Stanford outlasts Oregon

Toby Gerhart and Stanford did to the Oregon defense what the Ducks did a week ago to USC, opening up the Pacific 10 Conference race with a program-defining victory.

Gerhart ran for a school-record 223 yards and three scores, Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Stanford held on to beat No. 7 Oregon, 51-42, Saturday at Palo Alto to become bowl-eligible for the first time in eight years.

“This was definitely my biggest win since I’ve been here at Stanford,” Gerhart said, ranking it ahead of the victory over No. 2 USC two years ago.

“I think it’s definitely bigger than the USC win because it gets us to that bowl game. All our seniors, the goal coming in was to be a bowl team. This was by far the biggest win. The students storming the field, that was an awesome feeling.”

The loss by Oregon (7-2, 5-1) only a week after gaining 613 yards in a 47-20 win over USC cost the Ducks any shot at a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game and took away any margin for error if they want to win the conference outright.

Oregon rallied with two late touchdowns to cut a 20-point lead down to six, but Stanford (6-3, 5-2) recovered an onside kick with 2:38 to go and tacked on Nate Whitaker’s third field goal with 11 seconds left.

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No. 21 Arizona 48, Washington State 7 -- Travis Cobb returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to set the tone and the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1) went on to rout the Cougars (1-8, 0-6) at Tucson.

Arizona scored the first seven times it had the ball.

The Wildcats led 34-0 at halftime, then William “Bug” Wright returned a punt 86 yards for a score the first time Arizona had the ball in the third quarter.

Arizona, the only Pac-10 team never to go to the Rose Bowl, pulled to within half a game of first-place Oregon. Arizona and Oregon both have one conference loss. Everyone else has at least two.

Washington State lost its starting quarterback, freshman Jeff Tuel, when he sprained his right knee in the second quarter.

Marshall Lobbestael replaced Tuel and finished seven for 11 for 103 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars avoided a shutout when Jared Karstetter made a one-handed grab of Lobbestael’s pass on a 64-yard touchdown play with 6:23 to play.

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Oregon State 31, at No. 23 California 14 -- Sean Canfield threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score to lead the Beavers (6-3, 4-2) over the Golden Bears (6-3, 3-3), who lost star tailback Jahvid Best to a concussion after he took a scary fall.

Cal couldn’t recover from seeing Best land on his head after a leaping touchdown over a defender in the second quarter. The Golden Bears, who had won three straight to get back in the top 25 for the first time after a four-week absence, lost their fifth straight at home to the Beavers.

Canfield completed 29 of 39 passes with nine to Jacquizz Rodgers and six each to James Rodgers and Joe Halahuni. It was the third straight game Cal gave up more than 300 yards passing.