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No. 7 Stanford keeps rolling with win over Colorado

Oct 9, 2011 - 6:06 AM Palo Alto, CA (Sports Network) - Andrew Luck completed 26-of-33 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns, as the seventh-ranked Stanford Cardinal extended the nation's longest winning streak with a 48-7 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes.

Griff Whalen caught four passes for 92 yards and a score for the Cardinal (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12), who have won 13 straight games. Ryan Hewitt caught a pair of TD passes.

"He makes some pretty unbelievable plays, but at this point we all know he can do that," Whalen said of Luck. "That's his job to keep plays alive and find the open receiver and that's what he did."

Tyler Gaffney carried the ball nine times for 61 yards and a touchdown for Stanford. Stepfan Taylor rushed for 58 yards and a score on 13 carries.

Tyler Hansen connected on 15-of-29 passes for 202 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Buffaloes (1-5, 0-2), who have lost three in a row since a win over Colorado State on September 17.

Rodney Stewart caught two passes for 79 yards and carried the ball 11 times for 21 yards.

The Buffaloes marched the ball down the field on the opening possession of the game, but Stanford came up with a big play when Colorado lined up for a field goal. Will Oliver's 29-yard attempt was blocked and Max Bergen went 75 yards the other way for a 7-0 Stanford lead.

The Cardinal scored a touchdown on their first offensive possession. Levine Toilolo caught passes of 27 and 10 yards before Taylor's one-yard TD run. Jordan Williamson missed the extra point to keep it 13-0.

Williamson also missed a 47-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Colorado would capitalize as Stewart caught a 76-yard pass to put the ball at the five. Tony Jones caught a touchdown pass on the fourth play of the drive to make it 13-7.

The Buffaloes had a chance to make things interesting after Terrel Smith picked off Luck. But Colorado went three-and-out on offense.

A Gaffney 15-yard rush and a personal foul penalty on Colorado put Stanford at the 12-yard line. The Cardinal went back 15 yards with a personal foul penalty of their own, but Whalen came up with a big 27-yard catch. Jeremy Stewart rumbled into the end zone from one yard out to make it 20-7 with under seven minutes to go in the half.

Stanford started to pull away on its next possession. Coby Fleener's 37-yard catch preceded Hewitt's one-yard TD catch for a 27-7 lead.

Oliver missed a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

"I expected more. I understand the circumstances. I don't accept them, but I understand them," Colorado head coach Jon Embree said. "We've just got to keep trying to find a way. Kickoff was scheduled for 4:30, and whatever you've got, you've got to go out there and find a way to compete. I'm disappointed. We had an opportunity early and then we had a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown."

The Cardinal started their first drive of the second half at the Colorado 37, thanks to a 31-yard Drew Terrell punt return. Hewitt capped a six-play march with a 10-yard TD catch.

Gaffney added a one-yard TD run with two minutes remaining in the third quarter to make it 41-7.

Whalen then caught a 30-yard TD pass with 11 minutes to play in the fourth for a 48-7 lead.

Game Notes

Stanford's 13 straight wins ties the longest in school history (1939-41)... Stanford and Colorado had split their previous six meetings...For Luck it was his fifth career 300-yard passing game and school-record 25th career win (25-5).