BOULDER, Colo. – Ninth-ranked Stanford rolled to its eighth consecutive victory Saturday by dominating Colorado, 42-10 at chilly Folsom Field. It's the longest streak since 2011, when the team opened with nine straight wins.
The Cardinal (8-1, 7-0 Pac-12) can clinch the North Division title on Saturday night if Cal beats Oregon. Stanford can also claim it by beating the Ducks at home next Saturday.
The Buffaloes (4-6, 1-5) never led and trailed 28-7 at halftime.
"Just playing our brand of football," said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, who became the fastest head coach in Stanford history to reach 50 wins in 63 games. "Playing hard from beginning to end."
It was a big homecoming for sophomore running back Christian McCaffrey, who grew up in Colorado and starred at Valor Christian High. He surpassed 100 yards rushing for the seventh straight game, tying a team record set by Toby Gerhart in 2009, collecting 147 on 23 attempts.
The national leader in all-purpose yards, averaging 244.3 per game, McCaffrey finished with 220. He also threw his first-career touchdown pass, a 28-yard strike to tight end Austin Hooperin the fourth quarter.
"He's a natural at everything he does," said fifth-year senior quarterback Kevin Hogan.
Hogan also had a memorable game. Saturday's win was the 32nd of his career, surpassing Andrew Luck as the school's all-time leader.
In three quarters of work, Hogan completed 17 of 23 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and ran nine times for 40 yards and another score. He led Stanford to touchdowns on five of its first six possessions.
"We just came out and executed," said Hogan, who for the second-consecutive week extended several drives with his running. "We moved the chains early."
And often.
Stanford outgained Colorado, 472-231, rushing for 275. The national leader in time of possession, the Cardinal held the ball for 38:01 minutes compared to 21:59 by the Buffaloes. After running 114 plays last week against UCLA, Colorado was limited to 53 compared to Stanford's 75.
"Great senior leadership," said Shaw. "We never look at the scoreboard."
Stanford received the opening kickoff and efficiently marched 81 yards in 15 plays, culminated by a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Remound Wright, his 10th of the season and 19th in the last 12 games. The drive consumed more than seven minutes and was fueled by two key third down and a fourth down conversion. Wright ran for one, Hogan hit Hooper for another, and McCaffrey ran for 3 yards on fourth and 1 at the Colorado 40.
It marked the eighth time in nine attempts this season that Stanford has converted on fourth down, tops in the Pac-12.
Following a 12-yard screen pass from Hogan to freshman running back Bryce Love, McCaffrey moved to the Wildcat formation and weaved 13 yards up the middle into the end zone for an apparent touchdown. But the play was reversed and the ball spotted at the one-foot line. Wright finished it off.
The Buffaloes responded quickly. Starting from their own 25, they drove 75 yards, with Donovan Lee scoring on a 4-yard run. The big play was a 36-yard pass from Sefo Liufau to wide receiver Nelson Spruce that carried to the Cardinal 4.
Stanford regained the lead early in the second quarter on a beautiful 43-yard throw from Hogan to wide receiver Michael Rector down the left sideline on third and 18. Hogan stood tall in the pocket and placed the ball perfectly for the out-stretched Rector, who ran a go-route. Hogan extended the drive with a 20-yard run on third and 3.
Colorado put together another nice drive, but stalled in Cardinal territory, missing a long field goal attempt.
Stanford struck again just before halftime. Hogan engineered an 80-yard, 12-play march than took more than six minutes, hitting tight end Dalton Schultz with a 6-yard touchdown pass on fourth and 2. Colorado stacked the line of scrimmage with 11 defenders, expecting Wright to carry. But Hogan faked a handoff, then lobbed over the middle to the uncovered Schultz and the Cardinal increased its lead to 21-7 with 6:25 left.
Stanford wasn't done. Senior strong safety Dallas Lloyd's first career interception gave the offense another chance at the Cardinal 47 and Hogan took advantage. He pump-faked to Hooper down the right sideline, then threw to him, the latter making a leaping grab at the Colorado 1 to complete a 25-yard play.
Stanford ran two plays and was unable to score. Faced with third-and-1 from the 1 with 10 seconds remaining and no timeouts, Hogan faked a handoff and looked for Wright in the right flat. He was well-covered and Hogan was pressured, but he eluded defenders, scrambled to the left and sprinted across the goal line to hike Stanford's advantage to 28-7 at the break.
The Buffaloes took the third quarter kickoff and moved quickly inside the Stanford 20. But the defense stiffened, forcing Colorado to settle for a 29-yard field goal.
The Buffaloes attempted an onside kick, but wide receiver Rollins Stallworth alertly thwarted it by making a nice leaping catch and the Cardinal took over at the Colorado 47. On the first play, Hogan faked a handoff, then handed off to Love on a reverse. The former high school sprint star sliced through the defense and raced 47 yards to the end zone for his second career touchdown.
In the third quarter, Hogan was intercepted for only the sixth time this season, defensive back Tedric Thompson returning the pass 71 yards to the Cardinal 3. But once again, the defense rose to the occasion and stopped the Buffaloes on fourth down.
The Stanford offense continued to click. Sparked by the running of McCaffrey, the Cardinal methodically marched to the Colorado 28. From there, he took a pitch from Hogan, ran right, then pulled up and lofted a perfect pass to Hooper.
"We've been working on it for a while," said Shaw. "Needless to say, he was a little excited."
The Cardinal defense recorded two interceptions and a season-high 10 tackles for loss, three bySolomon Thomas and two each by Kevin Anderson and Mike Tyler. Tyler also had two sacks.
Stanford closes the regular season with three-straight home games, starting Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PT against Oregon.