Sept. 11, 1999

Game Stats

By DENNIS GEORGATOS
AP Sports Writer

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Stanford rebounded from its disastrous opening and mistake-plagued Washington State just kept losing.

Todd Husak threw for three touchdowns and ran for a score and the Cardinal scored 28 points off turnovers in a 54-17 victory over the Cougars in the teams' Pac-10 opener.

Emory Brock blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and Ruben Carter returned an interception 67 yards for another score, also helping Stanford (1-1) move forward from last week's embarrassing 69-17 loss at Texas.

Troy Walters caught 10 passes for 118 yards, linebacker Riall Johnson had five sacks, including one for a safety, and Mike Biselli kicked a 52-yard field goal in Stanford's third straight win against a conference opponent.

It was Stanford's seventh victory in the past eight meetings against Washington State (0-2). Cougars coach Mike Price remained winless in five trips to Stanford Stadium, the only Pac-10 stadium where he has failed to win.

The Cougars, who had four turnovers, bumbled to a 10th straight loss, one shy of the school record that stretched over the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

Washington State, which had five turnovers in last week's season-opening 27-7 loss to Utah, continued to make one mistake after another, beginning with the second play from scrimmage, when Adam Hawkins fumbled. That led to Stanford's first score, a 5-yard touchdown run by Husak.

The Cougars were still close in the second quarter when wide receiver Nian Taylor dropped what would have been a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jason Gesser.

Washington State also botched two punts, both of which led to Stanford TDs and Johnson sacked Gesser for a safety in the fourth quarter.

Husak was 17-of-24 for 215 yards and was gone by the start of the fourth quarter, with Stanford leading 52-17.

He threw touchdown passes of 44 yards to Walters, 12 yards to Dave Davis and 18 yards to DeRonnie Pitts.

Down 10-0, Washington State got an 11-yard touchdown pass from Steve Birnbaum to Leaford Hackett but Carter then intercepted a slant pass by Birnbaum and took it 67 yards the other way for the score.

Brock burst through the line to block Kareem Anderson's punt and recovered it in the end zone to put Stanford up 38-10 at halftime.

The Cougars had a mild rally in the third as Birnbaum threw a 5-yard score to Corey Scott but their next series ended in a fumble by Birnbaum and Kerry Carter turned it into a 9-yard TD run.