Motivated Taylor takes it up a notch

Arare fumble by Stepfan Taylor made him even more motivated than usual Saturday, and he normally has enough motivation to push a stalled locomotive.

Afew minutes before he pulled off his 40-yard catchand-run play for a touchdown, the Stanford tailback was champing at the bit. According to head coach

David Shaw, running backs coach Mike Sanford told him, “Stepfan’s feeling it. He’s on fire right now. He’s running through things. He’s seeing everything.’’

Shaw called Taylor’s touchdown, his second of the game and the 41st of his career, “the play of the day.’’

Taylor made up for a secondquarter fumble, his first in 216 carries this year. It ended a streak of 261 runs without a fumble, dating to last season. The ball “was ripped out,’’ he said. “I shouldn’t let it happen.’’

Taylor also had his 19th career 100-yard rushing game and moved past Darrin Nelson’s 40 touchdowns for sole possession of second place on the school’s all-time touchdown list. Toby Gerhart has the record with 44, but probably not for long.

Is Taylor the best running back in Stanford history? “That’s what the numbers would say,’’ Shaw said of Taylor’s third straight 1,000-yard rushing season. “He’s done something that nobody’s been able to do. But it’s all conjecture because they’re all different. … I can’t say how proud I am of that guy.’’ Not bad, for starters: Quarterback Kevin Hogan altered about 40 percent of the plays at the line, Shaw said. He threw two interceptions, one on a pass that was tipped at the line and picked off by free safety Ryan Murphy. In the fourth quarter, he lofted a deep pass toward

Jamal-Rashad Patterson on the sideline but too far to the inside, enabling Rashaad Reynolds to pick it off. Apick on the play? When Oregon State’s Markus Wheaton broke free for a 22-yard touchdown on a pass from Cody Vaz, cornerback Alex Carter appeared to be locked out of the play by a pick from a tight end. There was no flag, and Shaw argued the non-call strenuously with ref Shawn Hochuli.

Afterward, Shaw said, “There was not (a pick) apparently because there was not a flag thrown. That’s as much as I can say.’’

The Beavers’ only other touchdown was a 7-yard run by former De La Salle-Concord star Terron Ward. It was the first rushing touchdown Stanford has allowed in more than a month. Briefly: Tight end Zach Ertz caught a game-high nine passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Ryan Hewitt also caught a TD pass, a 12-yarder. … Besides the four turnovers, Stanford committed eight penalties, an unusually high number. … It was the Cardinal’s eighth straight home win and 19th in the past 20 games. … While Stanford’s Jordan Williamson missed his only fieldgoal try, a 51-yarder at the end of the first half, Oregon State’s Trevor Romaine hit all three of his attempts, from 19, 42 and 44 yards.