Oct. 16, 1999
Game Quotes | Game Notes | Final Stats
Post Game Audio
(In order - Coach Willingham, Frank Primus, DeRonnie Pitts, Sharcus Steen and Brian Allen).
By ROB GLOSTER
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Brian Allen scored on 37- and 20-yard runs in thefourth quarter as Stanford beat Oregon State 21-17 Saturday in a matchup of twoof the nation's top five offenses that degenerated into an exchange ofturnovers.
Allen's 20-yard touchdown with 6:33 left gave Stanford a 14-10 lead, itsfirst of the game. Roddy Tompkins caught a 69-yard scoring pass for OregonState on the next play, but Allen responded with his 37-yard TD run with 3:45remaining.
Stanford (4-2, 4-0 Pac-10) won despite four turnovers, including two fumblesby tailback Kerry Carter within yards of the Oregon State goal line. TheCardinal have won their first four conference games for the first time since1970.
Oregon State (3-3, 0-3), trying for its first winning season since 1970,committed three turnovers - bringing its total to 14 in the last three games,all losses.
Oregon State tailback Ken Simonton, who entered the game third in the nationin rushing with 158 yards per game, was held to 115. He fumbled twice near theStanford goal line, and was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the Stanford 1.
Stanford entered the game fourth in the nation in total offense and fifth inscoring offense with 40.4 points per game. Oregon State was fifth in totaloffense and had averaged 34.4 points per game.
Jonathan Smith threw two scoring passes for Oregon State, the 69-yarder toTompkins and a 5-yarder to Robert Prescott. Ryan Cesca added a 34-yard fieldgoal.
Todd Husak, returning after missing most of the past two games with bruisedribs, had a 41-yard scoring pass to DeRonnie Pitts for Stanford. But TroyWalters, who needed 13 receptions to set the Pac-10 career record, was held tothree.
After a scoreless first period, the Beavers capped a 15-play drive with thescoring pass to Prescott early in the second quarter. And a 66-yard punt returnby T.J. Houshmandzadeh put Oregon State in position for another score.
But Simonton, who had scored 16 touchdowns in his previous six games,dropped a handoff at the Stanford 7 for just his second fumble of the season.
An interception by Jonathan Jackson helped get the Beavers in scoringposition again a few minutes later, but Simonton was stripped of the ball atthe Stanford 6 with 24 seconds left in the half.
And in the third quarter, the Beavers got within inches of the Stanford goalline before Simonton was stopped on a fourth-down run as Oregon State coachesfrantically tried to get their team to call a timeout.
Stanford then marched nearly the length of the field before Kerry Carterfumbled at the Oregon State 6. But, on the first play after a punt, Husak foundPitts behind the Beavers' defense to tie the game late in the third quarter.
A 35-yard pass from Smith to Martin Maurer got the ball to the Stanford 1again in the closing minutes of the third quarter.
Simonton was stopped on first down. He appeared to score on the next play,but Oregon State was penalized for an illegal shift. Smith was sacked at the 17and then threw an incompletion before Cesca's field goal.
Allen then took over, scoring twice on runs up the middle on which heavoided or broke through would-be tacklers.