Stanford Football Live Blog: Stanford defeats San Jose State 34-13

Sept. 7, 2013, 7:05 p.m.

Welcome to The Daily’s live blog of tonight’s game between No. 5 Stanford and San Jose State at Stanford Stadium. We’ll be updating this page with instant coverage and analysis. Please refresh this page for the most recent updates, and follow us on twitter @StanfordSports for updates. All times are Pacific.

(Grant Shorin/Stanfordphoto.com)
Nose guard David Parry (58), linebackers AJ Tarpley (17) and Shayne Skov (11) and the rest of the Cardinal front seven look to make life difficult for San Jose State quarterback David Fales, who was the the most accurate passer in the nation last season. (Grant Shorin/Stanfordphoto.com)

 

11:07 PM: Hogan takes a final knee, and that’s the game. Tyler Gaffney was the team’s primary back for the game and shone with 104 yards and two touchdowns. Stanford’s wide receivers also returned to prominence, with Ty Montgomery and Devon Cajuste combining for seven catches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. Final score from Stanford Stadium – Stanford 34, San Jose State 13.

11:06 PM: After Remound Wright powers ahead for yet another first down with less than one minute left in the game, Stanford goes into victory formation to seal a convincing 34-13 victory over San Jose State.

11:03 PM: Stanford just going full steam ahead on the ground with Wilkerson now to kill clock. Consecutive runs of 11, 27 and 12 runs now through massive holes show that the Spartan defense is wearing down after being assaulted by Stanford’s bigger-than-ever offensive line for four quarters.

10:59 PM: On fourth-and-6 from the Stanford 7 needing a touchdown to stay in it, Fales gets taken down by Henry Anderson and Ben Gardner. Stanford will take over on downs deep in its own territory and just needs to ground-and-pound to eat clock with less than five minutes to go in the game.

10:55 PM: Needing a big fourth-and-14 conversion to keep the game relevant, Fales connects with Grigsby again down the right sideline for a big 16-yard gain. The Spartans are now 3-of-3 on fourth down tonight.

10:53 PM: With SJSU in four-down territory, Fales avoids the turnover on downs with a quick pass to Grigsby.

10:52 PM: Fales and company trying to convert a third-and-1 to keep the drive alive, but David Parry denies the Jason Simpson run with great penetration into the backfield.

10:49 PM: SJSU needs to get a touchdown quickly here. Some of Stanford’s second-team defenders are on the field now.

10:44 PM: Stanford runs power, and is rewarded with a 2-yard touchdown run by Gaffney. Gaffney is now over the century mark with 104 yards on 20 carries. Williamson’s PAT is GOOD, and Stanford now leads SJSU 35-13 with 11:08 left in the game.

10:44 PM: Gaffney just cannot be brought down today. Drags 4 SJSU defenders down to the 2-yard line. 2nd-and-goal.

10:43 PM: Hogan hooks up with Montgomery, who turns to the outside and dashes ahead for 42 yards. Great catch and run. First-and-goal at the SJSU 6-yard line.

10:42 PM: Gaffney is nearing 100 yards, as his two carries gain 4 yards and bring up third-and-6.

10:38 PM: Fales’ pass is intercepted by Stanford’s best ball hawk from last season, safety Ed Reynolds. And no, he did not return this one for a pick six. Still, Stanford gets the ball at its own 44-yard line. That’s 25 straight games that Stanford has forced a turnover, which is the longest active streak in the nation. No harm done after Lloyd’s gaffe.

10:36 PM: A tripping penalty called on the Spartans move them back 15 yards. 1st-and-22 at Spartans 34. Lucky break for the Cardinal. The Spartans were showing some signs of life prior to that penalty.

10:35 PM: Lloyd fumbles the ball on the handoff. SJSU recovers. A poor start to the fourth quarter for Stanford.

10:31 PM: Gaffney made a spin move too soon, but still gains 5 yards. 2nd-and-5 at the Spartans 28. That’s the end of the third quarter. Stanford leads SJSU 27-14.

10:29 PM: Gaffney, Gaffney, Gaffney. He rumbles ahead to give Stanford’s 20th first down of the night.

10:28 PM: Hogan tried to connect with Patrick Skov, who got held on the play. 1st-and-10 at the Spartans 44-yard line.

10:27 PM: Gaffney fights his way through an arm tackle to pick up 7 yards. 2nd-and-3.

10:26 PM: Great kickoff return by Montgomery, who had a higher kickoff return average than Oregon’s speedy De’Anthony Thomas last season. A 36-yard return by the junior. Stanford will set up shop at its own 39-yard line.

10:24 PM: Grigsby makes a heck of a grab for a 13-yard touchdown reception. Extra point is good. Stanford’s lead is now cut to 27-13 with 2:10 left in the third quarter.

10:23 PM: Holding penalty called on Ronnie Harris gives the Spartans a first down at the Stanford 21.

10:22 PM: Inside draw goes for 3 yards, good enough to move the chains.

10:21 PM: Nice catch by Grigsby, but short of first down. SJSU will go for it. 4th-and-2 at the Stanford 34.

10:21 PM: False start by SJSU and an incompletion make it third-and-12. SJSU is 3-of-8 on third downs tonight.

10:19 PM: SJSU marching down to the Stanford 39-yard line. Second-and-7.

10:17 PM: The Cardinal defense almost gets its first turnover of the season, but the refs rules the pass incomplete.

10:12 PM: Yes, we do. Hogan rolls out to his left and finds Montgomery, who powers into the endzone for a 17-yard touchdown reception. That’s Montgomery’s first touchdown since the 2011 Fiesta Bowl. Good to see him bounce back after a 2012 season riddled with injuries. Williamson’s extra point attempt is good, and Stanford now leads SJSU 27-6 with 5:34 left in the third quarter.

10:11 PM: Gaffney gains 7 more on the carry, but Wilkerson loses 1 yard on the next. Third-and-4 at the SJSU 17. Will we see Hogan roll out on the next play?

10:10 PM: Hogan hooks up with Gaffney for a nice 14-yard gain to move the chains. Stanford at the SJSU 23-yard line.

10:09 PM: Back-to-back incompletions intended for Cajuste bring up third-and-10.

10:07 PM: Hogan connects with Jeff Trojan for a 4-yard gain on an out route. First collegiate reception for Trojan, who impressed the coaching staff during spring ball. First down, Stanford.

10:05 PM: With the play clock running down, Stanford uses its second timeout to avoid a delay-of-game penalty. The ball is on the SJSU 41-yard line, so it’s big third-and-4 coming up. The Cardinal not quite in field goal range yet. One first down could change that.

10:04 PM: Defensive end-converted tight end Charlie Hopkins makes his first career reception. A 4-yard catch.

10:03 PM: The Cardinal gets the ball at its own 47-yard line. We’ll see if the offense can punch it into the end zone this time rather than settle for the field goal.

10:02 PM: Fales gets drilled by Murphy as he throws. Pass falls well short of Fales’ intended target. Murphy has been making plays all over the field today, whether it’s stopping the run, rushing the passer or breaking up passes.

10:01 PM: A 1-yard run followed by a pass breakup by Murphy. Third-and-9 at the SJSU 8-yard line.

9:59 PM: A great open-field tackle by Lyons and an illegal block in the back called on SJSU force the Spartans to start their drive on their own 7-yard line.

9:56 PM: Williamson’s 48-yarder splits the uprights. Stanford leads SJSU 20-6 with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

9:56 PM: Hogan’s pass intended for Montgomery is short. Williamson trots onto the field for another long field goal. This one is a 48-yarder.

9:55 PM: Montgomery picks up 4 yards with an end around. Couldn’t quite break free on that one. Third-and-6. Spartans fans have been pretty rowdy tonight.

9:54 PM: And the 6-foot-6 tight end Luke Kaumatule makes his first collegiate catch. 5-yard pickup just enough for the first down. Stanford at the SJSU 35-yard line now.

9:53 PM: Another good-looking carry by Gaffney gives Stanford 6 yards. Third-and-4. Stanford converted 5 of its 7 third downs in the first half.

9:53 PM: Incomplete pass intended for Barr J. Sanders brings up 2-and-10 at the SJSU 46-yard line.

9:52 PM: Nice pump fake by Hogan to set up a 17-yard screen pass to Montgomery. Montgomery bounced to the outside quickly and showed some speed down the sideline.

9:51 PM: Gaffney gets the call and jumps over a pile of linemen to pick up 2 yards. Stanford moves the chains.

9:50 PM: Out of the timeout, Hogan’s pass is complete to Montgomery for a 5-yard gain. Third-and-1 at the SJSU 35. Offense lines up in the jumbo package.

9:48 PM: The Cardinal pounds away with its power running game right away. Nice 4-yard gain by Gaffney. Stanford uses a timeout.

9:48 PM: Stanford gets the ball to start the second half. Touchback.

9:47 PM: Tonight’s crowd is a sellout. 50,424 in attendance. Impressive.

9:44 PM: The players are back out on the field, ready for the second half to start.

9:38 PM: According to Daily sports editor Joseph Beyda, who is currently sitting in the stands as a fan, a raccoon came in to the field near the North endzone towards the end of the first half. His report has yet to be verified. Beyda is also our least trusted reporter.

9:35 PM: However, Devon Cajuste has definitely been the most surprising player. He’s using his Coby Fleener-like body to create obvious mismatches, and Hogan found him with ease on Cajuste’s three receptions.

9:35 PM: The Cardinal defense also seems to be in its late-2012 form, giving up just 110 yards of total offense and 18 rushing yards in the first half.

9:30 PM: Some takeaways from the first half: Stanford fans should definitely be pleased with the play-calling. There were 3-4 shots taken deep downfield, mixed with the power running game, the bread-and-butter of the Cardinal’s defense. Hogan has looked fairly accurate early on, though he overthrew the deep ball on a couple plays. Gaffney looked great and though Wilkerson has not been as productive, SJSU’s defense was swarming to the backfield every time Wilkerson got a carry.

9:27 PM: The first half ends with Trent Murphy sacking Fales. That’s Murphy’s second sack on the night, and the team’s third. The two teams head into the locker room with Stanford leading SJSU 17-6.

9:27 PM: Willamson hooks the 52-yard field goal attempt wide left. It had the distance, but just too far to the left.

9:24 PM: Hogan makes some nice moves to avoid pursuing defenders, but his pass, intended for Montgomery again, is complete. It looked like there might have been some open space ahead of him, but Hogan chose to throw it instead of taking off.

9:23 PM: Hogan’s pass intended for Montgomery down the sideline falls incomplete. Third-and-6 at the SJSU 35. Considering Williamson’s leg strength, Stanford is definitely in field goal range.

9:23 PM: Apparently Shaw is rotating the running backs each quarter.

9:22 PM: Wilkerson gains four yards. Injury timeout (SJSU).

9:21 PM: Hogan pump fakes and then scrambles to his left to convert yet another third down. 1st-and-10 at the SJSU 39. 49 seconds left in the first half.

9:21 PM: Hogan shows some nice pocket presence and dishes it out to Wilkerson for a short gain. 3rd-and-6 at the SJSU 48-yard line.

9:20 PM: Hogan scrambles for the first time this season, picks up 8 yards and a touchdown. Hogan is actually Stanford’s leading returning rusher.

9:19 PM: Wilkerson makes a nice move after a short completion to pick up 11 yards on the screen.

9:19 PM: Tenth first down for Stanford.

9:18 PM: With just under 4 minutes left in the first half, Hogan and company hope to march down the field efficiently one more time before halftime.

9:16 PM: Stanford’s defense has been following the “bend, but not break” motto to a tee. Both of SJSU’s trips to the red zone have ended in field goals. Still, Fales has continued to move the chains with his short, accurate passes. He was the most accurate passer in the country last season, after all.

9:15 PM: Austin Lopez’s 22-yard field goal is GOOD, and the Spartans now trail 17-6 with 3:43 left in the first half.

9:14 PM: Yes it does. Fales completes the pass to Nunn, but the Spartans are still 3 yards short of a first down. Great tackle by Carter to force SJSU settle for a field goal.

9:13 PM: A 1-yard run and incompletion in the end zone bring up a third-and-9 at the Stanford 11. The Cardinal defense held up last time the Spartans were in the end zone. Can it do it again?

9:12 PM: Another Fales completion results in a first down. Simpson had a lot of room to work with after the catch. 11-yard pickup.

9:11 PM: But the Spartans pick up the first down on the next play. Skov makes the tackle on Simpson, but not before he gets 6 yards.

9:11 PM: Fales scrambles ahead, but short of the first down. Third-and-3 at the Cardinal 29-yard line.

9:10 PM: Blake Jurich in at quarterback and gets smothered as he takes a shot deep down field. Pass overthrown by a good ten yards.

9:10 PM: What a grab by Billy Freeman. 18-yard pickup. Reynolds saved the touchdown.

9:09 PM: Spartans pick up a first down, thanks to a 7-yard completion from Fales to Kyle Nunn.

9:08 PM: SJSU picks up 4 yards on the screen. Richards and two other Cardinal defenders all over receiver Tim Crawley.

9:07 PM: Stanford’s run defense has been an iron curtain up the middle. But SJSU has found some success running to the outside. A 10-yard gain by Simpson.

9:03 PM: Williamson’s 40-yard field goal attempt is GOOD. Plenty of room to spare, too. Shaw has always talked about how Williamson has one of the strongest legs in the nation. Stanford leads SJSU 17-3 with 8:54 left in the first half.

9:02 PM: SJSU’s defense brings pressure and forces Hogan to escape the pocket. Hogan throws it away. Good decision by Hogan, not trying to force anything there. A great indicator of the maturity that he developed this offseason.

9:02 PM: Another carry by Wilkerson. And another 2-yard gain. Third-and-6 at the SJSU 23. Will Hogan look for Cajuste again?

9:01 PM: Wilkerson gets his first carry on the night. A 2-yard gain.

9:00 PM: Hogan overthrows Montgomery deep down field off the play action, but a roughing-the-passer penalty moves the chains. I’m telling you, when Hogan misses on a deep ball, it’s always overthrown, never underthrown. 1st-and-10 at the SJSU 27.

8:58 PM: SJSU’s punt is partially blocked, and Stanford will have great field position at the SJSU 42.

8:57 PM: Trent Murphy explodes into the backfield like a freight train. Lays the boom on Fales. SJSU forced to punt it away.

8:56 PM: Simpson makes a nice move after catching the screen pass, but outside linebacker Blake Leuders is there to hold him to a 5-yard gain. 3rnd-and-13 at the Spartans 21-yard line.

8:55 PM: Cardinal defense gets its first party in the backfield. Defensive end Josh Mauro takes down Fales for a loss of 8.

8:54 PM: So Stanford’s first two drives both end in touchdowns. The offensive line has been getting a strong push, and Gaffney seems to be running well.  The receivers, especially Cajuste, have also been seeing some success against the undersized Spartans secondary.

8:51 PM: Gaffney bounces outside and finds the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown. Williamson’s extra point attempt is good. The Cardinal leads the Spartans 14-7 with 12:33 left in the second quarter.

8:50 PM: Hogan rolls out on a bootleg slide, but the defense blows it up. Hogan avoids getting sacked but his pass intended for Ward falls incomplete.

8:49 PM: Remound Wright picks up the first down. We have yet to see Anthony Wilkerson get a touch.

8:49 PM: Dallas Lloyd comes in for the first time today and picks up 7 yards on the read option. Shaw talked about using Lloyd in some option packages this season, and we just got our first look right there.

8:48 PM: Stanford uses its jumbo package to pick up the first down. At the Spartans 27-yard line now.

8:47 PM: Hogan overthrows an open Cajuste in the end zone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hogan underthr0w a deep ball. Hogan’s first incompletion of the game.

8:45 PM: Hogan finds Whitfield on a curl for a 9-yard gain.

8:44 PM: A promising stat: The Cardinal has converted all three of its third downs so far. The Hogan-led offense looks a lot crisper than the Nunes-led offense did in last year’s season opener, so far at least.

8:43 PM: And that’s the end of the first quarter. Stanford leads SJSU 7-3 and is now driving at the Spartans 39-yard line.

8:42 PM: Working out of the shotgun, Hogan fires a bullet to Cajuste for a 15-yard completion. The rapport between Hogan and Cajuste has looked pretty darn good so far. Hogan is now 5-of-5 for 71 yards and Cajuste has hauled 3 catches for 62 yards.

8:41 PM: Hewitt catches his first pass of the season on an out route, but is stopped immediately for a 2-yard gain. 3rd-and-9.

8:40 PM: The season’s first Wildcat play results in a loss of 2. Kelsey Young might be the fastest player on the team, but he had nowhere to go on the outside on that play. 2nd-and-12 at the Cardinal’s own 43.

8:40 PM: Gaffney rumbles ahead for 12 yards. Took three SJSU defenders to bring him down. Not showing any sign of rust after a year of playing professional baseball, away from the football field.

8:39 PM: Gaffney makes his first reception of the season. 6-yard reception gives Stanford a third-and-2 at its own 33-yard line. Nice to see Gaffney being used in the passing game. Shows his versatility.

8:38 PM: Both Ty Montgomery and Kodi Whitfield in at wideout for the Cardinal.

8:37 PM: Starting at his own 25-yard line, Hogan hands the ball to Gaffney for a 3-yard gain.

8:35 PM: That was a 13-play, 62-yard drive that ate up nearly 7 minutes of clock. Fales took what the Cardinal defense gave him, completing six underneath passes to move the chains efficiently and allow his team to put up three.

8:34 PM: The kick is good, and Stanford’s lead is cut to 7-3.

8:33 PM: The shifty Fales escapes the pressure from the Cardinal defensive line, but throws an incompletion. Forces a 30-yard field goal attempt.

8:32 PM: The stadium may not be sold out, but it’s definitely packed. Crowd pretty loud tonight.

8:31 PM: SJSU calls back-to-back timeouts.

8:29 PM: First-year starter cornerback Wayne Lyons busts a bubble screen. His aggressiveness by playing close to the receiver at the line of scrimmage paid off on that play. 3rd-and-10 at the Cardinal 10. San Jose State calls its first timeout.

8:28 PM: Parry was there to stuff the run, but whiffed on Simpson. Another missed tackle later, Simpson picks up a first down with a 4-yard gain.

8:27 PM: Fales continues to bombard the Cardinal defense with short completions. 2nd-and-1 at the Stanford 17-yard line.

8:26 PM: Fales picks up another first down, this time with his feet on an option keeper. Nose tackle David Parry makes his first tackle of the season.

8:25 PM: On a short out, Fales finds a receiver for a 17-yard gain and first down. Inside linebacker A.J.Tarpley, one of the best pass coverage linebackers in the Pac-12, was there to make the stop.

8:24 PM: Stanford defense stays stout on second down. No gain. Brings up third-and-1 at the Cardinal 46.

8:23 PM: Carter flagged for defensive pass interference, move Spartans up to its own 45-yard line.

8:22 PM: SJSU running back Jason Simpson picks up a first down with a 4-yard yard run.

8:21 PM: Sophomore cornerback Alex Carter delivers a big hit to hold Fales’ 4-yard completion to Grigsby on first down.

8:20 PM: SJSU starts its second drive at its own 25-yard line.

8:18 PM: Lee Ward, not Ryan Hewitt, was in at fullback the entire drive. Looks like head coach Shaw might keep Hewitt, who was banged up at the Aug. 24 open scrimmage but was cleared to play, out unless he’s absolutely needed.

8:17 PM: That touchdown drive only took 2:42. Quick by the Cardinal’s standards. The Hogan-Cajuste connection was the kind of rapid strike capability that Stanford’s offense lacked last year.

8:15 PM: Off the play action, Hogan finds Cajuste on a deep post route for a 40-yard touchdown. That’s Cajuste’s third career reception and first touchdown. Williamson’s extra point attempt is good and Stanford leads SJSU 7-0 with 10:12 left in the first quarter. An auspicious start by the Cardinal.

8:14 PM: The Cardinal offensive line clears up a huge gap for Gaffney, who picks up 14 yards on the ground for a first down. At the SJSU 40-yard line.

8:13 PM: And the Cardinal does run power Gaffney picks up the first down with a 1-yard carry. Stanford at its own 44-yard line now.

8:12 PM: Hogan finds wide receiver Devon Cajuste on an out route for a 7-yard again. 3rd-and-1. Will we see Stanford run power in this short-yardage situation?

8:11 PM: Tyler Gaffney in at running back for Stanford on the first snap. Gain of 2. 2nd-and-8.

8:10 PM: Fales’ pass intended for Grigsby down the right sideline falls incomplete. Fales was throwing into double coverage. SJSU will have to punt it away. Solid debut by Stanford defense. And now we’ll see the Cardinal offense for the first time this season.

8:10 PM: Spartans gain very little on two consecutive screen passes. Third-and-7 coming up.

8:09 PM: SJSU gets the first down with a 3-yard rush.

8:08 PM: First play by Spartans is a 9-yard completion. Nickel back Usua Amanam was on the field for that first play.

8:07 PM: SJSU will start the game with the ball at its own 20-yard line. Fales takes the field.

8:07 PM: And…we’re off!

8:06 PM: Williamson ready to kickoff. The stadium is loud.

8:07 PM: San Jose State has won the toss and elected to receive.

8:06 PM: Captains Shayne Skov, Trent Murphy, Ben Gardner and David Yankey at midfield for the coin toss.

8:05 PM: And the players have rushed out of the tunnel. They looked fired up. The newly added 360-degree stadium LED ribbon screen lights up for the first time.

8:00 PM: It’s a sizeable crowd tonight at Stanford Stadium, a lot bigger than last year’s Stanford-SJSU contest. Sources say around 45,000 tickets were sold for tonight.

7:55 PM: The national anthem has been played. All that’s left in the pre-game festivities is for the players to rush out of the tunnel for the first time of the season.

7:45 PM: Not only is Fales back, but the dangerous wide receiver tandem of Noel Grigsby and Chandler Jones have also returned on the Spartans offense. Grigsby led the way for SJSU’s passing game last season with 82 receptions for 1,307 yards and nine touchdowns; against the Cardinal, he had a game-high seven catches for 92 yards. Meanwhile, Jones had an impressive season opener against Sacramento State last week, grabbing 8 catches for 130 yards. It certainly won’t be an easy task for the Cardinal secondary, headlined by safeties Ed Reynolds and Jordan Richards.

7:40 PM: We’re less than half an hour away from kickoff!

7:40 PM: Spartans quarterback David Fales was the most accurate passer in the country last season, completing 72.5 percent of his passes and throwing for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns. Against the Cardinal last year, he made some nifty moves to escape what seemed like sure sacks and kept the Spartans in the game.

7:30 PM: We all know what happened when these two teams played last season. The Cardinal carried a two-touchdown lead going into the second half, but the Spartans chipped away at the deficit until Stanford led by just three points late in the fourth quarter. Only safety Ed Reynolds’ late interception in the waning moments allowed the Cardinal to escape with a lackluster 20-17 win.

7:20 PM: There’s a special air surrounding tonight’s game because Stanford and San Jose State will not play each other next season. SJSU head coach Ron Carragher hinted that the discontinuation had to do with the Cardinal not wanting to schedule a home-and-home series, but earlier this week, Stanford head coach David Shaw firmly stated that this was not the case. Instead, Shaw cited financial matters that are off the football field and in the hands of university officials. It was interesting to see Shaw come out and make that statement without being prompted. It also might be the first time that Shaw has openly disagreed with what an opposing coach said.

7:10 PM: As expected, the Stanford players are donning their traditional cardinal-colored uniforms for tonight’s home game.

7:05 PM: In the meantime, you can check out our game preview here, which includes links to our 10-part preseason series previewing every position group on the team. Also, check out the three keys to tonight’s game that Daily sports editor Sam Fisher emphasized for the Cardinal.

7:00 PM: Good evening everyone, and thank you for joining us. We’re less than an hour away from kickoff as Stanford opens its 2013 campaign tonight at home against San Jose State in what has become known as the Bill Walsh Legacy Game. The Cardinal will be the last college football team to start the season, and I know it’s been a painfully long offseason for Stanford fans as they have waited for one of the most anticipated seasons in school history to begin.

George Chen is a senior staff writer at The Stanford Daily who writes football, football and more football. Previously he worked at The Daily as the President and Editor in Chief, Executive Editor, Managing Editor of Sports, the football beat reporter and a sports desk editor. George also co-authored The Daily's recent book documenting the rise of Stanford football, "Rags to Roses." He is a senior from Painted Post, NY majoring in Biology. To contact him, please email at [email protected].

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