Game over. Final Score: Stanford 38, WSU 28.
Stanford: 6-1, 3-1 Pac-10
WSU: 1-7, 0-5 Pac-10
0:35 remaining, fourth quarter
TOUCHDOWN, WASHINGTON STATE! Tuel completes a 74-yard pass to Marquess Wilson for a Cougar touchdown. A made PAT makes it 38-28, Stanford.
The Cougars are showing a lot of fight, refusing to go down easy. That last touchdown was scored in 1 minute and 38 seconds, and things are suddenly uncomfortably close for Stanford. However, a failed onside kick gives Stanford the ball at the WSU 38-yard line, and a kneel-down will end the game.
As a side note, this game is being played in front of an extremely sparse Stanford Stadium crowd; almost every section is nearly empty at this point.
2:13 remaining, fourth quarter
Washington State gets the ball back on its own 15-yard line, and Jeff Tuel will come out and try to lead the Cougars to another score. However, at this point in the game the outcome is all but certain, with Stanford still holding a 38-21 lead inside of 2 minutes. It will, very literally, take a miracle for the Cougars to come back and tie this football game. Tuel is still looking good, though, so Washington State at least has something to build upon.
3:46 remaining, fourth quarter
TOUCHDOWN, WASHINGTON STATE! A four-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Tuel to Jared Karstetter gets the Cougars their third touchdown of the day. Stanford 38, WSU 21.
While the Cougars are showing some admirable fight, the outcome of this game is still more or less a foregone conclusion. It’s incredibly unlikely that, with under four minutes remaining, the Cougars can make up the 17-point gap between themselves in the Cardinal. Nevertheless, it looks like they’re going to try.
Tuel, as expected, has had a pretty good game against Stanford’s weak secondary. He’s 19-26 for 216 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
UPDATE: Washington State has called a timeout, and is looking to go for an onside kick to try and get the ball back to go for another score. Stanford recovers the onside kick attempt.
6:11 remaining, fourth quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! After another long drive, Andrew Luck throws his third touchdown pass of the day, a 5-yard strike to Coby Fleener in the end zone. Whitaker hits the PAT, and Stanford now holds a 38-14 lead.
That one will be the dagger in Washington State’s back to seal this victory. Luck is now 19-27 for 186 yards, while Stepfan Taylor has been having an excellent game on the ground, with over 20 carries and over 120 yards. This win is pretty much in the bag for Stanford.
11:11 remaining, fourth quarter
TOUCHDOWN, WASHINGTON STATE! Tuel threw an incredible pass over the middle to Marcus Richmond into the end zone. PAT is good, Stanford 31, WSU 14.
Though the Cougars managed another touchdown, a comeback still doesn’t seem to be on the cards. Barring a successful onside kick, Stanford will get the ball back here, and will go back to its clock-killing strategies that have proven so effective here in the second half. Stepfan Taylor, who’s picked himself up from a slow start to have a monster day, will continue pounding the Cougar front seven until they can stop him.
Attendance: 36,679. Seems like a fairly generous number given what we’re actually seeing here.
12:00 remaining, fourth quarter
Washington State gets the ball back, mounting a desperation drive to try and get back into this game somehow.
It’s really unlikely that the Cougars are going to get back into this game. Stanford’s defense has looked fairly sharp this half, but there is still a lot of weakness in the secondary. Johnson Bademosi and Richard Sherman have been incredibly inconsistent, and Jeff Tuel just might yet find some way to get his team back in this football game.
Start of fourth quarter: Stanford 31, WSU 7
The fourth quarter opens with Stanford driving against the Cougar defense, executing a clock-killing strategy of short passes underneath and runs up the middle.
Stanford Stadium is slowly emptying, as fans are driven away by the cold, the rain and the inevitability of the outcome. There are literally entire sections of Stanford Stadium that are virtually empty, a real low point for Stanford’s attendance.
2:56 remaining, third quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! After a long drive, Luck throws a brilliant pass to Doug Baldwin in the corner of the end zone for a Stanford touchdown. A good PAT makes it Stanford 31, WSU 7.
After that drive, it’s pretty clear who’s going to win this game. Stanford’s overwhelming physicality finally came out, as the offensive line mauled Washington State on a series of running plays to just push the ball forward. The Cougars were fed a steady diet of runs from Stepfan Taylor, but just couldn’t stop the rushing attack. Overall, the drive went 12 plays and 67 yards, eating up over 6:30 on the clock.
At this point of the afternoon, I’d be extremely surprised if the Cougars manage to come back even to make this game competitive, let alone pulling out an upset victory.
9:23 remaining, third quarter
INTERCEPTION, STANFORD! Taylor Skaufel picks off a Tuel pass that was deflected by Shayne Skov, as Wazzu was driving inside Stanford territory. The Card gets the ball back at its own 33-yard line. It’s the first career interception for Taylor Skaufel.
That should steal a lot of momentum from the Cougars. The mood on the sidelines seems reversed from the first quarter: Washington State looks like the slow, lifeless one, while Stanford seems motivated and ready to go out and score again on this drive. If it does, it could spell a death knell for any Washington State hopes of winning this game.
In other news, California has defeated Arizona State, 50-17. In other Pac-10 action, Oregon defeated UCLA on Thursday night while Washington and Arizona play each other in Tucson later tonight.
13:24 remaining, third quarter
Stanford forced into a speedy three-and-out by the Wazzu defense, Daniel Zychlinski takes his first punt of the day for Stanford.
15:00 remaining, third quarter
Start of the third quarter, Stanford will start with the ball at its own 17. Look for the Cardinal to run the ball, trying to pound Washington State into submission, or to use short passes to keep the clock and the ball moving. I doubt we’ll see Andrew Luck really trying to go over the top on this drive.
Halftime
And now for my halftime thoughts:
Stanford looked rusty and sloppy through the first quarter and a half or so, but really picked up steam heading into halftime. Both the passing and running games are finally starting to look sharp, and Taylor showed why he has become the Cardinal’s feature back in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Washington State put up a good fight through the first half, but its defense finally started to fade as the second quarter wore on. Jeff Tuel has shown flashes of brilliance, but it hasn’t been nearly enough to overcome the Stanford defense, which recovered from some early setbacks to contain the Cougar attack.
This game isn’t over yet; if the Cougars come out of that tunnel motivated, they could still certainly put up quite a battle in the second half and give Stanford a run for its money. However, that’s not looking likely right now, and if Harbaugh can keep him team focused, Stanford should walk away today with a win.
0:47 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Stepfan Taylor takes it in from 2 yards out. Nate Whitaker notches the PAT, and Stanford takes a 24-7 lead.
With time winding down in the first half, it’ll be interesting to see how Tuel leads Washington State on its next drive. If the Stanford defense can come up with a stop, it’ll be very tough for Wazzu to come back in the second half, but if they can get some points on the board before halftime, this could be a very competitive game through the last two quarters.
1:36 remaining, second quarter
Stanford driving into Washington State territory as time winding down in the first half, now at first-and-goal from the 2 after Ryan Whalen is ruled inbounds on a reviewed pass.
2:48 remaining, second quarter
Stanford gets the ball back after forcing a Cougar punt.
If Stanford can get another touchdown here, extending its lead from 17-7, it could make life very difficult for Washington State in the second half. If the Cardinal can get a three-score lead, look for it to go to a ground-and-pound style of play that will ill time off the clock.
5:23 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! Stepfan Taylor takes it in for his first score of the day from 6 yards out. PAT is good, Stanford leads 17-7.
Stanford still looked a little sloppy on that drive, but it worked for the Cardinal, as it drove nine plays and 73 yards for the touchdown. If the defense can come out and make a stop, it’ll do wonders for Stanford’s confidence and should put it on a good track to bring home a W. If the Cougars can respond, however, we might be in for another USC-esque game, where the last team holding the ball walks away with a victory.
6:50 remaining, second quarter
The run game is picking up for the Cardinal. Taylor and Wilkerson are both picking up good chunks of yardage on each play.
10:10 remaining, second quarter
TOUCHDOWN, WASHINGTON STATE! Tuel threads a great pass to Jared Karstetter for the Cougars’ first points of the day. Stanford holds a slim 10-7 lead here in the second quarter.
Luck and his offense need to come out and respond on this next drive. Simply put, they should not be having these kinds of struggles against a weak team like Washington State. The Cougars are looking motivated and spirited, while Stanford looks listless and lifeless, especially on its sideline. This team might need some trademark Harbaugh fire quickly. Meanwhile, Jeff Tuel is having his way with the Cardinal secondary, burning corners Johnson Bademosi and Richard Sherman with ease.
The weather might also be a slight factor in this game. It’s pretty chilly here, and the wind and rain are both picking up.
11:30 remaining, second quarter
Washington State is driving, inside the Stanford red zone after a great pass from Tuel kept the drive alive on third-and-2.
Suddenly, Stanford looks very vulnerable. The defense will need to make a stop here to keep momentum on the Card’s side. I can’t believe I’m writing this about a Jim Harbaugh-coached team, but it looks like they just don’t have any motivation and aren’t as fired up as the Cougars.
13:19 remaining, second quarter
INTERCEPTION, WASHINGTON STATE! A Luck pass is picked off by Kevin Kooyman of Washington State, who takes is to the Wazzu 40-yard line.
Stanford’s offense is playing an incredibly sloppy game; the interception was preceded by a delay-of-game penalty, something that’s incredibly rare for a disciplined team like Stanford. If the Cougars can take advantage of this opportunity, they can inject some hope of staging a monumental upset into their sideline and their fans.
End of first quarter: Stanford 10, Washington St. 0
Stanford is looking very strong, despite only scoring 10 points so far. The defense has looked especially good, forcing two turnovers and one punt on Wazzu’s three drives so far. Stanford will have to get its running game back up to speed, however; Taylor only has 6 carries for 13 yards on the day, and if Stanford wants to go to the ground and pound to continue wearing down the Cougars (which I expect they might want to), Taylor will have to step his game up.
3:33 remaining, first quarter
FUMBLE, WASHINGTON STATE! Fumble recovered by Stanford on the Washington State 41.
This next drive is a great opportunity for the Card to pull ahead. If Stanford can score another touchdown and go up, 17-0, it will be incredibly hard for the Cougars to mount a sustained comeback. Even though there’s a lot of time left to play, it could quickly turn into a very, very unpleasant afternoon for the Cougars.
4:33 remaining, first quarter
TOUCHDOWN, STANFORD! On third and goal from the 7, Luck floats the ball into the end zone, caught by Ryan Whalen for a touchdown. PAT is good, Stanford takes a 10-0 lead.
While the offense drove for a touchdown on that drive, it didn’t look particularly great doing it. Luck made some key passes to keep moving the ball forward. However, Stepfan Taylor and his spell back, Anthony Wilkerson, have been getting absolutely stuffed—the Washington State run defense has been incredibly stingy. So far, Taylor has gone for seven yards on three carries, while Wilkerson has three yards on three carries.
8:55 remaining, first quarter
Stanford’s offense has been moving the ball but in unconventional ways: Luck scrambles and Doug Baldwin reverses. Stepfan Taylor has been pretty much stuffed through this entire drive, and Luck hasn’t been his usual automatic self. Still, the Card is driving, well inside Wazzu territory.
Luck is also utilizing a number of different receivers—Jamal-Rashad Patterson just caught a pass. We haven’t really seen too much of Owusu in this game, but Whalen is in.
12:30 remaining, first quarter
Washington State gets a 27-yard gain on its first play from scrimmage, and recovers a fumble that came at the end of the run.
Washington State’s offense is looking good in the early going. However, it’s probably too early in the game to start drawing conclusions, either about the Wazzu offense or the Cardinal defense.
13:00 remaining, first quarter
Stanford is held by the Wazzu defense in the red zone, Whitaker kicks a 21-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL, STANFORD! The Cardinal takes an early lead, 3-0, on the Nate Whitaker field goal.
While the Cardinal was able to strike first, it has to be disappointing to start with the ball on your opponents’ 7-yard line and only manage a field goal (and 5 yards total). On the first play of the drive, Luck even missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone, underthrowing the ball (to be fair, he was escaping from a group of rushing defenders)
Is the Cougar defense, so shoddy against other Pac-10 teams, going to start making stops today? They certainly showed some good fight, asked to make a goal-line stand on their first outing of the day.
14:10 remaining, first quarter
After Washington State took the ball on the kickoff, the defense forced it into a quick third-and-12. Under pressure on third down, Tuel threw up the ball.
INTERCEPTION, STANFORD! Owen Marecic took the ball down to the Washington State 7-yard line, giving the offense great field position to try and take an early lead.
This could be the start of a long day for the Cougars. If Stanford gets an early lead, it could run with it and never look back.
1:50 p.m., Pregame
With kickoff less than half an hour away, it’s time to preview today’s matchup between the No. 12 Stanford Cardinal (5-1, 2-1 Pac-10) and the Washington State Cougars (1-6, 0-4). You can read this week’s Stanford Daily preview here.
Stanford enters tonight’s game off a bye week. In the Cardinal’s last outing, on Oct. 9 at Stanford Stadium, it barely escaped USC, winning 37-35 on a last-second field goal. A win today would give the Cardinal bowl eligibility for the second consecutive year.
The Cougars played Arizona at home last week, falling 24-7 to the Wildcats. With a loss today, Washington State would officially lose bowl eligibility. For the past few seasons, the Cougars have been the model of futility: they have not won a game outside the state of Washington since 2006, and their lone win this season came on a last-second drive against FCS foe Montana State.
Stanford has won the last two meetings between these two teams, including a 58-0 victory the last time the Cougars visited the Farm, in 2008.
Like many duels in the Pac-10, today’s game will likely come down to how well each offense can play. Stanford is led by sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck, while Washington State has sophomore quarterback Jeff Tuel. In a conference full of strong-armed QBs, Luck and Tuel have both stood out so far this season.
Stanford’s defense will be looking to bounce back after several tough outings, especially against Oregon and USC. The defense gave up 52 points to the Ducks, and allowed the Trojans to hold their own at Stanford Stadium two weeks ago. The much-maligned passing defense will have its hands full today with Tuel and freshman receiver Marquess Wilson. Wilson leads all freshman receivers nationally in yards and receptions per game, and is 14th among all FBS receivers in yards per game with 92.3.
Stanford’s offense might be more dangerous this week, as Luck’s full receiving corps will finally be back and close to fully healthy. Luck should have the full services of both senior receiver Ryan Whalen and junior Chris Owusu, who were both limited by injuries throughout the first half of Stanford’s season.
A special welcome as well to all Stanford alumni, both here at the stadium and elsewhere, for today’s Homecoming game.
We’ll begin bringing you all the action from Stanford Stadium this afternoon, starting with kickoff at 2 p.m.
The Stanford Daily is once again bringing you all the action live from today’s Stanford football game against Washington State, here at Stanford Stadium. With alumni present for Homecoming weekend, it should be a great game and a great atmosphere. Tune in as we start bringing you live updates and instant analysis starting at 1:30 p.m.