Ducks fly past Stanford as Cardinal offense stalls

STANFORD >> Stanford has lost three games in a row for the first time under David Shaw. Even worse for the Cardinal, the losses weren’t even close.

No. 16 Oregon (3-1, 1-0 Pac12) stifled Stanford (1-3, 0-2) in a 21-6 loss that dropped the Cardinal to 1-3 for the first time since 2007, Jim Harbaugh’s first season, with ranked teams Washington, Washington State, Cal and Notre Dame still remaining on the schedule.

After kicking a field goal on its opening possession, Stanford punted six straight times and then threw an interception as Oregon scored 21 straight points to break its three-game losing streak in the series. K.J. Costello, who hasn’t regained last year’s effectiveness since suffering an apparent head injury in the season opener, was 16 of 30 for 120 yards and a pick, and top tight end Colby Parkinson didn’t have a catch on five targets for an offense that has scored just five touchdowns through four games.

Meanwhile, Oregon senior Justin Herbert was 19 of 24 for 259 yards and three TDS and extended his streak of attempts without an interception to 174. Stanford had previously lost 45-20 at USC and 45-27 at Central Florida.

Oregon hasn’t allowed an opponent to reach the end zone since the last minute of its season-opening loss to Auburn. It didn’t have any issues with Stanford, whose 21.3 points per game entering Saturday was 103rd in the FBS.

The Cardinal rushed seven times for 55 yards on its first drive, including a 23-yarder from Cameron Scarlett, and Jet Toner’s 32yard field made it 3-0. But after that 12-play, 61-yard drive to start the game, Stanford gained just 80 yards on its next seven possessions as Oregon took control with 21 straight points.

While Stanford tried to move the ball methodically, Oregon’s first scoring drive took just two plays — a 19yard pass to Juwan Johnson and then a 36-yard pass to Jaylon Redd, who got free on a play-action fake and outraced safety Malik Antoine to the end zone.

Herbert made a perfect throw past safety Kendall Williamson to tight end Jacob Breeland for 16 yards to make it 14-3 midway through the second quarter.

Oregon’s third touchdown came on a 24-yard pass from Herbert to an open Breeland when three members of the Stanford secondary all got sucked in by a pump fake.