Stanford football: Cardinal upsets No. 1 Oregon (plus Nov. 24 kickoff info)

Quick note: The Civil War is set for 12 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks), with Stanford-UCLA at 3:30 (FOX) … which means the Cardinal will know whether it has won the North before it takes the field against the Bruins.

If Oregon wins, then Stanford must win.

If Oregon loses, then Stanford is the North champ regardless of the outcome in the Rose Bowl.

(In the event of a three-team tie at 7-2, the Cardinal would win the tiebreaker based on its sweep of the Oregon schools.)

My report // …

EUGENE, Ore.– A defensive performance for the ages powered one of Stanford’s biggest upsets in decades and provided redemption that was two years in the making.

The No. 14 Cardinal took a momentous step toward the Rose Bowl on Saturday night, escaping rowdy Autzen Stadium with a stunning 17-14 overtime victory over top-ranked Oregon.

Jordan Williamson provided the winning points with a 37-yard field goal at the end of the first extra session.

The Cardinal players immediately charged onto the field to congratulate Williamson, whose missed field goals cost Stanford a victory over Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.

The upset — Stanford was a three-touchdown underdog — derailed Oregon’s pursuit of the national championship and transformed the Cardinal into the front-runner in the Pac-12 North.

Stanford (9-2, 7-1) will win the division if it defeats UCLA next week in the Rose Bowl or if Oregon(10-1, 7-1) loses to Oregon State.

The North and South division winners meet Nov. 30 in the league title game on the home field of the team with the best conference record.

That would be Stanford — if it beats the Bruins.

“We’ve got another game next week, and if we have a chance to play on, so be it,” linebacker A.J. Tarpley said.

The signature victory of second-year coach David Shaw’s career was Stanford’s second upset of a No. 1 team — it toppled Notre Dame in 1990 — and provided a large measure of redemption for the Cardinal after lopsided losses to the Ducks the past two years.

“To beat them at their place is a great accomplishment,” said tight end Zach Ertz, who had 11 catches, including a 10-yard game-tying touchdown reception with 1:35 remaining.

The Cardinal won despite three turnovers and a lengthy mid-game stretch in which its offense sputtered along.

But Stanford’s defense showed why it’s one of the best in the nation, holding Oregon to 14 points — or 41 below its season average.

The Cardinal was disciplined in its assignments, limited Oregon’s big plays and tackled brilliantly in one-on-one situations — an area it has struggled with in the past when matched against the Ducks’ speed.

“Our plan wasn’t that different,” Tarpley said. “We just tackled better. We got our calls in, everybody did their job, and that’s how we stopped them.”

Freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan played like a veteran and led Stanford on the game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter. His touchdown pass to Ertz in the back left corner of the end zone was initially ruled incomplete but overturned after a lengthy review.

“I knew I caught it, but I wasn’t sure if I was in-bounds,” Ertz said.

As overtime arrived, Stanford appeared more comfortable with the circumstances, having played in two overtimes and a handful of close games this season. The Ducks haven’t been in a tight game all year.

“We wanted to get them into a close game, because they hadn’t been in one,” Tarpley said.

Oregon got the ball first but was again flummoxed by Stanford’s swarming defense. The possession ended when Alejandro Maldonado missed a 41-yard field goal.

Stanford nearly lost the ball in overtime when Hogan fumbled, but he managed to recover the loose ball to preserve the possession. Two plays later, Williamson converted from 37 yards.

“It definitely helps,” Williamson said when asked if the game-winner atoned for his missed kicks in the Fiesta Bowl.

*  Stanford is 2-6-1 all-time against No. 1 teams. The tie was against USC in 1979.

*  Hogan completed 25 of 36 passes for 211 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 37 yards and a score.

*  Tailback Stepfan Taylor rushed for 161 yards and needs 42 to set the school record for career yards. Stanford is 17-3 when Taylor rushes for at last 100 yards.

*  The Cardinal clinched its third straight season of at least nine wins — the first time it’s accomplished that feat since 1914-16.

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Cowboys outlast Browns for win

Rowdy, left, congratulates Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey on his game-winning field goal.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (AP)

Tony Romo persevered through a career-high seven sacks, even avoiding costly mistakes that have dogged his career as he ran from constant pressure.

Just when he had Dallas in position to finish a rally and beat Cleveland, Romo lost a fumble that left the Cowboysscrambling to survive a wild ending Sunday in the first overtime game at Cowboys Stadium.

Dallas did find a way to extend the Browns' road losing streak to 12 games on Dan Bailey's 38-yard field goal with 6:07 left in the extra period after Bailey made a tying kick with 2 seconds remaining in regulation.

''Had it all the way,'' Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, smiling, as he walked into the postgame locker room.

Not quite, but it looked that way late in the fourth quarter when Romo had just put the Cowboys ahead 17-13 with a 28-yard scoring pass to Dez Bryant, who had a career-high 145 yards receiving. Anthony Spencer sacked Browns rookie Brandon Weeden on the next drive, forced a fumble and recovered it at the Cleveland 18 with 5:45 remaining.

Romo gave it right back, though, fumbling two plays later - his first turnover in three games - as he was hit byFrostee Rucker while trying to avoid the sixth Cleveland sack. Dallas' offensive line didn't have left tackle Tyron Smith for most of the game because of an ankle injury.

''I obviously need to hold onto the ball and not let the guy come from behind and let the ball come out,'' Romo said. ''That could have been a big one.''

The Cowboys made one goal-line stand in the final minutes, but the Browns (2-8) got another chance and went ahead 20-17 on Weeden's 17-yard pass to Benjamin Watson with 1:07 remaining.

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Cowboys fans need to face reality

ARLINGTON -- The natural inclination is to rip everything and everyone after the Dallas Cowboys needed a 38-yard field goal by Dan Bailey in overtime to beat the Cleveland Browns.
After all, your Cowboys barely beat a 2-8 team in the midst of a season going nowhere coached by a man who will be fired at the end of the season.

Sharon Ellman/AP PhotoDan Bailey kicked a 38-yard field goal in overtime to give the Cowboys the win, but the game was far from pretty.

Dallas 23, Cleveland 20.
So fight the urge to rip coach Jason Garrett. Quarterback Tony Romo, too. The same goes for the raggedy offensive line that yielded seven sacks and no running game.
And don't bother criticizing punter Brian Moorman for an awful fourth quarter punt that set up Cleveland's go-ahead touchdown with 1:07 left or a defense that made Brandon Weeden look like a good quarterback, when there hasn't been any tangible evidence this season to support that.
Instead, snatch off those rose-colored Ray-Bans and begin to deal with reality. Stop expecting these Cowboys to give you something they're incapable of giving.
They're not going to play mistake-free games and wow you with their offensive and defensive efficiency most weeks. Stop assessing style points to the Cowboys' wins and just enjoy them because we have no idea how many they're getting this season.
The Cowboys are a team with championship aspirations and not much else. Obviously, the players and coaches won't like that.
Too bad. It's true.
We all know it. And we all see it every time they play a game.

Gallery: Cowboys 23, Eagles 20 (OT)

Take a look back at the key moments from the Cowboys' Week 11 overtime win over the Browns. 

These Cowboys, the epitome of mediocre, are 2-5 against teams with winning records this season. They're a dumb team -- personal fouls by Orlando Scandrick and Jay Ratliff reinforced that point Sunday -- and they're not talented enough to consistently overcome the litany of mistakes they make each week.

They did this week because Cleveland, losers of 12 consecutive road games, is a football abomination. As usual, Garrett preferred to talk about building on the positives. And Romo refused to apologize for winning.
All of that's fine, but within the sanctity of the team's meeting rooms and the coach's offices, someone better be spitting truth like one starter did after the game.
"We should've lost," he said. "We ain't (expletive). We can't beat anybody this way."
Listen to Garrett and he'll try to persuade you the Browns were among the league's best teams.
They're not.
The Browns ranked 24th in total defense (370.1 yards per game), 27th in run defense (132.2 yards), 22nd in pass defense (247.9) and 23rd in scoring defense (23.4).
They ranked 28th in total offense (312.0), 27th in rushing offense (89.2), 18th in passing offense (222.8) and 26th in scoring offense (18.8).
Don't forget, Garrett told us kick and punt returner Josh Cribbs was the "most talked about player" on the Browns' team.
FYI: A kick returner is never the best player on a good team.

More on the Cowboys

Calvin Watkins, Tim MacMahon and Todd Archer have the Dallas Cowboys blanketed.

That said, Cleveland dominated both lines of scrimmage. Frankly, the Browns did everything but win.
Give the Cowboys credit for battling and failing to give into a worthless emotion such as frustration, when they trailed 13-0 at halftime. Or when a Romo fumble with 5:01 left in the fourth quarter ruined an opportunity for the Cowboys to clinch the victory.
Or when the Browns grabbed a 20-17 lead with 1:07 left on yet another scoring play where the Cowboys were late getting their defensive personnel into the game. This team makes so many fundamental errors all you can do is shake your head most games.
But the Cowboys figured out how to win, and that's ultimately what's most important.
Romo drove the Cowboys to a game-tying 32-yard field goal as time expired, thanks to a 35-yard pass interference that Dwayne Harris drew. In overtime, Harris' 20-yard punt return set up Bailey's game-winner.
Afterward, relief seemed more the mood than exhilaration.
"You've got to find a way to win games and it's not always going to be pretty," Garrett said. "I think in a lot of ways, games like this define what you want and who you are. The last 30 minutes really showed a lot about our football team.
"You've got to battle and fight through and find a way to win a game like this. We were able to do that."
The Cowboys are .500 again and remain in complete control of their playoff future.
All they have to do is get to 10 wins.

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