Field Level Media
Oct 26, 2019
K.J. Costello returned from a three-game absence to throw three touchdown passes, including a tiebreaking 14-yarder to Simi Fehoko in the third quarter, helping host Stanford outlast Arizona 41-31 in Pacific-12 Conference play on Saturday afternoon.
Costello also threw touchdown passes to Brycen Tremayne and Fehoko in the second quarter, and Cameron Scarlett scored twice on first-half runs as the Cardinal (4-4, 3-3) rebounded from a one-sided home loss to UCLA with their third win in the last four games.
Khalil Tate threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third for Arizona (4-4, 2-3), which lost its third straight.
After a back-and-forth first half in after which Stanford went into the locker room with a 31-24 lead, Tate connected with Drew Dixon from 9 yards out to draw the Wildcats even at 31 with 9:32 left in the third quarter..
But Costello, who had been out due to a thumb injury, immediately directed the Cardinal 65 yards in eight plays, connecting with Fehoko on the 14-yard TD that put Stanford ahead for good.
After being scorched for 34 points by UCLA last week and 31 in 36 minutes by the Wildcats, the Stanford defense kept the visitors off the board for the final 24 minutes.
Ryan Sanborn's second field goal of the game, a 21-yarder with 6:18 to play, pushed the Cardinal's final margin of victory to double digits.
Costello finished 30 of 43 for 312 yards without an interception. He hooked up three times with Fehoko for 97 yards and the two scores, the first of which came from 44 yards out.
Scarlett had 102 rushing yards on 19 carries. His touchdowns were from 1 yard in the first quarter and 8 yards in the second.
Tate wound up 17 of 33 for 205 yards with two interceptions. His first TD pass went to Jalen Johnson, covering 8 yards, in the first quarter.
Arizona's J.J. Taylor was the game's leading rusher with 107 yards on 16 carries. Tate added 103 yards on nine runs, including a 57-yarder for a TD in the second quarter.
The Wildcats outgained the Cardinal 495-472.
--Field Level Media