Sept. 15, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -- Toby Gerhart ran for 140 yards and a touchdown Saturday night to lead Stanford to its first win in seven tries in its newly renovated stadium, 37-0 over San Jose State in the Cardinal's first shutout in more than a decade.
With a 52-yard field goal by Derek Belch on the opening drive, Stanford (1-1) was in front nearly the entire game and dominated San Jose State (0-3) with an overpowering running game.
A defense that allowed 624 total yards -- the seventh highest total in school history -- in a 45-17 season-opening loss to UCLA kept the Spartans off the scoreboard. It was Stanford's first shutout since a 38-0 victory over Michigan State in the 1996 Sun Bowl and first at home since a 24-0 win over Washington in 1972.
T.C. Ostrander threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Richard Sherman and a 27-yarder to Austin Gunder in the fourth quarter as coach Jim Harbaugh's offense once again looked light years ahead of where it was a year ago under Walt Harris.
Ostrander finished 18-for-28 for 220 yards. The Cardinal topped 500 yards for the first time in five years and scored four more points than they did in five home games combined last year.
A come-from-behind win over Stanford a year ago helped vault San Jose State to a nine-win season. But the Spartans have looked like their old selves again this year, having been outscored 116-17.
The Cardinal led for all of 2:30 in their first six games in the new stadium before putting together a 13-play drive on their first possession to set up Belch's career-long field goal.
Belch added a 37-yarder midway through the second quarter and then Ostrander put together an efficient drive late in the half to set up a 50-yarder with 31 seconds left that gave Stanford a 9-0 lead at the break.
San Jose State had its chances in the opening half but Jared Strubeck missed a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter and Stanford's Bo McNally broke up a fourth-and-1 pass from Adam Tafralis to James Callier from the Cardinal 22 late in the half.
The Cardinal finally made it into the end zone to start the third quarter. Gerhart, who missed the opener with a hamstring injury, had 45 of Stanford's 66 yards on the drive. He capped it with a 13-yard run, breaking a tackle from Dwight Lowery on his way into the end zone.
Gerhart had the first 100-yard rushing game for a Stanford back since J.R. Lemon ran for 162 yards on Oct. 2, 2004, against Washington.
The Spartans running game once again missed last year's leading rusher, Yonus Davis, who ran for 184 yards and a touchdown last year against Stanford. Davis has been sidelined since spraining his ankle in the season opener and the Spartans have only 145 yards rushing in three games.
Backup Patrick Perry is out for the season with a knee injury, forcing Dominique Hunsucker to move over from safety to start at running back. Hunsucker finished with 26 yards on 10 carries.
Tafralis finished 12-for-24 for 130 yards and an interception that set up Anthony Kimble's 14-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. San Jose State gained just 163 yards of offense.