Stanford 60, Cal 5

On an overcast Saturday morning Stanford hosted its first league game of the season against UC-California Berkeley. Stanford had defeated Cal 26-10 just one week prior in a 40-minute semi-final match during the Stanford Invitational Tournament. However, Cal had a good side and not all of their starters played in that game. Stanford knew that this match would be tougher than the last. Stanford came out strong and earned an early lead, scoring two tries within the first 12 minutes of the match. Leading 14-0, Stanford then lost the momentum due to multiple penalties and Cal's utilization of their kicking game to put pressure on Stanford's back three. With an advantage on Stanford's 5-meter line, Cal brought it in for a try. Seconds before the end of the first half Stanford was held up three times in the try zone through a tremendous effort on the part of the Bears defense. At halftime, the score stood at 14-5.

After the first half, Stanford was magnificent. They sorted out their complacent attitudes and began to attack the Cal defense, creating a much more controlled and high intensity second half. Cal was shut out in the second 40-minutes as Stanford proved to be a much more dominating force, scoring 46 more points. Finishes came primarily from the Stanford back three. Hard work and good clearing out from the forward pack allowed for the Cardinal to maintain a high level of play. Stanford won 60-5. Stanford will play its next match at home against Humbolt on February 10th.