The Stanford Cardinal took a 21-3 lead in the first half of their game against the California Golden Bears, and they showed no sign of letting that lead go in the third quarter. At the start of the fourth, Stanford still leads, 21-3.
Cal's offense has been stumbling all day. They've turned the ball over twice, and their normally strong running game has seen five backs combine for 11 yards on 22 attempts. Zach Maynard is 10-for-18, and collectively the team is 0-for-10 on third down. Stanford's defense has consistently brought pressure, and Chase Thomas and Shayne Skov have both picked up a sack.
Stanford's offense is the opposite of Cal. Josh Nunes is having a fine day, 16-for-29 for 214 yards with one touchdown through three quarters. Redshirt freshman Kevin Hogan even got in on the action, connecting with Levine Toilolo for a score in the second. Zach Ertz has six catches for 134 yards with one touchdown, Drew Terrell has added another 45 yards on two catches and Stepfan Taylor continues to run downhill, currently totaling 122 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown.
21-3 isn't officially out of reach, but Cal hasn't shown anything in the first three quarters that would suggest they're capable of a comeback in the fourth. There's still 15 minutes to play, but Stanford appears on its way to taking the 2012 Big Game and retaining possession of the Axe.