Aug. 28, 2008
Stanford 36, Oregon State 28
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
Stanford (1-0, 1-0 Pac-10), Oregon State (0-1, 0-1 Pac-10)
- Stanford won its first season opener since a 41-38 victory at Navy on Sept. 10, 2005. The Cardinal won its first home opener since a 43-3 rout of San Jose State on Sept. 4, 2004.
- Stanford snapped a two-game losing streak to Oregon State and recorded its first home win over the Beavers since 1999. The Cardinal's 36 points were the most against Oregon State since a 40-10 win back on Oct. 26, 1991.
- Coupled with last year's 20-13 victory over California in the regular-season finale, Stanford has won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak in 2005. The Cardinal has now won consecutive home games for the first time since posting victories during the first two games of the 2004 campaign.
- Tonight marked Stanford's first victory in a Pac-10 opener since a 51-28 win over Arizona State back on Sept. 22, 2001.
- Temperature at game time was a balmy 87 degrees, the hottest at kick-off since a 90-degree start for the Sept. 4, 2004 contest against San Jose State.
- Stanford held its opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the first time since Oct. 13, 2007, when the Cardinal led TCU 7-0 after the opening stanza.
- Toby Gerhart finished with 152 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns. His 46-yard TD scamper in the second quarter put the Cardinal back in front 17-10. That touchdown run was the longest for a Stanford player since a 46-yard score by Gerren Crochet back on Sept. 10, 2005, against Navy.
- Toby Gerhart has produced some impressive numbers spanning his last two games. Dating back to last year's contest against San Jose State, Gerhart has rushed for 292 yards on 31 carries with three touchdowns.
- Aaron Zagory connected on a career-long 42-yard field goal with 3:42 left to play in the third quarter to even the contest at 20-20. He also added a 41-yard strike.
- Stanford took a 22-20 lead in the third quarter following its first safety in eight years. The Cardinal last registered a safety back on Nov. 11, 2000, when Arizona State snapped a punt out of the end zone.
- Bo McNally's 34-yard interception touchdown return was Stanford's first since Austin Yancy picked off a pass and returned it back 31 yards last year against USC. It was the second interception return for a touchdown of his career and fifth interception overall.
- Stephen Carr's blocked punt early in the first quarter was Stanford's first since Thaddeus Chase accomplished the feat against Notre Dame on Nov. 24, 2007.
- Wopamo Osaisai led the Cardinal with a career-best 11 tackles.
- Tonight's season opener marked Stanford's earliest lid-lifter since Aug. 26, 1992, when the Cardinal suffered a 10-7 defeat to Texas A&M in the Pigskin Classic. Tonight's contest also marked just the fourth time in the last 17 seasons that Stanford has kicked off its schedule against a conference opponent.
- Stanford rushed for 210 yards on 48 carries, while Oregon State produced just 86 yards on 28 rushes.
- Oregon State held a commanding edge in the passing department, amassing 404 yards compared to Stanford's 91 passing yards.
- Tonight's loss snaps a four-game winning streak in season openers for Oregon State. The loss also ended an eight-game winning streak in the Bay Area - three straight at Stanford, four in a row at California and most recently against Maryland in the 2007 Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
- Victor Butler's half sack in the first quarter gave him 14 in his career, moving him into a tie for seventh on Oregon State's all-time list.
Lyle Moevao's 55-yard strike to Sammie Stroughter stands as the longest completion of his career. His two touchdown passes are also a career-best.
- Sammie Stroughter's 120 receiving yards gives him 1,733 yards in his career, moving him into 10th on Oregon State's all-time list.
- Shane Morales' second-quarter touchdown pass was the first score of his career. He also posted 10 receptions for 96 yards, both career-highs.
- Two true freshmen (Michael Thomas, Travis Golia) made their collegiate debuts. Seven redshirt freshmen also made their collegiate debuts.