Love’s big game leads No. 23 Stanford past Oregon 49-7

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Bryce Love needed less than five minutes to reach the 100-yard rushing mark for the ninth consecutive game as he used another big run to fuel No. 23 Stanford’s 49-7 victory over Oregon on Saturday night.
 
Love’s 67-yard touchdown run just 4:23 in was his second touchdown of the game, and the nation’s leading rusher finished with 147 yards on 17 carries to help the Cardinal (5-2, 4-1 Pac-12) win their fourth straight game. Love has 1,387 yards through seven games despite carrying just once in the second half this week as he spent time in the injury tent with an undisclosed ailment.
 
Keller Chryst threw two of his three touchdown passes to JJ Arcega-Whiteside, and Brandon Simmons returned a blocked punt by Curtis Robinson for another touchdown as Stanford overpowered the Ducks (4-3, 1-3).
 
Royce Freeman ran for 143 yards for Oregon, but the Ducks had no passing game behind Braxton Burmeister and lost for the third time in four games. Oregon had its lowest-scoring game since getting shut out by UCLA on Nov. 24, 2007.
 
Love started his day by racing 34 yards on his first carry and capped the opening drive with a 5-yard score. He then took a pitch on the first play of the next drive and outran the Oregon defense for the long touchdown that gave him a run of at least 50 yards in a ninth straight game.
 
Perhaps the only thing tougher to contain than Love was a rabbit that got loose on the field in the first quarter, leading to a brief delay. The rabbit ran through the end zone before finally being caught on the Oregon sideline.
 
THE TAKEAWAY
 
OREGON: The Ducks’ offense took a big hit when QB Justin Herbert broke his collarbone two weeks ago against California. Oregon scored just 10 points last week and had no passing threat at all this week with Burmeister. Stanford caught more passes (two) from Burmeister than his own teammates (one) did in the first 39 minutes. Burmeister finished 3 of 8 for 23 yards with the two INTs before being replaced by Taylor Alie late in the third quarter.
 
STANFORD: Chryst was sharp for the Cardinal, teaming often with Arcega-Whiteside for big plays starting with a 34-yarder on the opening drive. The two teamed for a pair of TDs and almost had a third but a pass late in the first half deflected off Arcega-Whiteside’s hands and went right to Deommodore Lenoir for an interception in the end zone. Chryst finished 15 of 21 for 181 yards.
 
POLL IMPLICATIONS
 
The Cardinal could move up a bit in the poll after their fourth straight win.
 
UP NEXT
 
OREGON: Visit UCLA on Saturday.
 
STANFORD: Visit Oregon State on Oct. 26.
 
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