Cardinal Is Leader of the Pac

For all the wacky weirdness of the Pacific 10 Conference, this might be the weirdest and wackiest thing of all.

Stanford is 4-0 in the Pac-10, Slack-10, your wisecrack here.

A team that lost to San Jose State is talking Rose Bowl.

A team that won three games last season could be in the granddaddy of ‘em all.

There might not be many believers: Las Vegas oddsmakers have installed USC as a 7 1/2-point favorite Saturday at the Coliseum, even though the Trojans already have lost two games in the Pac-10.

But guess what, folks: Everybody else in the Pac-10 has already lost, so if Stanford doesn’t lose again, Stanford wins.

The last time Stanford was 4-0 in the Pac-10, it wasn’t even the Pac-10. It was the Pac-8, and it was 1970.

The last time Stanford went to the Rose Bowl?

“It was ’71 and ’72. We know that,” said Troy Walters, Stanford’s record-setting senior receiver. “When most schools talk about the last team that played in the Rose Bowl, maybe it’s been a couple of years. For us, it’s been a long time.”

Stanford shared the conference title as recently as 1992 behind quarterback Steve Stenstrom, but Washington went to the Rose Bowl.

Now, a team that was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-10 has a shot.

“Our first goal was to make it to a bowl game,” Walters said. “We knew we had a good chance to get six wins and do that. Now the focus shifts to trying to win the Pac-10.

“It’s been exciting. Very exciting. I think folks around here really believe in us now. The first couple games, I think it was, ‘They’ll probably fold.’ I don’t think they were taking it seriously.”

Stanford lost its season-opener to Texas, 69-17, then recovered to blow out Washington State, 54-17.

Then came the stunner: a 50-22 victory over Arizona.

That was followed by a 42-32 victory over UCLA.

Followed, incredibly, by a 44-39 loss to San Jose State. (Granted, quarterback Todd Husak didn’t play because of sore ribs.)

“They brought a lot more energy and emotion,” Walters said. “I think we looked at it like it was San Jose State, and they came out and took it to us. In today’s game, that can happen to anybody.”

After a week off, Stanford recovered Saturday--sort of--needing a two-touchdown rally in the fourth quarter to beat last-place Oregon State, 21-17, despite four turnovers.

For anybody keeping score, that’s Stanford 167, Pac-10 88.

Walters, who already has broken former Trojan Johnnie Morton’s Pac-10 receiving yardage mark and needs 10 catches to break the conference reception record held by Stanford’s Darrin Nelson, said nobody is getting too far ahead of himself just yet.

“You just bring up the San Jose State game, and that brings everybody back down to earth,” he said. “All we’ve done this year is won one more game than last year. We have a long way to go. The teams on our schedule are tough.”

Matter of fact, Stanford has beaten USC only three times in 20 years.

Last season, USC won, 34-9.

“I think I remember they scored most of their points off turnovers,” said Walters, who is the son of Minnesota Viking assistant coach Trent Walters and could pass for a coach himself.

“Their defense really shut us down and also caused turnovers, and they capitalized. They really took it to us and we got beat really soundly.

“We get up for teams like SC, especially going to L.A. and the Coliseum. If you can’t get up for a game on ABC, playing to continue to lead the Pac-10. . . . “

And playing to keep moving toward Pasadena.

In this strangest of Pac-10 seasons, Stanford’s great advantage may be that it understands the nature of the beast.

“It’s just very balanced, there’s a lot of parity, no superior team, and everybody has a chance any given week,” Walters said. “You have to go play your best every week, or get beat.

“In the past, whoever had the home game, you could pencil in a win. But Arizona State won at Washington, we went to Arizona and won. . . . “

Win four more, and Stanford is in the promised land.

“I feel we’re right there, just because we’re 4-0,” Walters said. “I feel right now we’re in the driver’s seat, but there’s a long way to go.

“Arizona, even though the score was lopsided, they’re a good team. I’d probably put everybody right in the same category.

“Oregon State, that’s a good football team right there. They had their chances to beat us. We were fortunate to get out of that.

“Everybody is right there.”

Quite a Catch

Pacific 10 receiving leaders:

ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS

*--*

1. Darrin Nelson, Stanford (1978-81) 223 2. Troy Walters, Stanford (1996-99) 214 3. Johnnie Morton, USC (1990-93) 201 4. Dameane Douglas, Cal (1995-98) 195 5. Brad Muster, Stanford (1984-87) 194

*--*

ALL-TIME RECEIVING YARDS

*--*

1. Troy Walters, Stanford (1996-99) 3,078 2. Johnnie Morton, USC (1990-93) 3,201 3. Keyshawn Johnson, USC (1994-95) 2,796

*--*

1999 RECEPTIONS

*--*

1. Dennis Northcutt, Arizona 48 2. Troy Walters, Stanford 43 3. Deronnie Pitts, Stanford 35

*--*

1999 RECEIVING YARDS

*--*

1. Troy Walters, Stanford 839 2. Dennis Northcutt, Arizona 826 3. Deronnie Pitts, Stanford 557

*--*