona defense with Stanford’s Luck-led attack. The battle for control of the line figures to be fierce, with the always-stellar Tunnel Workers’ Union going against a pair of stud defensive ends in Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed. Last week against Washington, the Cardinal dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, keying a 41-0 rout, and if Stanford can keep Andrew Luck on his feet and open up holes for Stepfan Taylor, it figures to be a good day for the Stanford offense.
For the Stanford defense, today’s game represents a chance to show that its shutout performance against the Huskies was the norm, and its streak of three subpar games before the Washington contest was the aberration. The unit faced its fair share of criticism after failing to make crucial stops against USC and giving up three fourth-quarter touchdowns to Washington State, but it’s impossible to tell which version of the Stanford defense will show up on any given weekend.
The weather here at Stanford Stadium is nearly perfect for a great football game, and fans are currently filtering into the stadium. Today’s game figures to be more packed than Stanford’s last home game against Washington State, played in front of a half-empty Stanford Stadium.
Tune back in at 5 p.m., as we bring you live coverage of the opening kickoff.