Oct. 26, 1997
Plummer Helps Arizona State Top Stanford, 41-9
Jake Plummer passed for two first-quarter touchdowns and rushed for a third as fourth-ranked Arizona State remained unbeaten as it rolled over Stanford, 41-9, in the Pac-10 Conference.
The Sun Devils (8-0, 5-0 Pac-10) raced to a 21-point lead after having to rally from double-digit deficits in their last two games. Arizona State has won nine of 13 all-time from Stanford (2-5, 1-3).
Plummer completed 21-of-34 for 316 yards and one interception as he remained among the top Heisman Trophy candidates. He tossed a 31-yard scoring pass to J.R. Redmond just under nine minutes into the game and added a 17-yard TD pass to Courtney Jackson less than five minutes later.
"We were up and down a little bit on offense, but the defense played great today," said Plummer. "We keep getting out to a big lead and lettting them come back a little. We have to learn to keep going, but we did pull it out today."
Plummer impressed the opposition.
"Jake (Plummer) is probably the best quarterback we have faced," said Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham. "He makes things happen. He is just a great athelete."
Terry Battle added a five-yard scoring run with six seconds left in the opening quarter as the Sun Devils opened a 21-0 lead.
After ASU increased its lead to 28-9 on Jeff Paulk's one-yard plunge 4:36 into the third quarter, Plummer scored on a five-yard run just 95 seconds later to give the Sun Devils a 26-point lead.
Stanford scored all of its points in the second quarter. Backup quarterback Todd Husak tossed a 45-yard scoring pass to tight end Greg Clark midway through the period and Kevin Miller booted a 27-yard field goal to end the half.
"I'm really pleased for the defense," said Arizona State head coach Bruce Snyder. "The fact we shut them out afer hafltime was significant."
Husak, a freshman, replaced Chad Hutchinson who suffered a sprained right thumb while trying to recover a fumble at the end of the first quarter.
Husak was 17-of-34 for 173 yards and two interceptions. Hutchinson completed just 3-of-7 for 17 yards and one interception.
"Things we're going well for me in the first half," said Husak. "I was calm and the field looked very clear."
ASU's Robert Nycz kicked field goals 27 and 25 yards to cap the scoring.
Keith Poole had his third straight 100-yard receiving game with a career-high 10 catches for 161 yards.
"Catches don't matter if we won the game," said Poole. "I can't keep track of how many I have. It's just a rhythm I get into and keep catching the ball."
The Sun Devils racked up 498 total yards while holding the Cardinal to 298 yards.
Arizona St (4) 21 0 17 3 -- 41
Stanford 0 9 0 0 -- 9
Scoring Summary:
ASU - TD - 6:01 left in the 1st Quarter
Plummer 31-yard pass to Redmond (Nycz kick good)
(1 play, 31 yards, 0:07 elapsed time)
ASU - TD - 0:28 left in the 1st Quarter
Plummer 17-yard pass to L. Jackson (Nycz kick good)
(10 plays, 90 yards, 4:36 elapsed time)
ASU - TD - 0:06 left in the 1st Quarter
Battle 5-yard run (Nycz kick good)
(2 plays, 18 yards, 0:11 elapsed time)
STA - TD - 6:26 left in the 2nd Quarter
Husak 45-yard pass to Clark (Miller kick blocked)
(9 plays, 89 yards, 4:49 elapsed time)
STA - FG - 0:02 left in the 2nd Quarter
Miller 27-yard kick
(4 plays, 38 yards, 0:46 elapsed time)
ASU - TD - 10:24 left in the 3rd Quarter
Paulk 1-yard run (Nycz kick good)
(11 plays, 75 yards, 4:36 elapsed time)
ASU - TD - 8:49 left in the 3rd Quarter
Plummer 4-yard scramble (Nycz kick good)
(3 plays, 40 yards, 0:46 elapsed time)
ASU - FG - 6:32 left in the 3rd Quarter
Nycz 27-yard kick
(6 plays, 29 yards, 2:04 elapsed time)
ASU - FG - 10:33 left in the 4th Quarter
Nycz 25-yard kick
(5 plays, 30 yards, 1:53 elapsed time)
Arizona St Stanford
First downs 24 18
Rushed-yards 45-175 34-108
Passing yards 323 190
Sacked-yards lost 3-28 3-11
Return yards 48 18
Passes 22-37-1 20-41-3
Punts 6-33.2 8-38.8
Fumbles-lost 3-0 2-1
Penalties-yards 8-71 7-74
Time of possession 32:00 28:00
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Arizona St-T Battle 14-80, Farlow 16-73, Paulk 6-14,
Mitchell 1-7, Redmond 1-1, Plummer 7-0. Stanford-Mitchell
17-81, Comella 6-23, Dunn 1-20, Bookman 4-9, Hutchinson 3-3,
Husak 3-minus 28.
PASSING: Arizona St-Plummer 21-34-1-316, Campbell 1-3-0-7.
Stanford-Hutchinson 3-7-1-17, Husak 17-34-2-173.
RECEIVING: Arizona St-Poole 10-161, Boyer 4-62, Mitchell 2-17,
Redmond 1-31, Jackson 1-17, Bates 1-16, Bush 1-8, Mustafa 1-6,
T Battle 1-5. Stanford-Dunn 4-29, Manning 3-25, Clark 2-48,
Walters 2-23, Mitchell 2-21, T Hanson 2-16, Bookman 2-0, J
Johnson 1-17, Kirwan 1-7, Salina 1-4.
Att: 32,550
Highlights:
1st Quarter
STA - Stops ASU on 4th and 2 on the Stanford 14
ASU - Von der Ahe intercepts Hutchinson's pass - returns to Stanford 31
ASU - Plummer 37-yard pass to Pooole to ASU 47
ASU - Battle 28-yard draw to Stanford 8
ASU - Tillman recovers Hutchinson's fumble on Stanford 18
STA - Husak replaces Hutchinson at QB
2nd Quarter
STA - Dunn on a reverse - 28-yard run to ASU 41
STA - Mitchell 16-yard run to ASU 26
STA - Miller misses 49-yard FG attempt
STA - Mitchell 14-yard run to ASU 34
3rd Quarter
ASU - Battle with a 27-yard run to Stanford 40
ASU - Farlow 16-yard run to Stanford 23
ASU - Plummer 19-yard pass to Brown to Stanford 2
ASU - C. Jackson intercepts tipped pass at Stanford 40
ASU - Plummer 29-yard pass to Poole to Stanford 11
ASU - Tillman intercepts Husak's pass at Stanford 38
STA - Haskins sacks Plummer for 4-yard loss to ASU 44
4th Quarter
STA - White intercepts Plummer to Stanford 31
ASU - Plummer 29-yard pass to Boyer to Stanford 12
STA - Comella 16-yard run to ASU 47