STANFORD, Calif. - Forever more, it will be known as The Drive.
Clinging to a three-point lead with 7:25 remaining, the Stanford offense chewed up every second with 11 consecutive rushes by junior running back Cameron Scarlett, including a clutch two-yard dive on fourth-and-1 from the Cal 18. Sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello took three knees to seal the 17-14 victory Saturday night in a tight, emotional and hard-fought 120th Big Game attended by a sellout crowd of 51,424.
For the 20th-ranked Cardinal (8-3, 7-2 Pac-12), the ending was fitting. Seven years ago, David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, began preaching smash mouth football, introducing the motto, "Home of Intellectual Brutality." It was on full display during the closing minutes against the upset-minded Bears.
"That's the Stanford brand right there," Costello said. "Putting it on the O-line's back is an awesome feeling."
The Cal defense knew what was coming, but couldn't stop it.
"That's where we like to put it -- on our shoulders," said fifth-year senior guard David Bright. "For our offensive line to finish a game like that, I'm very happy."
Scarlett, subbing for Bryce Love, was a workhorse. He pounded for four first downs on the last drive and wound up with 61 yards on 14 carries.
"The last few weeks he (Love) hasn't been 100 percent, so I've been preparing for my opportunity," said Scarlett. "It ended up being a big situation, but our line was blocking hard, so it was really just doing my job."
Love stayed on the sidelines during the final drive due to an aggravated injury. But he did make an impact against the Bears.
Limited all evening against a run-stacked defense, Love dug deep once again and finally found a crease midway through the third quarter. Getting a great lead block from fullback Daniel Marx, he darted off left tackle and sprinted down the far sideline for a 57-yard touchdown run in what proved to be the game-winner.
"He was in a lot of pain, but once he gets up to 80 or 90 percent, whatever it was, nobody is going to catch him," Shaw said. "So much pride, so much determination. That's why he's one of the best college football players you're going to see."
It was Love's 11th rush of 50 or more yards this season, the most in FBS history, and twice as many as any previous Heisman winner. He ran for 102 yards on 14 carries -- a 7.2 yards/carry average, and surpassed 100 for the ninth time this year and 11th in his last 12 games. Love has run for a score in 11 consecutive games, a school record.
As for his availability against Notre Dame, Shaw said if Love is not "functional" and can't protect himself, he won't play.
"I love this young man like he's part of my family, so we're going to make the smart decision physically," said Shaw. "But at the same time, it's a sprained ankle, it hurts. At the end of the game, he couldn't really push off, so we pulled him."
Even in limited duty, Love continues to lead the nation in rushing yards/game at 172.3, ranks second in rushing yards (1,723), and ranks second in yards/carry at 8.84, tops among all running backs. He's also seventh in rushing touchdowns (16).
Shaw is now the winningest coach (72) in Stanford history surpassing, Glenn "Pop" Warner. He is 7-0 against Cal after the Cardinal prevailed for a series-best eighth straight time. Stanford's 82 wins against FBS opponents this decade are second only to Alabama, and Shaw's 49 victories against conference foes are the third most in the country since he became head coach in 2011.
"A lot of hard work by a lot of people, coaches and players," said Shaw. "Being resilient is the most important characteristic to me, because life is tough, things are difficult, and our guys have always fought back."
Team captain Alameen Murphy presented Shaw with the game ball afterward, drawing roars from the players. They persuaded him to lead the postgame victory C-House cheer.
Needless to say, Stanford seniors took great pride in not losing to Cal and retaining the Axe.
"It's very special," said defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. "And to now be one of the guys whose face is going to be up on the wall holding the Axe in our big team meeting room, it meant a lot that it wasn't our class that lost the streak. We earned it."
Added Bright, "Every year, dealing with a different group of guys, it really means the world. Super-excited."
Extending the streak for the seniors was a focal point all week.
"It's great," said junior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside. "We did this for the seniors. They deserve it and are the ones that made this program what it is today."
To a man, Cardinal players praised the heart and fight of the Bears.
"Cal played their butts off tonight," said Bright. "We knew that was going to happen. Hats off to a great game. They really tested us out there."
Add Scarlett, "It's a rivalry game and you expect to get their best shot. It looks like they're starting to be the Cal they used to be."
The Cardinal defense forced only one turnover, but it came at a critical time. Junior safety Ben Edwards darted across the field to intercept a deep throw by Ross Bowers at his own 6 with 7:25 remaining, and Cal never touched the ball again.
"I saw the ball in the air and was just blessed to make a play," Edwards said.
How close was the contest? While Stanford wound up with a seven-minute time of possession advantage thanks to the closing drive, the Cardinal won the first down battle (21-19), both teams averaged 5.9 yards/plays, and converted six of 12 on third down.
Stanford now becomes a huge Washington fan. If the host Huskies beat Washington State next Saturday, the Cardinal wins the Pac-12 North Division crown and will face South Division winner USC on Dec. 1 in the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The kickoff in Seattle is 5 p.m. PT.
Washington (9-2, 6-2) rallied to defeat Utah on Saturday night, 33-30
"We kind of have our hands full," said Shaw. "I'm sure we'll be scoreboard watching to a certain degree. The Irish are going to get our full attention."
Notre Dame (9-2) downed Navy on Saturday, 24-17. Stanford has won the past two meetings and six of the past eight.
"It's the last game of the regular season," Arcega-Whiteside said. "I know all of us are going to leave it out there on the field."
Playing in his first Big Game, Costello kept his cool and completed 17 of 26 passes for 185 yards, and rushed four times for 16. He made arguably the best throw of his rookie season in the second quarter by stepping up in the pocket to avoid a blitzing defender, then fired a 17-yard scoring strike to sophomore tight end Kaden Smith.
"We had a slight miscommunication but I had eyes for him (Smith)," Costello said. "I tried not to let that pull me out of my read, and Kaden and I had been working on that all week."
Extra Points … Junior safety Justin Reid finished with a game-high 10 tackles and played two series at cornerback … Arcega-Whiteside caught seven passes for 79 yards …Steve Smith '81, a former Stanford water polo standout, served as honorary captain. A former NASA astronaut, he flew four space flights covering 16 million miles and performed seven space walks totaling nearly 50 hours.
* * *
Quotable ... "That's Stanford football and it felt really good." - Cameron Scarlett on Stanford's final drive.
