Sept. 11, 2004
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Trent Edwards passed for a career-high 297 yards andthree touchdowns, and T.J. Rushing returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score inStanford's 37-10 victory over Brigham Young on Saturday night.
Alex Smith, Justin McCullum and Evan Moore caught scoring passes fromEdwards, who was 20-of-41 to dominate his aerial duel with Jason Beck, BYU'sthird-string quarterback.
The Cardinal fell behind 10-0 before flattening the mistake-prone Cougars(1-1), who committed seven turnovers and 14 penalties for 125 yards.
Stanford took the lead for good on Smith's 2-yard TD catch early in thesecond quarter. McCullum caught a 21-yard scoring pass in the third, and the6-foot-7 Moore outjumped his defender to snare a 25-yard TD throw early in thefourth.
Michael Sgroi kicked three field goals for Stanford, which also started 2-0last season with wins over San Jose State and BYU - but went 2-7 the rest ofthe way.
Last fall's 18-14 win over the Cougars was a run-oriented game decided inthe final minutes, but the Cardinal's impressive passing attack was too muchfor BYU.
With John Beck and Matt Berry sidelined by injuries, Jason Beck was 23-of-46for 232 yards and three interceptions. But the Cougars, who upset Notre Damelast week, were doomed by penalties, turnovers and uninspired defensive play.
The Cougars lost three fumbles - two in the first half - and Jason Beckthrew all three of his interceptions in the second half. Fourth-stringerJackson Brown also got picked off in the final minute.
BYU took its early lead on Fahu Tahi's 3-yard TD run and Matt Payne's40-yard field goal - but Rushing, a cornerback and a sprinter on Stanford'strack team, roared nearly untouched through the Cougars' coverage on theensuing kickoff.
It was the third-longest kickoff return for a touchdown in school history,and Stanford's first TD return since 1996.
Later in the second quarter, the Cardinal's first scoring drive featured a76-yard completion to Mark Bradford, who made an impressive broken-field runfrom one sideline to the other. Bradford and Moore also play for the Stanfordbasketball team.
BYU's tumultuous week got even worse with its second straight loss toStanford. On Wednesday, the school abruptly fired athletic director Val Hale,embattled coach Gary Crowton's former high school football teammate.
Berry started for the Cougars in place of John Beck, who hurt his shoulderin their season-opening win over Notre Dame. But Berry cut his hand during theCougars' second drive and went to the locker room.
Jason Beck - no relation to John Beck - had intermittent success in BYU'spass-heavy game plan, but John Beck and Brown relieved him in the fourthquarter.
The large BYU fan contingent at Stanford Stadium booed the Stanford band athalftime when the rambunctious group poked fun at polygamy with five dancerswearing wedding veils.