Stanford 63, California 13
STANFORD, Calif. -- No. 9 Stanford rolled past traditional rival Cal 63-13 on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. But a more important result for the Cardinal took place more than 700 miles away in Tucson, Ariz.
Before Stanford completed its lopsided victory, Arizona finished off a 42-16 upset of No. 5 Oregon, and those two results assured the Cardinal a berth in the Pac-12 championship game for the second straight year.
Stanford (9-2 overall, 7-2 in the Pac-12) plays Notre Dame in its final regular-season game next Saturday at Stanford. But the Cardinal can do no worse than tie Oregon (6-2 in the conference with a game against Oregon State remaining) for the Pac-12 North Division title. Stanford's head-to-head victory over the Ducks on Nov. 7 would break a tie and put the Cardinal in the conference title game on Dec. 7. The Pac-12 champion goes to the Rose Bowl.
Stanford did its part by dominating the Bears in what is known in the Bay Area as the Big Game.
Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan threw five first-half touchdown passes and Cardinal wide receiver Ty Montgomery scored five touchdown in the first half, which ended with the Cardinal holding a 42-13 lead.
By early in the second half, the Stanford fans were chanting, "Arizona, Arizona." With 1:48 left in the third quarter, the final score of the Arizona game was announced, producing the loudest cheer of the day.
Hogan, who did not throw a touchdown pass in his previous three games, finished 17-for-26 for 329 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Montgomery had five catches for 160 yards, all in the first half, and also ran 31 yards for the game's first score. Neither played in the fourth quarter.
Cal freshman quarterback Jared Goff set a school record for passing yardage in a season. But his season came to an end midway through the second quarter when he suffered a right-shoulder injury after taking a hit from Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov.
Zach Kline replaced Goff, who was 10-for-19 for 194 yards and surpassed by nine yards the previous single-season school record established by Pat Barnes in 1996.
The Bears (1-11 overall, 0-9 in the Pac-12) set a school record for on-field losses in a season. (The 1999 Bears were officially 0-11 but they won four games before being forced to forfeit those victories for using an ineligible player.)
Cal finished its first season under Sonny Dykes on a 10-game losing streak. The Bears have lost 14 in a row to Pac-12 opponents and 16 straight to FBS foes.
The Bears were overwhelmed by Stanford, which rolled up 603 yards of offense and beat Cal for the fourth straight year.
Montgomery scored the game's first touchdown one minute into the game on a 31-yard end-around.
Cal tied the game on an 80-yard drive that ended with Goff's 15-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Harris, but Stanford regained the lead 13 seconds later on Hogan's 50-yard touchdown pass to Montgomery.
Montgomery scored again on a 12-yard reception to make it 21-7, and after a Cal field goal, Montgomery scored his fourth touchdown of the first half on a 72-yard reception on the second play of the second quarter.
Hogan produced his fourth touchdown pass when he hit Michel Rector for a 45-yard scoring play, then added a 9-yard touchdown pass to Montgomery with five seconds left in the second quarter.
Hogan's first-half totals of 295 passing yards and five touchdown passes were both career highs for a game.
NOTES: The 116 games played between Cal and Stanford rank tied for eighth among the most played rivalries involving FBS teams. It is tied with Oregon-Oregon State, although the Oregon schools will meet for the 117th time on Friday. ... Stanford CB Alex Carter, the team's best cover corner, missed Saturday's game with a concussion. He is expected to return for next week's game against Notre Dame. ... Cal was without its leader in receiving yardage, WR Chris Harper (hip), and its second-leading tackler, LB Khairi Fortt (arm), both of whom missed Saturday's game because of injuries. ... Stanford extended its home winning streak to 15 games, which is the second-longest active streak among FBS schools. South Carolina won its 16th straight home game by beating Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
