Cardinal offense finally finds its rhythm
TE Parkinson ties program mark with 4 TDs; Stanford rushes for 585 yards
STANFORD >> The Stanford offense finally looked like the explosive unit that everyone expected before the season. All it took was a visit from Oregon State.
Sophomore tight end Colby Parkinson tied a program record with four touchdown catches, all in the first half, and Stanford (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) set season highs for points and yards in a 48-17 win on Senior Day that clinched bowl eligibility for the 10th straight year.
The Cardinal didn’t have receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who was tied for second in the country with 11 receiving touchdowns but injured his ankle last week. So the 6-foot-7 Parkinson did his best ArcegaWhiteside imitation, using his size to box out smaller defenders in the end zone.
Parkinson caught two jump-ball passes for touchdowns, including one over 5-9 safety Shawn Wilson. He also caught a perfectlyplaced back-shoulder throw by K.J. Costello for a 28yard touchdown, and had a 75-yard score in which he lined up on the outside and beat 1-on-1 coverage by linebacker Andrzej HughesMurray, who fell trying to defend the pass.
Parkinson, who tied a school record previously set by Ken Margerum against Oregon State in 1980 and Ty Montgomery in the 2013 Big Game, finished with six receptions for 166 yards. Montgomery also caught his four touchdowns in the first half.
The Cardinal finished with 585 yards against a defense that was in the bottom three in the FBS in points (44.8) and yards (536.9) allowed. Stanford’s previous highs were 38 points (twice) and 443 yards against Washington State.
The Cardinal even moved the ball on the ground. Stanford had the fifth-worst rushing offense in the country at 93.1 yards a game, but totaled 244 against the Beavers (2-8, 1-6).
Playing at Stanford Stadium for the final time, senior Bryce Love opened the scoring with a 28yard touchdown, his fifth of the season, and finished with 90 yards on 11 carries. Redshirt junior Cameron Scarlett had a 41yard touchdown run and redshirt sophomore K.J. Costello had a careerhigh 45-yard run on a QB keeper.
Costello (23 of 33 for 342 yards) became the first Stanford quarterback with four four-TD games Stanford tight end Colby Parkinson (84) scores one of his four touchdowns during Saturday’s 48-17victory over Oregon State. Parkinson’s effort tied a program record.
since Andrew Luck in 2011, and joined John Elway in 1982 and Steve Stenstrom in 1993 as the only Cardinal QBs with six 300-yard games.
There were high hopes for Stanford’s offense, which returned almost every starter from last year. But a feeble run game, due in part to injuries to Love
and the offensive line, and a series of slow starts (Stanford had been outscored 69-28 in the first quarter) helped keep the Cards in check.
None of that mattered against the Beavers, who never came close to recapturing the effort from last season, when Stanford needed a last-minute TD to
win 15-14 in Corvallis.
The Cardinal scored touchdowns on seven of its nine drives Saturday before taking out the starters after the third quarter.
After losing four of five games before Saturday, Stanford now has some momentum heading into next Saturday’s Big Game at Cal. UP NEXT
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