>> brent: quarterback andrew luck and the stanford cardinal move center stage tonight. stanford's opponent is high-flying oregon led by running back lamichael james. these two teams are together averaging better than 94 points a game. a pac-12 championship hangs in the balance.

>> brent: you are looking live at a soldout stanford stadium. the setting for the pac-12 game of the year. unbeaten stanford against unbeaten oregon. a conference championship and a bcs bid are on the line. the headline story of the hour, boise state loses to tcu. stanford, the experts say, with a win tonight will jump ahead of alabama. oregon though hopes to derail the cardinal. good evening, everybody. welcome. with my partner kirk herbstriet, i'm brent musburger. we talk about andrew luck but this stanford attack is much more than number 12. >> kirk: yeah, you're right.

stanford is really about their running game. the power running game of taylor and the committee of backs they have. you've got to load up to try to stop taylor. they will run this all night tonight. it makes the defense really get locked in on defending the run. the safeties start to get their eyes locked into the backfield. and fleener who might be the top tight end in the country can get behind coverage and that's what oregon faces. kind of a cat and mouse game there between the safeties of oregon, the linebackers of oregon crowding that line of scrimmage to stop that running game. >> brent: now the attack. you were on the field. lamichael james you said he's ready to go. >> kirk: i think he's been pointing to this game against luck and the stanford team all year long but, again, it's

another team -- lamichael james gets a lot of the type but to me darron thomas is the key. he played well against washington. if you're stanford, you have to make a decision, are we going to crowd the line of scrimmage? if you do that, you leave yourself one on one on the perimeter. this is where thomas has to step up. they threw a big touchdown pass last year to jeff mayo. the new man this year, anthony thomas, the true freshman who's a running back who's playing receiver. if they do, darron thomas is going to look him up if he's isolated for some big plays in the pass game. >> brent: for three straight weeks, we've gone to the last play of the game for the decision. >> kirk: let's make it four. >> brent: it's a beauty between stanford and oregon. [ engine revving ]

[ spectator ] gun it, bro! what's this guy doing? dude. [ laughs ] whoa! whoo! no way! are you kidding? whoa! whoo! [ cheering ] oh, my god. did you guys see that? maniac. [ male announcer ] the midsize nissan frontier with full size horsepower and torque. innovation for doers. innovation for all. ♪

you can choose your channel package. ♪ you can choose your own internet speeds. ♪ you can even choose to chat with a live person.

♪ and you're always guaranteed the lowest prices online. so don't wait... try, compare and buy at verizonfios.com today. because there's never been a better time to build the perfect fios bundle.

ducks and cardinals set to entertain you. this was a week in state college unlike any we've really ever seen. joe paterno would not be on the sidelines. his son jay leaving their residence early in the morning. the team walked out to thunderous applause. and we are penn state. then silence in beaver stadium as nebraska and penn state knelt in prayer. nebraska in control up ten. martinez to burkhead. they're up 17. >> nebraska ran for 188 yards in this game. it's their first true road win versus an ap top 15 opponent since 1987.

>> had to hold off a game nittany lion squad. joe paterno left the field very emotional. tcu scored late. they go for two, they get it. maybe a bailout call here late. >> maybe a bad call pass interference but the ball's not catchable. bad call. >> boise has one more chance. remember, last year, it was a catch that went begging in nevada. one more time. apparently for the second straight year go begging. thanks to a kicker. as for tonight's top ten matchup, the key to this ball game is what? >> oregon is a very underrated defense, giving up only 21 points a game. the defensive coordinator does an outstanding job with his schemes week in, week out. can he slow down a stanford offense that's very explosive? playing without wide receiver chris owusu or tight end zach gertz? who picks up the slack in the passing game for stanford?

it's critical stanford is able to run the football. that's been their identity all season long. men, take it away. >> brent: david shaw and his first year as head coach of the cardinal leads the troops out. one of the biggest games in the history of stanford football. this has been the nissan pregame shift. kickoff is coming up live from stanford, california. now a look inside nissan's heisman house. babe, look.

[ reporter ] ...passengers, emergency crews are prepared. they're in place. all we can do now is watch. wait. wait a minute. there's a truck. tough to tell from here, but whoever is driving that truck is right below the plane now. this is -- this is just unbelievable! the broken landing gear landed into the bed... [ male announcer ] the midsized nissan frontier with full-size payload and towing. innovation for doers. innovation for all. ♪ it's 4g, so you can do more faster. so, kathryn, post more youtube videos of your baby acting adorable. baby. on it. matt, ignore me and keep updating your fantasy team. huh? jeff, play a game. turbo-boosting now, sir. dennis, check in everywhere you go on foursquare. that's mayor dennis... of the water cooler. you're the best. liz, rock out to pandora. oh, no i'm an only child. and nick, you shouldn't even be here, you can do everything from the golf course.

good? good. [ male announcer ] on at&t, blackberry® torch moves at the speed of 4g. ♪ >> brent: now for our conference update brought to you by dr. pepper ten. the pac-12 for the first time, the two at the top of the pac-12 north and if stanford wins they wrap up the title and they will

host the conference's first ever championship game on friday night, december 2nd. now, david shaw, with our erin andrews down below. >> erin: brent, thanks. you told me today one of your biggest concerns, number 21. i know you can't stop lamichael james. >> we got to gang tackle. we don't want to make the battle in one-on-one tackles. we'll try to bring him down. >> erin: so much hype surrounding this game, so much on the line. before your guys ran out what was the message? >> to play the game, to use the energy of the crowd to play the best game and the biggest game. >> erin: thank you for your time. >> brent: chip kelley will kick it off. stanford won the toss and elected to receive. rob beard has returned as his kick are. he's been battling an injury throughout much of the season. beard will put it on the tee. as you see, a beautiful night

for football here. and it is a rocking sellout crowd. something we're not that familiar with here at stanford. but between jim harbaugh and, now, david shaw, they ahave put the show on the road here. a lot of oregon fans, of course, have traveled down from the great northwest. there's montgomery, a freshman, with owusu out at wide receiver. he was expected to start. he'll back along with stewart. stewart, a very fine blocker. they'll try to get this ball into the hands of number 88. our journey begins here. montgomery. from the 3 will come out. splits.

and he's down. folks, that turf is a story. it had rained here yesterday. it's moist. and herbie you saw down below that the grass is a little bit long, a little bit of a home field advantage against the speed of the ducks would you say. >> kirk: without a doubt. it is very slick. it's something to keep an eye on throughout this game. with the quickness we have from oregon and from stanford. andrew of course we've talked a lot about him, the experience, the expertise, kind of the offensive coordinator out on the field for the cardinal tonight. they'll put a lot of responsibility on his shoulders tonight. >> brent: taylor is his running back. they try to establish the run game first. nick aliotti, defensive coordinator of oregon, certainly knows that. here comes taylor. he keeps on going. he did a good job of moving the pile.

in that piece you showed us in the setup to the game how strong he is. >> kirk: very powerful. along with the vision he has and the offensive line, he was stopped there for a gain a yard, maybe two yards, but he kept pushing the pile. we're going to keep talking about this. on early downs, they're going to try to run the ball. the play action pass on first and ten, you could see oregon there, nine guys up close to the line of scrimmage. >> brent: first pass of the game goes to the right sideline. high and incomplete. meaner, the tight end, was the intended target. it was a little bit high. that brings up a third down, herbie, and take a look at our impact players. >> kirk: andrew luck and stepfan taylor. even though he is a tight end. and chase thomas on the other side of the defense for the cardinal, tremendous inspiration to that defense.

>> brent: third down and six. waiting. now flexes from the right side of the line. luck is going to flair the ball out and get -- cannot get the first down. michael flay, number 46, the linebacker, doing a superb job. folks, here comes the punting game on the field for stanford. and this is a story. >> kirk: only the ninth three and out for this entire year. flav all over it. he's locked up in man coverage. he had him from the very beginning. he was able to set his sights there and use the speed to get to the perimeter. >> brent: so the only team with a better average as far as three and outs are concerned that herbie talks about, usc. and so here is lamichael james is back deep. they put him on punt return coverage. and he makes the fair catch.

and so, now, here comes the quack attack led by darron thomas and of course lamichael james. and what chip kelley wants is a lot of possessions in a game. he scores so fast. he doesn't worry about time of possession. but he will worry about number of possessions. and, herbie, three and out works right in his favor. >> kirk: the tempo becomes a concern. you see how quickly they go to the tempo. darron thomas' ability to manage this offense running and throwing tonight will be a big key for the ducks attack. >> brent: lamichael james is right behind the quarterback. darron thomas flairs out to the right. this is darron thomas, the quarterback, who is brought down after a couple of yards on the play. >> kirk: one thing that chip kelley loves to do is what you call window dressing. a lot of different formations to go along with the tempo.

try to get the defense confused and get that ball snapped before they're aligned. >> brent: lamichael throwing for a loss. stanford that time. trent murphy from phoenix, arizona, he led the charge. >> kirk: we, the kryptonite to this offense is penetration. we've seen them in bigger games against some of the sec opponents what happened up front. if you're going to stop lamichael james, it's as much about your defensive line getting upfield and fighting through the blocks if anything. >> brent: now the ducks are in third and 11. darron. to put up his first half. it is incomplete. out of silver springs, maryland. he had coverage on that throw. now three and out for the ducks. >> kirk: give the cardinal -- gives them i think a boost after the way their offense went out. both offensives maybe feeling one another out. the cardinal up front that time just beating the oregon

offensive line on all three of those downs. >> brent: jackson rice to punt it. terrell is back deep. through terrell. a beautiful punt. drives terrell back. and he's out of bounds, inside the 10 yard line. andrew luck's second possession. [ ding ] [ man ] we will experience a 30-minute delay. thank you for your patience. [ indistinct conversations ]

[ male announcer ] when you just can't wait for rocky mountain cold refreshment, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. frost-brewed coors light. the world's most refreshing beer. turn right up ahead. you never update me. so, now i just have to wing it. i meant turn left up ahead. recalculating. turn right now! [ horn honks, tires screech ] [ laughs ] [ crash! ] and your fifteen-minute insurance might not pay for all this. so get allstate. you could save money and be better protected from mayhem like me. recalculating. [ dennis ] dollar for dollar nobody protects you from mayhem like allstate.

>> brent: scoreless here at stanford as we continue dr. pepper's road to the championship. the stanford offensive line, herbie, is a big story. number 55, jonathan martin, and number 52, david decastro, leading the way. two of the very highly ranked perspective nfl players. decastro at right guard if you want to take a look at these two

folks. here is taylor. tiptoeing behind the right side of decastro. they pick up an extra yard here. these are the fellas up front. herbie, you and i, we think it's one of the best defensive lines in the country. >> kirk: without a doubt. i think wisconsin's probably about the only other offensive line across the board you could put on the same page with this group. i think this group because of the superstars of martin and decastro, i would give the nod to this team. they're not going away from their power play. they pulled that back side guard again. they're not going to stop running it all night. >> brent: now they're convinced they can hold out ailotti's rush. now a back back in. andrew takes off.d on the move. he is so accurate. whalen's first catch of the game.

ducks do not let him get a first down. terrific gang tackling by that oregon defense. what a spot. look at that spot he's going to get. >> kirk: according to that spot, they are going to give him that first down. defense moving. it's going to be a contest, again, chess match. one thing about nick aliotti, very multiple. they'll show a three-four. based on their defensive linemen. tree try to create as much confusion as they can for luck and this offense. >> brent: it is a first down and ten. and you can see all the shifting that the cardinal will do throughout the course of the game. long handoff. he's out to the 21 yard line. for that first down carry. john boyett, fine safety from napa, makes his first stop of the game. he's one of the ring leaders of that secondary. he helped aliotti get everybody

in the right position. >> kirk: this is where they give andrew luck the ability to read coverage. you notice, he's not always looking over to the sideline. he's calling the play at the line of scrimmage. >> brent: stays right on the ground. taylor. slips his way. this will bring up a third down at the 25 yard line. this is the second time now we've seen a stanford player slip. >> kirk: you've heard all year about how david shaw has been willing to allow andrew luck to call plays at the line of scrimmage. is there a tip, is there a way to really know when he's doing this? he said, if you ever see us in the hurry-up mode, we kind of live it up to him. let him lead the defenses. let him evaluate what he sees. and then get us into the right play. he does a if job of getting out of bad plays and into good plays.

>> brent: need four for the first down. pressure coming. on the move. he can throw accurately. incomplete that time. whalen was very well covered by eddie pleasant, the veteran from la plama, california. >> kirk: you can see where the field starts to come into play for the receivers what they're trying to make adjustments. whalen at the top of the screen. he's able to get back up. but tremendous effort by pleasant. look at whalen trying to make a cut. he goes down. lucky to try to respond to that. eddie pleasant be that's the area he's improved the most nks, is in coverage. the former linebacker now a safety. >> brent: james is back again. david green to punt. lamichael is the return man. this one will give oregon decent field position. let's see where they mark this ball.

♪ ♪ mama said there'd be days like this ♪ ♪ "there'll be days like this," mama said ♪ [ male announcer ] the toughest job on the planet just got a little easier. with one touch technology and even an air scrubber. the nissan quest. innovation for family. innovation for all. get up to $3,050 total savings on the 2011 nissan quest. ♪ are on our wish lists? 'cause this season, the timing couldn't be better. right now, we can get those black friday prices without fighting through all those black friday crowds, which means we can do more this year

without waiting around for the season to start. ♪ more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. why wait for black friday? this refrigerator is already just 1,198 bucks. [ whistle blows ] oh! [ baby crying ] ben harper: ♪ what started as a whisper every day, millions of people choose to do the right thing. ♪ slowly turned into a scream ♪ there's an insurance company that does that, too. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

>> brent: one of the great sights in the united states. the golden gate bridge. and if you haven't seen it, make a trip. first down and ten now for the ducks who went three and out with their first possession, in case you just joined us. michael got no gain. thomas cut him off. and there is nothing doing. >> kirk: right now, it's early in the game. look at the battle up front. look at the line of vscrimmage, which way it's going. i don't care how good you are as a running back and how sophisticated chip kelley's team is, if the boys up front aren't going to help you out, it's going to be a long night for this offense. >> brent: second down. nothing doing again for

lamichael james. that was terrence stephens. 99. out of maryland. chip kelley probing, trying to find something. he'll keep an eye on the defensive sets. he preys on your weakness. he hasn't found any yet. but he'll keep probing. third down and ten. in trouble. going to be a big-time sack. that's going to be an interception. picked off by stanford. unless the whistle blew. if the whistle blew, it will be trent murphy's interception called back. but let's hold on here a second. this is the referee. >> referee: the ruling on the field is the runner's forward progress was stopped before he passed the ball.

fourth down. >> brent: that's a 20-yard loss on that sack. i thought we were going to have intentional grounding when he fired it off. >> kirk: then of course it's intercepted by murphy. but masifilo gets right in there. i was surprised darron thomas -- >> brent: that's potential grounding. >> kirk: interception. either forward progress or an interception. he appears to be still battling for his life there. but masifilo again gets pressure. >> brent: so we have come to an offensive explosion. as terrell is down. guess what, a defensive standoff. go figure, herbie, huh. they're warming up. i thought it was a point a minute. at enterprise, we take renting a car, personally.

and we want your rental experience to be perfect. ♪ but if there ever is a problem... we all have the power to make it right. i don't have to find a manager. i don't have to make a phone call. i can make it right. i can make it right. i can make it right. we all can. at enterprise, we live customer service. ♪ let us show you what that means. [ male announcer ] pick enterprise. we'll pick you up.

>> brent: well, the stars of super bowl past are coming to monday night. this monday, aaron rodgers hosts the green bay packers. big favorite over the vikings. another week down the road. tom brady, he won two super bowl mvps. taking on kansas city chiefs. trying to right that ship. the duel between manning and brees. monday night football features super bowl mvps the next three weeks. here we go with andrew luck. he has been luckless so far. we've got a lot of players slipping on this field. >> erin: let me give you an update about the grass situation. talked to the head of football operations for stanford. he said a couple weeks ago when they played washington it got really torn up so they had to get new grass. it rained, so very slippery. more after this, brent.

>> brent: second and three. gaffney checks into the game. gaffney, first down. explodes. on a big running hole. as they stick with the running game. boyett. >> kirk: you talked about it, the power play. watch the back side guard pulling around. really good block there. also, hewitt leading the way. overpowering that right side. what a block also. that's the way you execute the power play. that time from a three tight end formation. >> brent: we've got our first first down of this game. there is no question you see stanford they want to establish that run game. they want to stay balanced. we'll see luck throw it before the night's over obviously. first down, under pressure. up in the air. incomplete. what a great play by that offensive lineman. there was pressure coming. it was the offensive lineman who

saved the day for andrew luck. >> kirk: he comes all the way off the slot receiver. boy, that was a close call. andrew luck just -- i tell you, he pump faked it and then he got rid of the ball again. la combo came off the blitz. nobody came up on that side. >> brent: when he came back and knocked that ball down be the big left tackle, that prevented the pick. second down and ten now for the cardinal. there's a slip. let's go back to erin and talk about the slipping here. >> erin: just to add on oregon's cleats, i did just speak with their equipment manager, they're actually wearing detachable cleats where they can add a longer clean to grip the grass. only two players have chosen to do that. barner and james. i asked if the length of the grass is affecting oregon. chip kelley says i never get caught up in that kind of stuff. >> brent: it looked to me like

the stanford trainer was going over to get a fresh pair of shoes for somebody too so it is certain now that the length of the cleats are becoming a bit of an issue. the fellas will get those changed as the game progresses. third and nine now. and luck has got plenty of time. intercepted! horrendous throw! and stuckey is up-ended by luck at the 20 yard line! the ducks are in business. let's give nick allioty a lot of credit, showing pressure. as the ball's snapped, they drop back into coverage. i don't think andrew luck, who was locked in there, even had a feel that stuckey was sitting back there. they showed the blitz. then dropped back into coverage. luck's looking left. by the time he comes back, stuckey's there. the one good thing is as a quarterback you never want to give up on the play but a poor

decision that time by andrew luck. >> brent: but luck did save a touchdown with that tackle at the 20. now, darron thomas keeps it on the option. and picks up nine yards. just shy of the 10. richards makes the stop. and the ducks are threatening. >> kirk: it's a mazing that a turnover can impact your own offensive. because the momentum this team feeds off of, it can happen like that. it's an interception. all of a sudden, an offense that couldn't do anything right picks up finine yards on first and te. >> brent: and here comes thomas. the young man nicknamed black mamba. and he could not get away from terence brown, the defensive back who made a sensational stop in open field. that's what you have to do against the ducks, tackle in space. >> kirk: this play looked like it had a chance. that's what everybody wanted to

see. could this stanford defense make plays against thomas and james in space? that time they did. >> brent: third and short. lamichael. quick to the 3 yard line. it's first and goal for oregon. howell bringing him down at the 3. and the ducks are quacking. >> kirk: great execution here. darron thomas again. >> brent: lamichael won't get there. thrown back by the middle of that stanford defense. >> kirk: this attack is effective. we've seen that for years, since chip kelley has taken over as a play caller in eugene. been inside this red zone area 42 times. they've come away with 32 touchdowns. fifth in the country down in this area. >> brent: second down and goal. juggle on the snap. darron keeps it on the move. touchdown, oregon strikes first. working the back of the end zone.

makes the grab. and tuinii puts oregon ahead. >> kirk: giving him a chance to get his feet down. he's got possession of the football. but darron thomas, shows the ability to throw the ball, gets his hand -- or gets the ball out and gets him the chance. great throw by thomas. there is that spread. they're going to throw for two. caught. got it. it's 8-0. they throw back to jeff palmer. they always come up with a new wrinkle.

>> brent: oregon takes advantage of an andrew luck interception. scores.en adds the two-point conversion off of one of their variety of formations. as stewart picks it up. and he is down at the 22 yard line. so i want to go back to this two point here and watch the formation. >> kirk: anybody who defends oregon understands. you think, okay, they're going to go for this. this is crazy. you've got the holder out there. go ahead, brent. >> brent: you've got paulson, the tight end. he chucks it. palmer. did you have that written down? >> kirk: i've got it all. paulson played quarterback in high school. he has some experience throwing. you never know what you can expect to see from oregon even early in the game like this. >> brent: so they go out by eight and they come back with

taylor, the cardinal here, on their first down at the 22. now let's go -- >> kirk: the last time andrew luck was out there, the pressure, the way oregon's mixing up their looks, he came back to the right. and he makes the poor decision. on the other side, darron thomas, known for his ability to run the ball, makes a great throw, and throws it on time. and the difference in the game right now is the turnovers and the touchdown by oregon. >> brent: second down and three. taylor bangs for the first down. >> kirk: the last time, brent, you and i had stanford, they're playing in the coliseum, late in that game. luck made a poor decision. he threw the football at the flat. robbie stepped in front of it. pick six. the very next possession with three minutes to go in the game he leads stanford right down the field to go six for six. he had a 16-yard run and had a tying touchdown.

he responded from adversity. let's see what he can do here after that last interception. >> brent: at the 33 yard line with this first down. complete. and that's to his tight end coby fleener. here's an update in the studio. >> after alabama missed another field goal this one against mississippi state, eddie lacy puts them on the board, in starksville. that caps off the scoring drive and the crimson tide leading on espn 7-0. number 1 lsu only up 14-7 on western kentucky at the half. that one on espnu. brent. >> brent: all right, robert, and so the kicking troubles continue for alabama. and here stanford trailing oregon by eight points. and talor battling for the first down marker. and it's going to be spotted just short. as gildon able to get him out of bounds short of the first down.

one of the great matchups in this game when stanford wants to run is whether or not they can get to the corner. that tight end block on the edge of the offensive line is so important because so often you see taylor and these other cardinal backs want to balance things outside. >> brent: wilkerson is now in. but they hand it to hewitt. and he barges straight ahead for the first down. just shy of midfield. >> kirk: i really think in watching these guys in studying film that hewitt, who's a sophomore out of denver, has become one of the more versatile players in this lineup. with zach hertz out, as much as they love the tight end set, hewitt's ability to make plays is the key. >> brent: they run the wildcat. and it is gaffney keeping it. and gaffney continues to go. by the way, herbie -- >> kirk: i was going to say.

>> brent: they say they've taken it away but i think he was down. hold it. the official came in and said oregon's ball. he's fighting towards the end of this play. did the ball come out? looks like his knee might have been down. wow. >> brent: troy hill, the corner there, herbie, is in, wrestling for the football. >> kirk: sure is. they're going to take a look to see if his right knee is down before the ball comes out. on that angle, it looked like he's down. >> brent: evidence enough to say stanford keeps the football. >> kirk: let's see some of the other looks. it looks like his right knee is down.

oregon is attacking that football. you got gaffney who, again, look all backs, trying to fight for those extra yards. based on the replays that we have seen so far, that one looked to show his right knee down. as hill, fighting for that football. >> brent: our replay official upstairs taking a look at this. again, the big 12 crew. >> kirk: they've ran the wildcat a few times. had it a couple weeks ago against usc. did he sign off on that before he called that play? >> brent: you should ask. coach, i second-guessed you. he said, i was going to bring it up myself if you weren't. so went up to the board. he said monte kiffin's defense is what? cover two, tampa two. what happened in it? linebacker draw. first and second, i wouldn't

take it out of andrew luck's hands. on third down, we want to move him out and run with the linebacker who was out. and i said, coach, i'm going to give you full credit for a great mind. but i still disagree. >> kirk: that wasn't a shock. >> brent: no, you know, my point to him was when you have someone as good and as capable as luck, you just hate to see the ball out of his hands. now, we're coming off a bad pass that he just threw over there which led to an 8-0 oregon lead. this particular instance, they're now debating whether or not the wildcat back fumbled on this play. i think your feeling is the knee is down. >> kirk: it looked like his right knee was down. and the oregon defender, troy hill, ripped it out there. >> brent: i want to add something on david shaw. he could not have been more charming in talking about it. i've known his father, willie,

for a long time. he played football here at stanford. his idol is bill walsh. you go into their office and you see all kinds of quotes from the late great coach. he really has done a terrific job in following architect jim harbaugh. setting up a tougher system here at stanford. i saw jim last night by accident too. he and his wife were out for dinner getting ready for the giants in san francisco. he said he'll be watching this game tonight, calling it for the cardinal. he and willie shaw, they text each other every now and again. >> referee: after further revushr review, the runner was down -- [ inaudible ] -- results in a first down. >> kirk: i think a lot of pea, when jim harbaugh decided to go to the nfl were very interested in seeing this cardinal team this year, with david shaw as the leader, see if they could

maintain that edge, that toughness, that mental and physicalness they played with in the last couple years. so far, here they are, fourth in the standings. definitely showing that ability to play and the attitude harbaugh created when he was here. >> brent: i think you have to move the chains. so there -- they bring the spot up. the ball is going to be spotted at the 44. it was a seven-yard gain. on the play. so now they're working with the chain gang to get things straight over there on that side. the stanford offense with a chance to catch its breath. taylor braack on the field. so it is a second down and three after the seven-yard gain. that's montgomery, the freshman, motioned through the backfield. and here's step fann taylor.

what appeared to be a first down. >> kirk: i know bill sims and others have weighed in on andrew luck. what's interesting is he doesn't have a wide receiver with owes with usu out that is truly a vertical threat. oregon defense can crowd the line without any carely feeling threatened by the deep ball because they don't have anybody right now that can get behind coverage. it puts that much more pressure on luck and this offense. >> brent: first down and ten. play action. drops it. speaking of phil simms, let us bring up a couple of quotes actually. let me explain steve sarkisian. he's getting ready to play usc. however, with phil simms, i

respectfully disagree. i've seen andrew luck now for several years and he can flat-out throw with those guys who play sunday football. andrew luck handing off to taylor. through the middle. and a first down. your feeling about -- >> kirk: this is what andrew luck is doing, managing an offense, and relying on taylor and this running game to help him out. brent, how do you evaluate whether or not he's an nfl quarterback or make a statement like that when he's dealing with possession receivers outside of chris owusu who's been banged up most of the year? he gets receivers who can run like nfl receivers, then i think people will see what he can do throwing the ball. >> brent: taylor. finds daylight. he is back. heavy hitter. was a linebacker till they made a safety out of him. you could see the power he

brought on that play. >> kirk: speaking of power this is, again this is what stanford wants to do. not only is it important to have success within this drive but it really starts to open up their playbook and their play selection on first and ten. they start running the ball like this. make that play action pass game on first and ten open up. because you get the oregon safeties and linebackers out of position later in the game with the more success you have running the ball. >> brent: we've come to the end of the first. this presentation of saturday night football presented by southwest airlines will rcf1hi m ♪ [ motor turns over ] ♪ ♪ [ liquid pouring ]

♪ [ drill whirring ] ♪ [ motor turns over ] ♪ [ male announcer ] what if everything ran on gas? ♪ then again, what if everything didn't? the 100% electric, zero-gas nissan leaf. innovation for the planet. innovation for all. ♪ innovation for the planet. innovation for all. not bad..only two meetings what's my today.ok like? can i walk to the belvedere hotel from here? here are directions to belvedere hotel. read me that text. new message from sarah russell:'see you soon' do you think it will snow today? it sure looks like snow today. say hello to siri..on the most amazing iphone yet.

>> brent: okay, so look at those numbers. would you think that oregon's ahead, minus one? because of a big sack obviously. stanford, 98 yards. they dominated everything sxept the scoreboard, the most important number. now they're in the red zone. for stanford, the red zone is the story. taylor. he could not get to the first down.

now third down. the cardinal perfect this season in the red zone. herbie this is absolutely an amazing statistic with 41 touchdowns out of 52 possessions. >> kirk: you're talking close to 80% of the time, they get touchdowns when they get in the red zone. it has everything to do with execution and decisionmaking by andrew luck down in this area. >> brent: they move in an extra tackle. he gets the first down. stepfan taylor, over 60 yards rushing already here in the first half of this game. he's been carrying the load for stanford. >> kirk: one of the more underrated backs in college football. tremendous power and vision. also outstanding in pass protection, which plays a big part in his role when andrew luck does throw. when they get down th this area, first and ten, the stuff they've

had running, remember, they do love to throw to fleener, the tight end, off of play action. it sets those safety's eyes. >> brent: off the formation, he's to the left, number 82. luck is looking in that direction. fires wide. touchdown. whalen. griff whalen. herbie, once again, after a bad turnover, we see andrew luck lead a team down the field. this is one of the reasons why the pros love him. >> kirk: that's what doesn't show up when you just look at a box score. you see highlights. how he handles adversity. that was a big drive for the cardinal. >> brent: eric whitticker misses the extra point. andrew and the cardinal should

think about going for two also. [ male announcer ] southwest makes the call. what? bag fees are how much?! $120? $120 roundtrip? roundtrip for two bags? per person? just for bags? [ whistle blowing ] mm-hmm. great job out there, guys. who's ready to flag some more unnecessary bag fees? let's do this! [ grunts ] [ male announcer ] bags fly free. southwest airlines. it's the right call.