Sept. 11, 1999
By DENNIS GEORGATOS
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Stanford rebounded from its disastrous opening andmistake-plagued Washington State just kept losing.
Todd Husak threw for three touchdowns and ran for a score and the Cardinalscored 28 points off turnovers in a 54-17 victory over the Cougars in theteams' Pac-10 opener.
Emory Brock blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdownand Ruben Carter returned an interception 67 yards for another score, alsohelping Stanford (1-1) move forward from last week's embarrassing 69-17 loss atTexas.
Troy Walters caught 10 passes for 118 yards, linebacker Riall Johnson hadfive sacks, including one for a safety, and Mike Biselli kicked a 52-yard fieldgoal in Stanford's third straight win against a conference opponent.
It was Stanford's seventh victory in the past eight meetings againstWashington State (0-2). Cougars coach Mike Price remained winless in five tripsto 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, oneshy of the school record that stretched over the 1970 and 1971 seasons.
Washington State, which had five turnovers in last week's season-opening27-7 loss to Utah, continued to make one mistake after another, beginning withthe second play from scrimmage, when Adam Hawkins fumbled. That led toStanford's first score, a 5-yard touchdown run by Husak.
The Cougars were still close in the second quarter when wide receiver NianTaylor 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 TDsand 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 fourthquarter, with Stanford leading 52-17.
He threw touchdown passes of 44 yards to Walters, 12 yards to Dave Davis and18 yards to DeRonnie Pitts.
Down 10-0, Washington State got an 11-yard touchdown pass from SteveBirnbaum to Leaford Hackett but Carter then intercepted a slant pass byBirnbaum and took it 67 yards the other way for the score.
Brock burst through the line to block Kareem Anderson's punt and recoveredit 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 scoreto Corey Scott but their next series ended in a fumble by Birnbaum and KerryCarter turned it into a 9-yard TD run.