October 8, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Michael Rector (3) runs with the football against Washington State Cougars linebacker Frankie Luvu (51) and safety Jalen Thompson (34) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
STANFORD, Calif. — Washington State ended an eight-game losing streak to Stanford and turned the Pac-12 race upside down by upsetting the 15th-ranked Cardinal 42-16 on Saturday night at Stanford Stadium.
The Cardinal were the preseason favorites to repeat as Pac-12 champion and won their first three games. Washington State dropped its first two contest, including a season-opening loss to Eastern Washington, an FCS school.
But Stanford (3-2, 2-2 Pac-12) was clobbered for the second straight game, losing to Washington 44-6 last week and getting dominated by the Cougars. The Cardinal need a lot of help to get back to the conference championship game.
Meanwhile, Washington State (3-2, 2-0), which beat Oregon 51-33 last week, joins Washington as the only two teams unbeaten in Pac-12 play.
Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey, who was limited to 49 rushing yards against Washington last week, had 35 rushing yards on eight carries and one reception for 5 yards against the Cougars. He had one carry in the second half and that came early in the third quarter. He may have been injured and it appeared he had an ice pack on his right hip on the sideline, although there was no immediate confirmation of that. He was not in the game in the fourth quarter.
Washington State had 458 yards of total offense compared with 296 for Stanford. The only touchdown the Stanford offense scored came on the final play of the game. The Cardinal’s defense scored Stanford’s other touchdown.
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk was 30 for 41 for 357 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, while Cardinal starting quarterback Ryan Burns went 20 of 30 for 232 yards, one interception and a touchdown pass.
Cougars wide receiver Tavares Martin Jr. only caught two passes, but both were for touchdowns. Wide receiver River Cracraft had seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown for Washington State.
After being sacked eight times last week, Stanford quarterbacks were sacked four times Saturday.
The Cardinal have lost consecutive games for only the second time under David Shaw, in his sixth season as Stanford’s coach, and lost games in consecutive weeks for the first time with Shaw at the helm.
Washington State increased a 14-3 halftime lead to 21-3 by marching 81 yards after receiving the second-half kickoff. Running back James Williams scored the touchdown on a 2-yard run.
The Cardinal got back in the game when Falk’s pass on third-and-23 from the Cougars’ 9-yard line was intercepted by cornerback Frank Buncom, who returned it 26 yards for a touchdown to reduce the Cougars’ lead to 21-10 with 7:44 left in the third quarter.
But Washington State increased the margin to 28-10 on Falk’s 17-yard pass to wide receiver Gabe Marks later in the third quarter. Falk added 16-yard scoring pass to Cracraft to make it 35-10.
Stanford quarterback Keller Chryst played just one series in the first half, and that drive produced the Cardinal’s only score as the Cougars took a 14-3 lead into halftime.
Stanford kicker Conrad Ukropina made one field goal in the first half but missed two others that hit the upright. Falk threw touchdown passes to account for both Cougars’ first-half scores.
Stanford safety Dallas Lloyd intercepted Falk’s second pass, giving the Cardinal possession at the Washington State 36-yard line. However, Ukropina’s 50-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright and was no good. It was Ukopina’s first miss of the season.
The Cougars scored first on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Falk to Martin. A shovel pass to Jamal Morrow that gained 45 yards and a 27-yard completion to Cracraft were the key plays in the drive.
Chryst replaced Burns as Stanford’s quarterback on the ensuing possession, and Chryst directed a 46-yard drive that ended with a 43-yard Ukropina field goal, cutting the Washington State lead to 7-3.
The Cougars pushed their lead to 14-3 with 9:10 left in the half when Falk hit Martin on a 29-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-7.
Washington State regained possession when linebacker Peyton Pelluer sacked Burns, causing a fumble that was recovered by Cougars linebacker Isaac Dotson at the Cardinal 42-yard line. But Washington State kicker Erik Powell missed a 35-yard field-goal try.
Ukropina again hit the upright on a 44-yard field-goal attempt that was no good with 47 seconds left in the half.
NOTES: Cardinal S Justin Reid was penalized for targeting and ejected from the game for a hit on Washington State QB Luke Falk in the third quarter. Falk sat out one play. … Stanford played without starting CBs Alijah Holder (shoulder) and Quenton Meeks (undisclosed), WR Francis Owusu (concussion), FB Daniel Marx (undisclosed), and OT Casey Tucker (undisclosed). … Washington State K Erik Powell was 0 for 4 on field-goal attempts this season before Saturday’s game, and he missed a 43-yard field-goal try on the final play of last season’s 30-28 loss to Stanford. He missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt in the first half Saturday to make him 0 of 5 for the season and didn’t get a try in the second half. … The Cougars ranked last in the nation in rushing offense each of the past four seasons but rushed for 228 yards against Idaho and 280 yards against Oregon in their past two games, both Washington State wins. Those are the two highest rushing totals for the Cougars since Mike Leach became coach before the 2012 season.
