Stanford Wins Big Over Duke 50-13

Stanford bounced back from a shaky performance last week with a convincing 50-13 victory over the Duke Blue Devils.

Senior wide receiver Drew Terrell got things going early for the Cardinal, returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown barely more than a minute into the game.

After Terrell’s touchdown, the Cardinal never looked back. Running back Stepfan Taylor carried the load on the ground, racking up 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Josh Nunes was solid under center in his second career start, completing 17 of 31 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns to Terrell, Levine Toilolo, and Jamal Rashad-Patterson respectively.

On the other side of the ball, the defense played very well all game. Happy to have middle linebacker Shayne Skov back after serving his one-game suspension, the Cardinal’s front seven held Duke to only 29 rushing yards.

The secondary impressed as well, as sophomore safety Jordan Richards intercepted a tipped pass to end Duke’s first drive of the second half, and junior Ed Reynolds returned another for a touchdown later in the third quarter.

Kicker Jordan Williamson also came through for Stanford by hitting three field goals in the first half, the longest from 35 yards out.

This game was reassuring for Stanford fans after the team only beat San Jose State by three points a week ago. The Cardinal will be tested at home next Saturday in their first conference game of the year against USC.

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Stanford Beats San Jose State 20-17 in a Close Call

San Jose State gave Stanford a good scare in their 2012 opener, as the Cardinal snuck out of Stanford Stadium with a 20-17 victory.

After Stanford jumped out to a 17-3 lead at half time, the Spartans exploded in the third quarter to erase the defecit, as quarterback Blake Jurich ran for a touchdown and Noel Grigsby caught another.

Kicker Jordan Williamson gave Stanford a 20-17 lead with a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that they would keep for the rest of the game. The teams exchanged punts for most of the fourth quarter, until junior safety Ed Reynolds intercepted a David Fales pass to seal the game with under two minutes to play.

The main question on everyone’s mind heading into the game was how the Cardinal would fare in the wake of two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Andrew Luck’s departure to the NFL. Junior quarterback Josh Nunes, who was named Luck’s replacement less than two weeks ago, put on a solid performance, completing 16-26 passes, including a beautiful 11-yard touchdown pass to Drew Terrell in the first quarter.

While Nunes was solid, it was the Cardinal’s ground attack that carried the offense. Stepfan Taylor rushed for 124 yards and a first quarter touchdown, including a beautiful 38-yard scamper on the team’s opening drive. Anthony Wilkerson and Resmound Wright added their efforts, combining for 29 yards between the two of them.

Stanford’s defense struggled a bit in the absence of starting middle linebacker Shayne Skov, allowing 216 passing yards. Still, the front seven was solid, allowing only 63 rushing yards.

Defensive back Usua Amanam put on an excellent individual performance, notching two sacks, one of them a huge play that slowed a threatening San Jose State drive in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Jordan Williamson also impressed in his first showing after a shaky performance in last year’s bowl game, hitting a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the first half and that 20-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Despite the victory, head coach David Shaw must be concerned after his team’s performance. The Cardinal were expected to win big over the Spartans, and we’ll look to see if Stanford performs better next Saturday against Duke.

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