Vardell Goes Past Muster as Stanford Routs Cornell

Tommy Vardell ran for 108 yards and scored three times to become Stanford’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, highlighting a 56-6 rout of Cornell on Saturday.

Vardell scored three touchdowns for the third consecutive week, giving him 12 for the season, and gained at least 100 yards for the fourth game in a row. His two first-half scores helped Stanford (2-3) take a 35-0 halftime lead. With 29 rushing touchdowns, Vardell passed Brad Muster (27) Stanford’s all-time list.

The two schools, each with football programs more than 100 years old, were playing each other for the first time.

Touchdown plunges of one and two yards by Vardell and a 38-yard scoring pass from Steve Stenstrom to Chris Walsh--the Cardinal’s first touchdown pass this season--put Stanford ahead, 21-0, in the first quarter.

Mike Buckley scored his first of two touchdowns with a one-yard run off tackle on Stanford’s first drive of the second quarter. Ethan Allen’s one-yard touchdown run later in the quarter made it 35-0.

Vardell’s third touchdown, a five-yard run in the third quarter, was Stanford’s longest rushing score of the game. Buckley’s four-yard scoring run put Stanford up 49-0 in the third quarter.

Cornell is 1-3.