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Gerhart wins it in the end for Cardinal
By Jeremy Kahn October 4, 2008 |
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STANFORD-If the Stanford Cardinal want to gain respect, they have to win the close game against the upper echelon teams in the PAC-10 Toby Gerhart scored on a one-yard plunge with 25 seconds remaining in the game, as the Cardinal came back to defeat the Arizona Wildcats 24-23 on homecoming before 30,689 at Stanford Stadium. “As a coach, this really makes me happy,” said Jim Harbaugh. “Really proud of our guys, found a way to win,” Harbaugh added. Both Gerhart and Anthony Kimble ran for 100 yards, as the Cardinal won their fourth straight game at Stanford Stadium, going back to the “Big Game” victory over the California Golden Bears 20-13 on December 1, 2007. Gerhart carried the ball 24 times for 117 yards, while Kimble carried the ball 10 for 110 yards, including a 70-yard run in the third quarter that ended with Kimble scoring on a one-yard touchdown to tie up the game. The Wildcats got the scoring going when Bonczio kicked 19-yard field goal 6:38 remaining in the first quarter. That would be the score when Tavita Pritchard threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin in the in the waning moments of the first quarter to give the Cardinal a 7-3 lead over the much improved Wildcats team. Nic Grigsby would put the Wildcats back into the lead, as he ran 25 yards to the end zone with 6:38 remaining in the second quarter. Nate Ness then intercepted a Pritchard pass and returned 75 yards to the end zone to push the Wildcats lead up to 10 points at 17-7 with 3:35 remaining in the first half. Aaron Zagory hit a 22-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in the first half, as the Cardinal cut the Wildcats lead down to seven going into the half. The Cardinal tied up the game, as Kimble scored from a yard out in the third quarter, as the Cardinal erased a 10-point Wildcats deficit. Bonczio put the Wildcats into the lead with 11:55 remaining in the game, as he hit a 22-yard field goal to put the visitors from Tucson into the lead once again. With just under six minutes remaining in the game, Bonczio pushed the Wildcats lead up to six points, as he hit a 23-yard field goal. Following the third Bonczio field goal of the afternoon, the Cardinal went 11 plays down the field, and took the lead for good, as Gerhart took the ball from Alex Loukas and scored the game-winning touchdown. Loukas was tremendous on the final drive, as it included a 16-yard run in the waning moments that put the ball at the Wildcats 25-yard line. “They didn’t know how fast Alex was,” said Alex Fletcher. Tavita Pritchard was forced to leave the game after halftime, after he suffered a concussion in the first half. “He is our starting quarterback,” said Harbaugh. If Pritchard is unable to go next week against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Loukas will go at quarterback. “Plan B would be Loukas,” said Harbaugh. David Green hit a 70-yard punt, which was the sixth longest punt in school history. |
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