STANFORD, Calif. - Shortly after receiving the game ball -- and a bear hug -- from his head coach in the locker room Saturday afternoon, Bryce Love was hoisted into the air by his cheering teammates.
Having just carried the Cardinal (3-2 overall, 2-1 Pac-12) to a hard-earned 34-24 victory against Arizona State (2-3, 1-1) by rushing for a school-record 301 yards and three touchdowns, he deserved a lift.
Love has been on tear this season. Through five games, the junior has churned for a national-best 1,088 yards, more than 111 FBS teams. Only three other players in the history of college football have more yards than Love through the season's first five games.
"He might not be the biggest running back, but he's physical and elusive," said fifth-year senior guard David Bright. "When you have that combination of speed as well, it's deadly."
The 5-10, 196-pound Love produced scoring runs of 61, 43 and 59 yards against the Sun Devils, who often stacked the line of scrimmage with seven and eight defenders to try and stop him.
"The guy's special," said Arizona State head coach Todd Graham. "He's very, very hard to tackle."
Coming into the game, Love led the Pac-12 in yards gained after contact, averaging more than five per carry. That figure climbed after Saturday's performance.
Love increased his FBS-leading yards per attempt average to 11.1, and also tops the country in yards per game at 217.6. He's third nationally in all-purpose yards at 218.60, all but five -- a reception -- coming on the ground. His eight rushing touchdowns rank seventh.
Love has surpassed 100 yards, scored at least one touchdown and posted a run of 50 yards or longer in seven consecutive games.
Arguably the most memorable of his 25 carries Saturday was his 61-yard sprint in front of the Stanford bench on the first possession of the game. Love darted off left tackle and broke free following a great block from extra lineman Nick Wilson. Love was hit near the Arizona State 30, kept his balance, then turned on the afterburners and tiptoed down the sideline.
"I've never seen anybody get hit, and stumble, and then get back up to full speed," said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. "It's unbelievable."
Love also did the dirty work. With the Cardinal nursing a 31-24 lead halfway through the fourth quarter, he ate up the clock by running for three first downs, including a 31-yard scamper, to set up a short game-clinching field goal by Jet Toner.
"That's one of the things I try to work on, to be physical," Love said. "Knowing that you have to be patient and take what the defense gives you."
The modest and humble Love couldn't recall if he had ever surpassed 300 yards.
"Maybe in flag football," he said.
Sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello had the best seat in the stadium.
"I don't see anybody else running the football the way that man runs the football," Costello said. "I talked to the O-linemen on that last drive and said, 'You see the way Bryce is clawing for every inch? We better make sure we are holding ourselves to that same standard and finish this drive.'"
Costello played well in his first collegiate start, completing 15 of 24 passes for 173 yards. Subbing for the injured Keller Chryst, who participated in the pregame coin toss but was not in uniform, Costello had many good moments. He showed poise, made good decisions and was not sacked or intercepted.
"I thought he played well," said Shaw. "He played really smart and handled a lot for us."
Costello admitted to some restless nights in anticipation of his first start since, the last coming his senior year in 2015 at Santa Margarita Catholic in Coto de Caza, California.
"I didn't sleep very well all week," he said. "I was just up studying the game plan and going through plays in my head. It was pretty cool."
When did he feel comfortable?
"Last week (vs. UCLA) it was after getting hit once," said Costello. "Today, I settled in from the jump."
Shaw said Chryst is close to be being cleared to practice.
The Cardinal collected 328 yards on the ground without starting offensive guard Nate Herbig, who was a late scratch. He is expected to play next week at Utah, but Shaw was pleased by the play of senior backup Brandon Fanaika.
Junior safety Justin Reid had another big game, intercepting two passes and finished with a team-high nine tackles. He also has a squad-best four picks on the season.
Stanford used mixed coverages to challenge the Arizona State offense.
"I love being a student of the game," said Reid. "I'm fortunate because I know how to play nickel, dime, cornerback and both safety positions. At that point, it's just making the switch."
For the first time in more than six years, Stanford executed a fake punt. Facing fourth-and-3 at the Sun Devils' 45 late in the third quarter, junior Jake Bailey got a great block from fullback Daniel Marx and sprinted left untouched for 17 yards before running out of bounds.
A receiver and cornerback in high school, Bailey has been bugging Alamar to call one. He ran two fake punts at Santa Fe Christian in Solana Beach, California, and both were successful.
"It was unreal being back in my high school days for a split second," he said.
Starting cornerback Alijah Holder was forced to sit out the first half after being disqualified last week for a targeting penalty against UCLA. The senior returned in the third quarter, but Shaw praised the performance of senior Alameen Murphy, who made three tackles and held his own against a talented Arizona State receiving corp.
"I give him a lot of credit," Shaw said.
Junior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside caught a team-high four passes for 63 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown from Costello. His best grab was an acrobatic 40-yard reception at the Sun Devils' 4-yard line in the closing minute of the second quarter, despite pass interference against defensive back Lucas Chase. The catch set up a short field goal by Toner to give the Cardinal a 24-17 lead.
Utah (4-0, 1-0) leads the Pac-12 South Division and had a bye this week.
Next Saturday marks the eighth meeting and first since 2014, with the Utes holding a 4-3 edge and having won the last three games.
It will be strength against strength. The Cardinal ranks No. 11 nationally in rushing at 272.8 yards per game, while Utah ranks No. 10 against the rush, surrendering only 87.0 yards per contest.
Utah is ranked No. 20. The game starts at 7:15 p.m. PT, and will be televised on FS1.
Extra Points ... Toner hit both field goal attempts and is 9-of-9 on the season, tied for first nationally in field goal percentage. He has also converted 24 straight extra-points ... Players, coaches and staff from both teams wore teal and purple ribbons that said "Set the Expectation" in support of Stanford's Sexual and Relationship Violence Awareness Day. T-shirts were also distributed to students. Brenda Tracy, who has championed the cause, was recognized during the game ... Jeff Chambers '80, who lectures at the Stanford Business School and is chairman of the board at the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, served as Stanford's honorary captain.
Quotable ... "JJ Arecga-Whiteside probably has the strongest hands in college football, let alone anyone I've ever thrown to." - K.J. Costello
