Looking for positives after a dismal defeat Looking for positives after a dismal defeat (October 05, 2005)

Cardinal coach is determined to bring out the best in his players as team prepares to travel to face Washington State

by Rick Eymer

The football season has become eerily similar to seasons past and that's not good news for Stanford.

The Cardinal played a good half against a superior opponent on Saturday but then let it get away in the second half to fall to visiting Oregon, 44-20, in a Pac-10 conference affair.

Walt Harris' Pac-10 opener was much like his home opener two weeks ago. A strong first half followed by a dismal performance in the second half. And so Stanford sits at 0-1 in conference, 1-2 overall.

Perhaps the road will prove a bit of respite for the Cardinal, which travels to Washington State on Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff. After all, Stanford remains undefeated on the road this season.

"A coach is always optimistic," Harris said. "We're always looking for the bright side. The fact they had superior people at certain positions; it doesn't matter. You coach to bring out the best of your players."

Trent Edwards looked comfortable running the offense despite missing a week of practice with a right hand injury. He engineered two first quarter scoring drives, each time giving Stanford the temporary lead.

He completed five of seven passes for 51 yards in the quarter, getting solid protection from the offensive line, and seemingly working in synch with wide receiver Mark Bradford.

"I think he let off a little frustration," Harris said of Bradford. "He made some really nice plays. He came on and delivered. It was nice to see him make some real progress."

The Stanford defense also excelled early. Julian Jenkins recorded a quarterback sack on the first offensive play of the game, and the Ducks' drive stalled when David Lofton stopped Jeremiah Johnson for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play at the Stanford 21.

Michael Okwo intercepted a Kellen Clemens' pass to end Oregon's next drive on the first play. It was Okwo's first career interception and ended Clemens' streak of 162 passes without an interception.

"When you pay attention to detail you have a chance, even against superior people," Harris said. "It's all about fundamentals; it's all about the technique of positions; it's all about execution."

Okwo's play led to Stanford's 3-0 lead with 4:48 left in the first quarter. The Cardinal steadily drove 30 yards in eight plays before stalling. Michael Sgroi hit a 42-yard field goal for the points.

Okwo missed the second half with an unspecified injury.

"He's one of the most explosive football players I've had the privilege of being around," Harris said. "He's so fast, so quick, so physical, so sudden; we need to keep him healthy."

Oregon came right back to take the lead away but Stanford had an answer when Edwards directed a six-play, 66-yard drive - Anthony Kimble's 16-yard run and ensuing Ducks penalty was the big play - that ended when he found Bradford open for a two-yard scoring toss.

The Ducks regained the lead for good in the second quarter, and while the Cardinal remained competitive through the first half, it had used up all but one last highlight for the day.

Oregon completely dominated the second half, with Stanford able to manage all of 15 offensive yards. The Ducks consistently harassed Edwards and Menlo-Atherton High grad T.C. Ostrander, who replaced Edwards late in the game.

"He's extraordinarily talented," senior left tackle Jeff Edwards said of Trent Edwards. "We just need to give him time to do what he does best. He's upbeat and supportive but we need to take responsibility on ourselves. If he keeps getting hit it will hurt our whole offense."

Bradford matched his career-high with seven receptions for 110 yards; T.J. Rushing became the seventh Stanford player to reach the 1,000-yard career mark in kickoff returns and Jon Alston recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for Stanford's final points. It was Stanford's third defensive touchdown in the last two games.

That's your Stanford highlights for the afternoon; have a safe drive home and please come back when the Cardinal host Arizona State at 2 p.m. on Oct. 22.

Lowlights? Oregon's 463 passing yards were the third most by a Stanford opponent. The Cardinal have lost four in a row to Oregon, their longest losing streak to the Ducks since a seven-game skid between 1957-63.

Stanford has lost four consecutive home games for the first time since the last four home games of the 1984 season.

"We just have to keep getting better," senior linebacker Kevin Schimmelmann said. "We have to keep a positive attitude. If you let yourself get down too much bad things start to happen. We have to stay steady."
NOTES: Palo Alto High grad Timi Wusu recorded five tackles in the game in his first extended action of the season . . . Jenkins recorded Stanford's only sack of the game. Kevin Schimmelmann and Udeme Udofia shared in Stanford's only tackle for a loss. Oregon had five sacks and three other tackles for a loss . . . Ducks safety J.D. Nelson, son of former Stanford great and current Stanford Associate Athletic Director Darrin Nelson, had three tackles and broke up one pass. Lofton, also the son of a former Stanford great -- James Lofton -- led Stanford with eight solo tackles . . . Tim Mattran made the start at center for Brian Head, who was injured. Senior receiver Justin McCullum was also out.

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