STANFORD, Calif. -- With the help of another punishing performance from his team's running game, Kevin Hogan delivered his own nearly flawless effort as the Cardinal overwhelmed Arizona, 55-17. Hogan was 17-of-19 (an 89.4 percent completion rate, which was the best of his career) for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey and Barry Sanders spearheaded a Stanford rushing attack that cracked the 300-yard mark for the second straight week, the first time the Cardinal has accomplished that in the Jim Harbaugh-David Shaw era.
Arizona struggled to develop a consistent rhythm offensively without starting quarterback Anu Solomon, who missed Saturday's game after suffering a concussion the week prior against UCLA. Backup Jerrard Randall passed for 178 yards and rushed for 67 more, but the Wildcats managed only 118 yards on the ground after exploding for 353 last week.
That set the table for a 27-3 Stanford halftime lead, and Arizona didn't come close despite a pair of second-half scoring drives.
What this win means for Stanford: The Cardinal are humming like a well-oiled machine offensively. The main knock on this program ever since Andrew Luck's departure has been a lack of offensive consistency. Well, it appears that they're finding the missing formula: Saturday's outburst marked the first time since 2011 that Stanford has scored at least 40 points in three straight games. With their offensive line dominating in front of a red-hot Hogan and a stable of talented running backs, the 4-1 Cardinal are in firm control of their Pac-12 North destiny heading into a bye week.
What this loss means for Arizona: The defending Pac-12 South champions are undoubtedly reeling. The Wildcats cruised to a 3-0 start against overmatched nonconference opponents, but they've now been blown out twice in league play. The injuries to Solomon and top defender Scooby Wright certainly haven't helped matters. With Oregon State, Colorado, and the Washington schools coming up next, it appears that Arizona can make an upward push, but it's been a disastrous start.
Players of the game: Hogan deserves mention here because of the career day he delivered accuracy-wise. But McCaffrey is the true statistical monster. A week after racking up 305 all-purpose yards, the sophomore running back tacked on 260 more and a touchdown Saturday. He now leads the nation in all-purpose yardage behind versatility that's impressive to watch. On the defensive side, Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez's 13 tackles led in the way in silencing a dangerous Arizona running game.
Stat of the game: Stanford averaged 8.3 yards per play, while Arizona managed only 4.7. Through three quarters, the Cardinal were averaging 10.0 yards per play, a gaudy number that would have been the best of the Harbaugh-Shaw era. But that average dipped late in the blowout when Stanford worked to run out the clock. The program's 2011 Orange Bowl performance -- 9.9 yards per play -- remains the mark to beat.