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Berkeley, Calif. • Stanford coach David Shaw always wants his team to play physical on both sides of the ball, controlling the line of scrimmage with the kind of heart and hustle that has defined the program's resurgence. With Andrew Luck no longer around, often times that just hasn't happened this season.
Leave it to the Big Game for a breakout performance.
Stepfan Taylor ran for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown, and No. 22 Stanford overwhelmed California 21-3 on Saturday for a third straight victory against its rival.
In the 115th meeting between the Bay Area schools and the first at remodeled Memorial Stadium, the sunny and serene Strawberry Canyon setting might have been the Golden Bears' best highlight. The Cardinal (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) outgained the Bears 475 to 217 yards, outrushed them 252 to 3 yards and never lost its grip on the coveted Stanford Axe, which players paraded around the turf while Bears fans exited in silence.
"This is a blueprint game," said Shaw, now in his second year. "This is what we want to do."
Josh Nunes completed 16 of 31 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown for Stanford. He also fumbled and threw an interception late in the fourth quarter to stop what could have been — and perhaps should have been — an even more lopsided score.
Cal (3-5, 2-3) had not scored so few points in the Big Game since losing 10-3 in 1998. Zach Maynard was sacked four times, the Bears fumbled three times — losing two of them — and had another interception of Nunes wiped out by a penalty.
No. 11 USC 50, Colorado 6 • In Los Angeles, Matt Barkley threw for 298 yards and six touchdowns while setting Southern California's career record for TD passes, and Robert Woods set a pair of school marks himself in the Trojans' victory over Colorado.
Barkley and Woods climbed atop the Trojans' record books during the most prolific day of their three-year partnership at USC (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12), connecting on scoring throws of 39, 29, 17 and 3 yards in the first 35 minutes against hapless Colorado (1-6, 1-3).
That gave Woods a school record for TD receptions in a single game.
Barkley hit Woods with his 100th career touchdown pass in the second quarter to surpass Matt Leinart's USC and conference records. Woods passed Dwayne Jarrett on USC's career receptions list a few minutes later with his 217th career catch, going 17 yards for another TD.
Arizona 52, Washington 17 • In Tucson, Ariz., Matt Scott threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns, Ka'Deem Carey ran for 172 yards and Arizona raced out of its bye week with a rout over Washington.
The Wildcats had their way with Washington's defense from the opening drive, eclipsing 500 total yards (533) for the sixth time this season.