GAME OVER--Luck scores on a 9-yard keeper and this one's a done deal. 34-14 Stanford leads with 9:20 to play.

BIG TROUBLE NOW--Huskies can't convert on a 4th-and-6 from the Stanford 38 yard line, and the Cardinal take over with 11:51 to go in the game. Just not a very good effort from the Huskies tonight. It'll take something close to a miracle to pull this one out now.

THREE MORE FOR CARDINAL--A nice job of the Husky defense to tighten up near the goal line and force a field goal. But it's 27-14 Stanford now with 3:20 to go in the third quarter, and you've got to think that the Huskies need a touchdown on this drive to make this thing interesting in the fourth quarter.

A PUNT! A PUNT!--The Huskies force a three-and-out, and the Cardinal are forced to punt for the first time tonight. UW takes over on its own 20 yard line.

ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING DRIVE--The Huskies put together a couple of nice third-down conversions--including a 32-yard pass to D'Andre Goodwin on 3rd-and-9--but Locker gets sacked on 4th-and-5 from the Stanford 33 yard line and the Cardinal take over on downs. A stop here seems almost imperative.

HALFTIME--And this obviously isn't what Husky fans were hoping for. Maybe the oddsmakers knew the Cardinal could run the ball this easily. They've got 285 total yards, 194 of that on the ground. That's not good, at all. UW has 187 yards, 125 of it through the air. Polk has 11 carries for 52 yards, Gerhart 13 carries for 156. It's pretty simple: figure out how to stop the run and execute a little better on offense.

UW CAN'T STOP 'EM--The Cardinal have yet to punt, as they march 68 yards on 14 plays to take a 24-14 lead on a one-yard score by Stepfan Taylor with 2:41 left in the half. This looks like last year's UW defense.

GERHART BOUNCING OFF TACKLES--Mason Foster hit him in the backfield on a 3rd-and-1 and simply bounced off him. Gerhart now has 11 carries for 148 yards as the Cardinal threaten in UW territory.

NICE PLAY BY KEARSE--Very efficient drive by the Huskies capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse, who went up high for a bullet pass from Locker, came down with it and sprinted 10 yards for the score. 5 plays, 67 yards on the drive. 17-14 Stanford with 9:54 left in the half.

STANFORD ADDS FG--Nate Whitaker hits a 40-yard field goal to give the Cardinal a 17-7 lead with 11:47 to go in the first half. Gerhart eclipsed the 100-yard mark on that drive, taking a 22-yard carry on the first play of the series. He's got seven carries for 111 yards already.

END OF THE 1ST QUARTER--And it's been a weird one. Two turnovers for each team, all three scores have been on big plays and neither team has punted. Stanford's outgaining UW 152-104. Cardinal has 106 yards on the ground, the majority of that obviously coming on Gerhart's 60 yard scoring run. Huskies have the ball, 3rd-and-12 from their own 19, when the second quarter begins.

HERE WE GO AGAIN--Stanford takes the lead right back as Gerhart shakes three open field tackle attempts on his way to a 60-yard touchdown run. 14-7 Cardinal with 1:48 left in the first quarter. Longest run from scrimmage of Gerhart's career.

WEIRD GAME--The Huskies have tide it up as Stanford QB Andrew Luck was pressured on 3rd-and-9, tried to scramble, then tried to throw the ball away--but threw it backwards, it bounced off his intended receiver's hands, and UW safety Justin Glenn picked it up and took it 51 yards for a touchdown. Whew.

THE BALL MUST BE SLIPPERY--UW botches the exchange on a 3rd-and-1 snap and Stanford recovers. Cardinal ball at its own 46 yard line.

COUGH, COUGH--Stanford drives all the way down to the Huskies 11 yard line before Toby Gerhart fumbles and UW recovers. 10 plays, 87 yards for Stanford. No points. Huge stop there.

OOPS--Chris Polk picks up 20 yards on four carries to lead UW down to the Stanford 25 yard line, but Jake Locker throws an interception to Delano Howell at the two yard line on second down. Huskies might want a do-over on this one.

THAT WAS QUICK--Chris Owusu takes the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. Stanford leads it 7-0 with just 10 seconds gone. Not a great start.

UMM, WHAT?--Stanford's band just did some weird swine flu gimmick, aligning to spell the words "pork" and then "flu", all while someone ran around the field in a paper meche pig costume. Yep, we must be at Stanford.

PALO ALTO, Calif--There are about 12 or so people here as we await kickoff, which the scoreboard tells me is in 30 minutes. What a pathetic atmosphere for a college football game.

The Huskies are wearing their road uniforms for the first time, white tops with purple pants. They look the same from this high up but obviously they've made changes with the shoulder piping and some things. Wonder how they'll look on TV. Most people in Seattle are probably wondering the same thing, since you have to have Fox College Sports to watch this game.

Stanford's band is weird. So is its mascot.

Bob Condotta from The Seattle Times and others are reporting that Tyrone Willingham is rumored to be making an appearance at the game today. I'm sure any Husky fan who happens to see him will have some kind words.

More as the game progresses.

 

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