Stanford’s Stenstrom Seeking Rare Sweep of USC and UCLA : College football: Quarterback from El Toro will be trying duplicate feat last done in 1971.

Steve Stenstrom is the answer to an Orange County trivia question:

Who was the El Toro High quarterback who succeeded Bret Johnson and preceded Bret’s brother, Rob?

There has been nothing trivial, though, about Stenstrom’s performance as Stanford’s quarterback this season.

He became a starter in the fifth game, replacing senior Jason Palumbis, and has led the Cardinal to four consecutive victories.

His achievement is noteworthy because he is the first Stanford quarterback to win his first four starts since Bobby Garrett in 1952.

Moreover, one of those victories was a 24-21 decision over USC, a team Stanford had not beaten since 1975.

Now, Stenstrom, a sophomore, will be trying to lead the Cardinal to five victories in a row Saturday against UCLA at Stanford Stadium.

Stanford has not won five consecutive games in a season since ’75.

Stenstrom was the No. 3 quarterback at the outset of the season, behind Palumbis and John Lynch. When Lynch was moved to defense, Stenstrom moved up a notch.

“Jason had a good year in 1990, and I thought he’d have the starting job unless he got hurt,” Stenstrom said. “Basically, my job was to be number two and be one snap away from the guy who goes in there.”

Palumbis didn’t throw a touchdown pass in four games, a primary factor in his demotion.

Stenstrom, 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds, has thrown nine, including three against the Trojans, with only two interceptions since he became a starter.

“Steve is somewhat inexperienced at this level, but he throws the ball well, with good velocity,” Stanford Coach Dennis Green said. “He does a good job of operating our offense.”

Said Stenstrom: “We’re playing well and have a lot of confidence right now. We have four wins in a row, and that is something that hasn’t happened here in a long time (since 1986).”

If Stanford wins Saturday, it would be the first time that the Cardinal has beaten USC and UCLA in the same season since 1971.

Stenstrom was on El Toro High’s sophomore team when Bret Johnson was a senior at the school. Then, when Johnson went on to UCLA, Stenstrom became the starting quarterback for two years.

As a senior, he completed 66% of his passes for 2,175 yards and 25 touchdowns as El Toro had a 12-2 record. His backup was Bret’s younger brother, Rob, a junior at the time.

“He pushed me a little bit,” Stenstrom said. “He was the backup quarterback and also played wide receiver. He was a good all-around athlete with a strong arm.”

Rob Johnson is at USC, where he played for the first time in last Saturday’s loss to California, relinquishing his opportunity to redshirt in his freshman season.

“I was surprised to hear that,” Stenstrom said.

As for Bret Johnson, Stenstrom said: “When I was at El Toro, I thought he was the greatest thing going.”

Johnson, who quit the UCLA team last year, is a backup quarterback at Michigan State.

It’s likely that Stenstrom and Rob Johnson will be opposing quarterbacks in future Stanford-USC games.

Stenstrom said he wasn’t recruited by either UCLA or USC.

“I took a trip to Iowa,” he said. “I love Big Ten football and the excitement that goes on there.”

However, once he visited Stanford, he canceled his recruiting trips to other schools.

“It was the perfect combination for me,” Stenstrom said. “It was the ideal distance away from home, and I liked the style of Stanford’s offense. They have a great tradition of passing quarterbacks. Also, academics are an important part of my life.”

Stenstrom earned several academic honors at El Toro High.

After relieving Palumbis in the fourth quarter of a 42-26 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 5, Stenstrom became the starting quarterback the next week against Cornell, a Division I-AA team.

The Cardinal won easily, 56-6, and then USC was next at the Coliseum.

“I was excited all week, even earlier in the season when I wasn’t starting,” said Stenstrom, looking ahead to the USC game. “It was a big thrill because all my friends and family were at the game. And I was a little nervous and anxious.”

It was a close game, which suited Stenstrom. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

Stenstrom was born in Dallas, then moved to New York, where he lived until he was 9. His father’s business took him back to Texas, and Stenstrom played high school football in Plano, Tex., as a freshman before the family moved again to Orange County.

He has a younger brother, Jeff, who is a linebacker on the El Toro High varsity, although only a sophomore.

“That doesn’t happen too often there,” Stenstrom said.

Even though Stanford is on a winning streak, the school has a reputation for beating some good teams but losing to inferior ones over the years.

“We don’t like that reputation,” Stenstrom said. “We want everyone to know we come to play no matter who you are. We’re trying to dispel that reputation.”

Jim Plunkett’s jersey number, 16, will be retired in a ceremony at Saturday’s game against UCLA. Plunkett, in 1970, and Don Bunce, in ‘71, were the last Stanford quarterbacks to beat USC and UCLA in one season.