The Sports Xchange
Oct 15, 2017
STANFORD, Calif. -- Bryce Love rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns in a little more than one half and quarterback Keller Chryst had a strong game as No. 23 Stanford pounded Oregon 49-7 on Saturday night at Stanford Stadium.
Stanford (5-2, 4-1 Pac-12) has won four straight games and is now in first place in the Pac-12 North after Washington and Washington State lost this weekend. The Ducks (4-3, 1-3) have lost three of their last four.
Love's last carry came on Stanford first offensive play of the third quarter as the Cardinal had the game well in hand by that point.
He ran for two first-quarter touchdowns, including one that covered 67 yards. He has nine runs of at least 50 yards this season, and he has had at least one run of 50 yards or more in nine straight games dating to last season.
Although Love's 147 yards represented a season low, he rushed for more than 100 yards for the ninth consecutive game, tying a school record.
He now has 1,382 yards for the season, although his 8.6 yards per carry against Oregon reduced his season per-carry average to 10.3 yards.
Oregon running back Royce Freeman had 143 yards on the ground as the Ducks amassed 276 rushing yards. However, Oregon had virtually no passing threat.
Oregon freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister made his second start in place of Justin Herbert, who is expected to be sidelined a few more weeks with a broken collarbone.
Burmeister was 3 of 8 for 23 yards with two interceptions.
Stanford, which had 504 yards of total offense, again used two quarterbacks, but Chryst got nearly all the important playing time.
He completed 15 of 21 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns. His only interception came on a pass that went in and out of the hands of the intended receiver.
K.J. Costello, the other Cardinal quarterback, played only one series in the first half and finished 5 of 6 for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Stanford put the game out of reach early in the second half. A 75-yard drive that ended with Chryst's 12-yard touchdown pass to JJ Arcega-Whiteside made the score 35-7.
Arcega-Whiteside finished with six receptions for 112 yards and two scores.
Oregon began the weekend tied for the national lead in sacks at 4.0 per game. But Stanford did not allow a sack for the fourth straight game.
Burmeister threw more interceptions (two) than completions (one) in the first half, which ended with Stanford leading 28-7.
Stanford took the opening kickoff and drove 77 yards for a touchdown. Love rushed for 48 yards on the drive, including a 5-yard touchdown run that put the Cardinal ahead 7-0.
Stanford made it 14-0 on Love's 67-yard touchdown run on the Cardinal's second possession.
Less than five minutes into the game, Love had 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Oregon reduced the deficit to 14-7 on an 86-yard drive capped by Burmeister's 1-yard scoring run. A 59-yard run by Freeman was the key play in the drive.
A little more than six minutes into the game, Freeman had 95 yards on the ground.
Stanford regained a 14-point lead when Chryst hit Arcega-Whiteside on a 3-yard touchdown pass that completed a 71-yard drive.
The Cardinal increased their lead to 28-7 when Isaiah Brandt-Sims blocked a punt by Oregon's Adam Stack, and Brandon Simmons scooped up the loose ball at the 2 and ran it in for the touchdown.
NOTES: Two Stanford defensive starters -- LB Peter Kalambayi and DT Harrison Phillips -- sat out the first half after being ejected for targeting in the second half of last Saturday's game against Utah. ... Oregon starting WRs Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell, who missed last week's game against Washington State because of injuries, played. ... Cardinal RB Bryce Love began the day leading the nation in rushing yards (1,240) and yards per carry (10.5). ... Stanford has a bye next week, then plays a Thursday road game against Oregon State on Oct. 26. Oregon plays at UCLA next Saturday. ... Oregon coach Willie Taggart and Stanford coach David Shaw were assistant coaches at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh.