2007 Stanford Cardinal football team
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University
in the college football
season of 2007–2008
. In Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
's inaugural season at Stanford, the 41-point underdog
Cardinal pulled off the greatest point-spread
upset
in college football history by defeating the #1 USC Trojans
in a mid-season game (USC had been ranked No. 1 in all national pre-season polls, picked unanimously to win the Pac-10 Conference, and expected to contend for a national championship - until the Stanford upset
). To cap off Harbaugh's first season, the Cardinal defeated archrival Cal
in Stanford's final game of the season to win the Stanford Axe for the first time in six years.
The team played their home games at Stanford Stadium
in Stanford, California
and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Cardinal improved on their 1–11 record from the 2006 season by going 4–8 in the 2007 season.
threw 5 touchdown passes and finished 16–29 for 286 yards while fellow Bruin Kahlil Bell
led the running game by gaining 195 yards on 19 carries. This individual performance was the 18th best single game rushing performance in Bruin football history, placing Bell right after Freeman McNeil
, who had 197 yards against Stanford in 1979, and right before Gaston Green
, who had 194 yards against Tennessee in 1985.
in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, where the Trojans had not lost in six seasons. In a major upset, USC stumbled at home to the 41-point underdog
Cardinal, losing 24–23.
Harbaugh made headlines prior to the season by claiming 2007 would be USC Coach Pete Carroll
's last year with the Trojans before departing to the NFL, drawing a terse rebuke from Carroll; Harbaugh later called the 2007 Trojans one of the best teams in the history of college football at Pac-10 Media Day, reiterating the position in the week before their game. However, there were no hard feelings between the coaches. The two kept in cordial phone contact and Carroll made light of Harbaugh's comments several times during the season.
Stanford's starting quarterback, redshirt senior T. C. Ostrander
, suffered a seizure on the afternoon of September 30, one day after the game against Arizona State; he was released from Stanford Hospital
after a few hours, but as a precautionary measure he was held out of the game against USC. The starting quarterback position fell to Tavita Pritchard
, a redshirt sophomore with three passes in his college career. Stanford was also without two other key starters: defensive lineman Ekom Udofia (ankle) and offensive lineman Allen Smith (knee). On October 3, it was announced that USC running back C. J. Gable, who was averaging a team-best 11 yards a carry, would undergo season-ending abdominal surgery to correct a nagging sports hernia that had limited his ability since the previous season; because he had only played in the first three games, he would seek a medical redshirt
season. Gable's fellow running back, Stafon Johnson
, was also held out of the game due to a foot bruise suffered the previous week.
Stanford was the last team to beat USC at the Coliseum, doing so on September 29, 2001 under Tyrone Willingham
(who had since become the coach of Washington
) against then-first-year coach Carroll. By game week, the line
for the game favored the Trojans by 39.5 points, and reached 41 points by gametime. The loss ended multiple USC streaks, including a five-game win streak against Stanford and a 35-game home winning streak. For sportsbook
s, the loss to a 41-point underdog marked the biggest upset in their history.
There were a few positive efforts for the Trojans: Tight end Fred Davis
caught five passes for a career-best 152 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown; and nose tackle Sedrick Ellis
had three sacks. However, there were many more errors and substandard performances: quarterback John David Booty
, who broke a bone in the middle finger of his throwing hand in the first half, had four passes intercepted in the second half. The offensive line had been suffering since losing two starters in one play during the previous week's game at Washington, but the effect was severe against Stanford; the offensive line gave up four sacks, one more than the Trojans had surrendered all season, and USC gained only 95 yards rushing. Key receiver Patrick Turner
dropped several passes, the defense gave up 17 points in the fourth quarter and USC had an extra-point attempt blocked, a point which became a crucial difference. Like their previous game against Washington, USC out-gained Stanford by 224 yards (459 to 235) but made many crucial turnovers and penalties. In the press conference following the game, Carroll summarized his concerns: "It's real clear that we have fallen out of line with our philosophy that has guided this program for years; we're turning the ball over too much."
Opinions in the sports press ranged from proclaiming the end of the USC's era of dominance in college football to calling the loss a major, but not fatal, set-back to any hopes for a Trojans run at the national championship. The Trojans fell to No. 10 in the AP Poll; however, USC only fell to No. 7 in both the Coaches Poll and Harris Poll
, both of which are the human components for determining who the BCS chooses for the National Championship Game. As a result, USC remained in outside title contention with upcoming games against consensus-No. 2 California and top-10 Oregon. The upset landed the Trojans in ESPN.com's Bottom 10
.
In an interview the following month, Carroll assessed the mistakes that led to the loss as his own:
At the end of the regular season, Sports Illustrated
chose Stanford's upset of USC as the second "Biggest Upset of 2007" after Division I FCS Appalachian State's upset of No. 5 Michigan
.
to Stanford Stadium for homecoming
. It was also the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Cardinal found themselves with a double-digit lead late in the second half of this game, as they led the Horned Frogs 31–17 with 3:54 remaining in the 3rd quarter. TCU's Andy Dalton
then hit Jimmy Young for a 70-yard touchdown and Aaron Brown
for a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to tie the game at 31. Stanford kicked a field goal with 7:22 remaining to re-take the lead, 34–31. Brown gave TCU its first lead of the game with a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:13 left. An intentional safety by TCU in the final seconds made the final score 38–36. Dalton ended the game with a career high 344 passing yards.
went 19–32 for 196 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinal missed 4 field goals and turned the ball over twice. Notre Dame, meanwhile, committed 4 turnovers, including 3 fumbles and an interception.
Notre Dame almost added another score on what would have been a spectacular finish to the half. Notre Dame's David Bruton
intercepted Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard
's last-play heave at the 3-yard line and began a three-lateral return to the end zone that was called back on a personal foul on Notre Dame defensive lineman Trevor Laws
. Irish Safety Tom Zbikowski
ran the final 30 yards after a lateral from Darrin Walls, and the only thing missing was the band on the field as it was 25 years ago when California shocked Stanford with The Play
.
, winning 20–13 and gaining The Axe after Cal had held onto it for five straight years, marking Cal Coach Jeff Tedford
's first loss to the Cardinal, something Harbaugh's two predecessors had failed to do. Stanford confused Cal on defense by alternating quarterbacks T. C. Ostrander
and Tavita Pritchard
in offensive series. The Golden Bears's Nate Longshore
was 22/47 with 252 yards, 1 touchdown, and two interceptions, throwing one at the 7 yard line with 2:10 remaining. Cal's Justin Forsett
ran for 96 yards on 19 carries. The Golden Bears's Robert Jordan
caught 4 receptions for 99 yards including a 46 yard touchdown reception. Despite injuries that had depleted the Cardinal's backfield to the point where one player was converted to a running back, Stanford rushed for 120 yards. California's offense was limited to one touchdown and a field goal, Cal's worst offensive performance of the season. Longshore continued to struggle in the second half, leading the offense to only one field goal after half time. Cal committed 10 penalties for 118 yards.
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 2007–2008
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
. In Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
's inaugural season at Stanford, the 41-point underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
Cardinal pulled off the greatest point-spread
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
upset
Upset
An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win , is defeated by an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the conventional wisdom...
in college football history by defeating the #1 USC Trojans
2007 USC Trojans football team
The 2007 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning a share of the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and winning the 2008 Rose Bowl...
in a mid-season game (USC had been ranked No. 1 in all national pre-season polls, picked unanimously to win the Pac-10 Conference, and expected to contend for a national championship - until the Stanford upset
2007 Stanford vs. Southern California football game
The 2007 Stanford vs. Southern California football game was a college football game held on October 6, 2007, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. In a remarkable upset, the visiting Stanford Cardinal won 24–23. Southern California was favored by 41 points over Stanford,...
). To cap off Harbaugh's first season, the Cardinal defeated archrival Cal
2007 California Golden Bears football team
The 2007 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2007-2008 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford....
in Stanford's final game of the season to win the Stanford Axe for the first time in six years.
The team played their home games at Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the Stanford University campus, the home of Stanford Cardinal college football team. It originally opened in 1921 as a football and track stadium, an earthen horseshoe with wooden bleacher seating and flooring upon a steel frame...
in Stanford, California
Stanford, California
Stanford is a census-designated place in Santa Clara County, California, United States and is the home of Stanford University. The population was 13,809 at the 2010 census....
and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Cardinal improved on their 1–11 record from the 2006 season by going 4–8 in the 2007 season.
Schedule
Coaches
| Name | Position | Year at Stanford |
Alma mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Harbaugh Jim Harbaugh James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at... |
Head Coach | 1st | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... (1986) |
| Scott Shafer Scott Shafer Scott Shafer is an American football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator for the Syracuse University football team. He resigned in December 2008 as the defensive coordinator for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team after less than one year on the job... |
Defensive Coordinator Assistant Head Coach |
1st | Baldwin-Wallace Baldwin-Wallace College Baldwin–Wallace College is a liberal arts college in Berea, Ohio, founded in 1845. It is home to the Riemenschneider-Bach Institute and the Baldwin–Wallace Conservatory of Music, an internationally renowned music school. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Students receive a... (1990) |
| David Shaw David Shaw (American football) -References:... |
Offensive Coordinator Wide Receivers |
1st | Stanford (1995) |
| Lance Anderson | Defensive Tackles Recruiting Coordinator |
1st | Idaho State Idaho State University Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls.... (1996) |
| Andy Buh | Linebackers | 1st | Nevada University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA... (1996) |
| Chris Dalman Chris Dalman Chris Dalman is a former professional American football player who played offensive lineman for seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers . He was an offensive/defensive tackle for Palma High School in Salinas, and was a four-year football letter-winner at Stanford University... |
Offensive Line | 1st | Stanford (1992) |
| Tim Drevno | Tight Ends | 1st | Cal State Fullerton California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs... (1992) |
| D. J. Durkin | Defensive Ends Special Teams |
1st | Bowling Green Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State... (2001) |
| Willie Taggart Willie Taggart -References:... |
Running Backs | 1st | Western Kentucky Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier.... (1998) |
| Clayton White | Defensive Backs | 1st | North Carolina State North Carolina State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution... (2001) |
| Shannon Turley | Strength and Conditioning | 1st | Virginia Tech Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in... (2000) |
UCLA
In Jim Harbaugh's debut game as Stanford's new head coach, UCLA's offense amassed 600 yards and overwhelmed the Cardinal defense in the second half, as UCLA won handily. UCLA's Ben OlsonBen Olson
Benjamen James Olson is an American football quarterback. He played for the UCLA Bruins football team. He excelled in football at Thousand Oaks High School, earning high school All-American honors in 2001....
threw 5 touchdown passes and finished 16–29 for 286 yards while fellow Bruin Kahlil Bell
Kahlil Bell
Kahlil Bell is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at UCLA.-Personal life:Kahlil was born to his parents Michael and Elizabeth Bell...
led the running game by gaining 195 yards on 19 carries. This individual performance was the 18th best single game rushing performance in Bruin football history, placing Bell right after Freeman McNeil
Freeman McNeil
Freeman McNeil is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round of the 1981 NFL Draft....
, who had 197 yards against Stanford in 1979, and right before Gaston Green
Gaston Green
Gaston Alfred Green III is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 189-lb. running back from UCLA, Green played in 5 NFL seasons from 1988 to 1992 for the Rams and Denver Broncos...
, who had 194 yards against Tennessee in 1985.
San Jose State
Oregon
Arizona State
USC
The struggling Stanford Cardinal continued Pac-10 play by playing the USC Trojans2007 USC Trojans football team
The 2007 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning a share of the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and winning the 2008 Rose Bowl...
in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, where the Trojans had not lost in six seasons. In a major upset, USC stumbled at home to the 41-point underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
Cardinal, losing 24–23.
Harbaugh made headlines prior to the season by claiming 2007 would be USC Coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
's last year with the Trojans before departing to the NFL, drawing a terse rebuke from Carroll; Harbaugh later called the 2007 Trojans one of the best teams in the history of college football at Pac-10 Media Day, reiterating the position in the week before their game. However, there were no hard feelings between the coaches. The two kept in cordial phone contact and Carroll made light of Harbaugh's comments several times during the season.
Stanford's starting quarterback, redshirt senior T. C. Ostrander
T. C. Ostrander
Thomas Clinton "T. C." Ostrander is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.-High school career:...
, suffered a seizure on the afternoon of September 30, one day after the game against Arizona State; he was released from Stanford Hospital
Stanford Hospital
Stanford Hospital and Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the nation's top hospitals, Stanford Hospital and Clinics is internationally...
after a few hours, but as a precautionary measure he was held out of the game against USC. The starting quarterback position fell to Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard is a former college football quarterback for Stanford who is now a defensive assistant football coach at Stanford.-High school career:...
, a redshirt sophomore with three passes in his college career. Stanford was also without two other key starters: defensive lineman Ekom Udofia (ankle) and offensive lineman Allen Smith (knee). On October 3, it was announced that USC running back C. J. Gable, who was averaging a team-best 11 yards a carry, would undergo season-ending abdominal surgery to correct a nagging sports hernia that had limited his ability since the previous season; because he had only played in the first three games, he would seek a medical redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
season. Gable's fellow running back, Stafon Johnson
Stafon Johnson
Stafon Johnson is a professional American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played football at USC.-Early years:...
, was also held out of the game due to a foot bruise suffered the previous week.
Stanford was the last team to beat USC at the Coliseum, doing so on September 29, 2001 under Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
(who had since become the coach of Washington
2007 Washington Huskies football team
The 2007 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach was Tyrone Willingham. It played its home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA....
) against then-first-year coach Carroll. By game week, the line
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
for the game favored the Trojans by 39.5 points, and reached 41 points by gametime. The loss ended multiple USC streaks, including a five-game win streak against Stanford and a 35-game home winning streak. For sportsbook
Sportsbook
In the United States a sportsbook or a race and sports book is a place where a gambler can wager on various sports competitions, including golf, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts. The method of betting varies with the sport and the type of...
s, the loss to a 41-point underdog marked the biggest upset in their history.
There were a few positive efforts for the Trojans: Tight end Fred Davis
Fred Davis (tight end)
Fred Davis is an American football tight end currently playing for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Redskins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Davis prepped at Rogers High School...
caught five passes for a career-best 152 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown; and nose tackle Sedrick Ellis
Sedrick Ellis
-New Orleans Saints:Ellis was drafted by the New Orleans Saints seventh overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Saints original draft spot was 10th, but they traded up with the New England Patriots. The teams swapped first round picks, the Saints gave up their third round selection and the Pats gave...
had three sacks. However, there were many more errors and substandard performances: quarterback John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
, who broke a bone in the middle finger of his throwing hand in the first half, had four passes intercepted in the second half. The offensive line had been suffering since losing two starters in one play during the previous week's game at Washington, but the effect was severe against Stanford; the offensive line gave up four sacks, one more than the Trojans had surrendered all season, and USC gained only 95 yards rushing. Key receiver Patrick Turner
Patrick Turner
Patrick Turner is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
dropped several passes, the defense gave up 17 points in the fourth quarter and USC had an extra-point attempt blocked, a point which became a crucial difference. Like their previous game against Washington, USC out-gained Stanford by 224 yards (459 to 235) but made many crucial turnovers and penalties. In the press conference following the game, Carroll summarized his concerns: "It's real clear that we have fallen out of line with our philosophy that has guided this program for years; we're turning the ball over too much."
Opinions in the sports press ranged from proclaiming the end of the USC's era of dominance in college football to calling the loss a major, but not fatal, set-back to any hopes for a Trojans run at the national championship. The Trojans fell to No. 10 in the AP Poll; however, USC only fell to No. 7 in both the Coaches Poll and Harris Poll
Harris Interactive College Football Poll
The Harris Interactive College Football Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams. The rankings are compiled by Harris Interactive, a market research company that specializes in Internet research....
, both of which are the human components for determining who the BCS chooses for the National Championship Game. As a result, USC remained in outside title contention with upcoming games against consensus-No. 2 California and top-10 Oregon. The upset landed the Trojans in ESPN.com's Bottom 10
Bottom 10
The Bottom 10 is a week-by-week regular season "ranking" of the worst ten college football teams in the NCAA Division I FBS. ESPN.con writer Mark Schlabach writes the column each week and is the sole determiner of the teams which are listed.One of the running gags of the Bottom 10 is the "highly...
.
In an interview the following month, Carroll assessed the mistakes that led to the loss as his own:
At the end of the regular season, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
chose Stanford's upset of USC as the second "Biggest Upset of 2007" after Division I FCS Appalachian State's upset of No. 5 Michigan
2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game
The 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan game was a college football game held on September 1 at Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS, the...
.
TCU
A week after defeating top-ranked USC, Stanford welcomed TCU2007 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2007 Texas Christian Horned Frog football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Gary Patterson, who took over the program in December 2000. The Frogs play their home games in Amon G...
to Stanford Stadium for homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
. It was also the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Cardinal found themselves with a double-digit lead late in the second half of this game, as they led the Horned Frogs 31–17 with 3:54 remaining in the 3rd quarter. TCU's Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton (American football)
Andrew Gregory Dalton is an American professional football quarterback for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at Texas Christian University...
then hit Jimmy Young for a 70-yard touchdown and Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown (running back)
Aaron Brown is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played at the collegiate level for Texas Christian University .-College career:Once at TCU, Brown made an immediate impact...
for a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to tie the game at 31. Stanford kicked a field goal with 7:22 remaining to re-take the lead, 34–31. Brown gave TCU its first lead of the game with a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:13 left. An intentional safety by TCU in the final seconds made the final score 38–36. Dalton ended the game with a career high 344 passing yards.
Arizona
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish concluded their season on a high note, winning its second straight game and its second win on the road. Notre Dame's Robert Hughes ran for 136 yards and the go-ahead 6-yard touchdown with 6:06 remaining in the 4th quarter to help the Irish beat the Cardinal 21–14. The Irish's Jimmy ClausenJimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
went 19–32 for 196 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinal missed 4 field goals and turned the ball over twice. Notre Dame, meanwhile, committed 4 turnovers, including 3 fumbles and an interception.
Notre Dame almost added another score on what would have been a spectacular finish to the half. Notre Dame's David Bruton
David Bruton (American football)
David Lee Bruton, Jr. is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted in the fourth round, 114th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school:Bruton attended Miamisburg High School in Miamisburg, Ohio...
intercepted Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard is a former college football quarterback for Stanford who is now a defensive assistant football coach at Stanford.-High school career:...
's last-play heave at the 3-yard line and began a three-lateral return to the end zone that was called back on a personal foul on Notre Dame defensive lineman Trevor Laws
Trevor Laws
Trevor David Laws is an American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame....
. Irish Safety Tom Zbikowski
Tom Zbikowski
Thomas Michael Zbikowski is an American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League, and an occasional professional boxer. He was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
ran the final 30 yards after a lateral from Darrin Walls, and the only thing missing was the band on the field as it was 25 years ago when California shocked Stanford with The Play
The Play
The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the and the Stanford University Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982...
.
California
Stanford led Cal for the entirety of the The 110th Big GameBig Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
, winning 20–13 and gaining The Axe after Cal had held onto it for five straight years, marking Cal Coach Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
's first loss to the Cardinal, something Harbaugh's two predecessors had failed to do. Stanford confused Cal on defense by alternating quarterbacks T. C. Ostrander
T. C. Ostrander
Thomas Clinton "T. C." Ostrander is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.-High school career:...
and Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard is a former college football quarterback for Stanford who is now a defensive assistant football coach at Stanford.-High school career:...
in offensive series. The Golden Bears's Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
was 22/47 with 252 yards, 1 touchdown, and two interceptions, throwing one at the 7 yard line with 2:10 remaining. Cal's Justin Forsett
Justin Forsett
Justin Forsett is an American football running back and punt returner for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.-Early years:Forsett was born in Lakeland, Florida...
ran for 96 yards on 19 carries. The Golden Bears's Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan (American football)
Robert Jordan is a Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Florida Tarpons of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. He has also played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League....
caught 4 receptions for 99 yards including a 46 yard touchdown reception. Despite injuries that had depleted the Cardinal's backfield to the point where one player was converted to a running back, Stanford rushed for 120 yards. California's offense was limited to one touchdown and a field goal, Cal's worst offensive performance of the season. Longshore continued to struggle in the second half, leading the offense to only one field goal after half time. Cal committed 10 penalties for 118 yards.