October 01, 2004

Back to the table of Contents Page

Classifieds

Palo Alto Online

A game with meaning

by Rick Eymer

Justin McCullum was home alone, watching on television as his older brother played for the Stanford football team against USC on Oct. 21, 2000.

Time was winding down in the fourth quarter, and then quarterback Randy Fasani went down with an injury in the closing minutes as the Trojans held a four-point lead.

McCullum, then a high school senior and already committed to Stanford, was on the edge of his seat as Chris Lewis took the field with one last chance.

Lewis took the snap, faded back, and threw a pass toward the right corner of the south end zone. McCullum watched his brother, Jamien, catch the ball in stride as time expired, giving the Cardinal an unlikely win over Carson Palmer and USC.

"I jumped out of my chair and was screaming and yelling," McCullum said. "I was the only one home, and I just kept jumping around."

Justin is doing the receiving for the Cardinal (0-1, 2-1) these days while his brother is watching. McCullum is one of four receivers who have caught at least 10 passes this season.

He'll be looking to improve on those totals when Stanford hosts Washington (0-1, 0-3) on Saturday in a key Pac-10 Conference game in Stanford Stadium at 2 p.m.

"We used to throw the football around a little bit, and we play golf together," McCullum said of his brother. "But I didn't start playing football until he went to college. I played catch with my dad (Sam, who played in the NFL). "

McCullum grew up in the Seattle area, though he wasn't much of a Washington fan. He followed the Huskies, and still keeps up with what's going on.

"My dad reads all the papers and he tells me people are not happy with things," McCullum said. "I don't remember the last time they had a losing record."

The Huskies haven't started 0-3 since 1969, and currently have a streak of 27 consecutive non-losing (.500 or better) seasons, the best in the Pac-10, and the 11th longest such streak in NCAA history. They haven't been shut out in 268 games, also the longest such streak in the conference.

Stanford knows about losing streaks. The Cardinal have lost their past six meetings with Washington, and haven't won since 1994. The Huskies have won 16 of the past 17 meetings and 20 of 22.

Stanford also has suffered through two consecutive losing seasons. The Cardinal want to put an end to both streaks this year.

"It's hard to come off two losing seasons," McCullum said. "But when you play well, football is fun."

When it comes to Washington, the game becomes personal for McCullum.

"There are some personal rivalries for me," he said. "I played against a bunch of those guys, in other sports too, and we haven't beaten Washington in so many years."

McCullum credits receivers coach Ken Margerum, one of Stanford's all-time great receivers and a former head coach at Menlo College, for making the game more fun.

"We all love his enthusiasm," McCullum said. "He's helped me a lot just with his approach to the game. He's making it more fun."

Margerum is in his first year with Stanford.

"He does make it fun for the receivers to play," Stanford coach Buddy Teevens said. "He's very out going and enthusiastic."

Receiving has become one of Stanford's strengths this season, despite returning one starter in sophomore Mark Bradford. Senior tight end Alex Smith and Menlo-Atherton High grad Greg Camarillo are also returners, and it has been the emergence of McCullum and sophomore wide receiver Evan Moore that has given Stanford's its depth.

"We play six receivers regularly and that keeps players fresh," Teevens said. "The emphasis is catch it and you play. You don't, you're watching."

So far the receivers have more than held their own as sophomore quarterback Trent Edwards begins to emerge as a top-notch signal caller.

"Trent is a great player and a great quarterback," McCullum said. "If he gets time in the pocket, there's no stopping him."

USC was able to put pressure on Edwards, and Teevens thinks Washington will try to do the same.

"If people are going to pressure you, then you have to throw the ball successfully," Teevens said. "Washington has been a collection of some pressure and some base. I anticipate more pressure from them than we've seen in the past few games."

And despite the emotional loss to the Trojans, Stanford won't be letting down against the Huskies."

"They are not to be taken lightly," junior linebacker Jon Alston said. "Especially given our history against them. We also have USC in the back of our minds. We don't want to let that happen again."

The Cardinal will also have senior linebacker David Bergeron back in the starting lineup. He was suspended for the USC game for violating team rules.

"He's our starting linebacker and it's business as usual," Teevens said.

"The linebackers have been together a long time and we're close knit," Alston said. "We missed David Bergeron out there but to have a guy like Mike Silva come in and play to that level. He did an excellent job."

Thanks to T.J. Rushing's 99-yard kickoff return against Brigham Young, Stanford is ranked second nationally in kickoff returns (36.0 per return).

Washington made a quarterback change for Saturday's game, with redshirt freshman Carl Connell replacing junior Casey Paus. Bonnell, 21, originally committed to Washington State, but decided on the Huskies after WSU coach Mike Price left for Alabama.

Bonnell actually was recruited by Tyrone Willingham's staff at Stanford three years ago as a defensive back. Bonnell wasn't willing to switch positions and now has a shot at the Cardinal as an option quarterback.

Stanford comes into the game ranking first in rushing defense in the Pac-10, having allowed just 83.7 yards per game. The Cardinal also rank last in pass defense, allowing 251 yards per contest.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.