Stanford Beats Up Sacramento State 52-17

GoStanford.com has the report.

Andrew Luck threw a career-high four touchdown passes in helping STANFORD win its first game without Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart, beating Sacramento State 52-17 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.

Luck completed 17 of 23 passes for 316 yards, including an 81-yard scoring toss to Doug Baldwin and a 59-yard touchdown to Stepfan Taylor. Luck also threw TD passes of 15 yards to Baldwin and 5 yards to Zach Ertz.

Kyle Monson returned a punt 70 yards for a score and Curtis Shaw rushed for a touchdown for the Hornets. Chris Diniz matched his career-best with a 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Jeremy Stewart, Tyler Gaffney and Anthony Wilkerson each scored a touchdown for the Cardinal. They were among several running backs used by STANFORD, which gained 213 yards, 82 in the first half, on the ground.

Baldwin caught four passes for 111 yards.

Luck more than made up through the air what Gerhart once provided on the ground. He was 14 of 18 for 301 yards in the first half, and that was without wide receiver Chris Owusu, who missed the game with an undisclosed injury.

Cardinal In Control In Second Half, Lead Sacramento State 38-14

Midway through the third quarter, Andrew Luck is currently 17 for 23 for 316 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns went to Doug Baldwin in replacement of the injured Chris Owusu; Baldwin leads the Cardinal with 4 catches and 110 yards. Running back Stepfan Taylor also caught a pass for a 58 yard touchdown and Ryan Whalen added 4 catches for 65 yards.

Stanford Cardinal Get Ready For Sacramento State

Jim Harbaugh still has not announced who the starting running back will be, reports Elliott Almond of the San Jose Mercury News.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh won't reveal Toby Gerhart's replacement until the start of the season opener today against Sacramento State.

"One guy will go out and start the game, and we'll see who's running the ball well, who's getting the hot hand," he said.

It's expected to come down to sophomore tailback Stepfan Taylor or senior Jeremy Stewart.

But Stanford supporters also should see the debut of redshirt freshman Usua Amanam, a former Bellarmine Prep star who missed last season after breaking a toe.

"He's showing to be a really versatile back, not just a scatback type of guy," Harbaugh said of the 5-foot-10, 184-pound Amanam.

Also expect several tight ends to be used in this game.

Just as it will take a posse of running backs to replace Toby Gerhart, Stanford will use a committee of as many as five tight ends to replace Jim Dray, now with the Arizona Cardinals.

"All of us are trying to fill the shoes of Jimmy Dray," junior Coby Fleener said. "Jimmy was one heck of a blocker."

Fleener, who caught 21 passes last year (the third highest total on the team), and senior Konrad Reuland have the most experience of the group, but coach Jim Harbaugh is likely to start 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman Levine Toilolo in today's opener against Sacramento State.