September 2, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) runs with the football past Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Dante Barnett (22) and defensive back Donnie Starks (10) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
STANFORD, Calif. — Christian McCaffrey had 126 rushing yards, 210 all-purposes yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Ryan Burns completed his first 10 passes in his first collegiate start as the No. 8 Stanford Cardinal held off the Kansas State Wildcats 26-13 in both teams’ season opener at Stanford Stadium on Friday night.
The Cardinal scored on their first three possessions to take a 17-0 lead, but the Stanford offense did little after that. The Wildcats closed the gap to 19-13 on Jesse Ertz’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Zuber on fourth down with 2:20 left in the game.
The Wildcats were unable to regain possession on the ensuing onside kick, however. McCaffrey then broke off a 41-yard touchdown run with 2:12 left to make it 26-13.
Burns finished 14 of 18 for 156 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. Keller Chryst also played and completed his only pass for 11 yards.
Ertz, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of last season’s opener, was 16 of 34 for 207 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Quarterback Joe Hubener also played briefly, and he was 3 of 7 for 36 yards and a pick.
Stanford lost to Northwestern in last season’s opener, and when the Cardinal wound up 12-2 and ranked No. 3, that loss was viewed as the reason the Cardinal failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff. The Cardinal have a rough road ahead with their next five games being against No. 20 USC, No. 16 UCLA, No. 14 Washington, Washington State and No. 10 Notre Dame.
Kansas State reduced a 17-3 halftime deficit to 17-6 in the third quarter thanks in large part to a Stanford fumble on a handoff. Kansas State linebacker Charmeachealle Moore returned the fumble 35 yards before going out of bounds at the Stanford 29-yard line. Matthew McCrane eventually turned it into points with a 30-yard field goal.
Ertz was tackled in the end zone by Jordan Watkins for a safety with 4:11 left in the fourth quarter to put the Cardinal ahead 19-6.
Stanford dominated the first half, scoring on its first three possessions and taking a 17-3 lead into halftime.
Kansas State’s only score of the first half came on Matthew McCrane’s 30-yard field goal with one second left in the second quarter.
McCaffrey finished the first half with 74 rushing yards, including a 35-yard scoring run, and 136 all-purpose yards. Burns completed all nine of his first-half passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Ertz was 5 of 13 passing for 58 yards in the first half and ran for 47 yards. His 24-yard completion to Charles Jones set up the Wildcats’ field goal at the end of the half.
Stanford opened the scoring on Conrad Ukropina’s 50-yard field with 9:22 left in the first quarter. That kick completed a 32-yard drive on the Cardinal’s first possession of the game.
A block-in-the-back penalty against Stanford negated a spectacular 97-yard punt return by McCaffrey, who broke through several Stanford turned it into tackles as soon as he fielded the punt, then sprinted down the left sideline for an apparent touchdown. Instead, Stanford got the ball at its own 2-yard line.
Stanford turned it into a 10-play, 98-yard scoring drive that ended on Burns’ perfectly thrown 40-yard touchdown pass to Michael Rector on the first play of the second quarter. Burns completed three third-down passes for first downs on that possession, which gave the Cardinal a 10-0 lead.
Stanford made it 17-0 on McCaffrey’s 35-yard touchdown run with 7:47 remaining before halftime.
NOTES: Stanford RB/WR Bryce Love, who averaged 10.8 yards per touch last season, did not play Friday because of an undisclosed injury. … Stanford starting QB Ryan Burns had attempted just one collegiate pass before Friday, and that was in 2014. He completed it for 13 yards. … Kansas State QB Jesse Ertz tore his ACL on his first snap last season. He stayed in the game for one more play before being helped off the field, ending his 2015 season. … Wildcats fifth-year senior S Dante Barnett, a 2016 preseason all-Big 12 selection, suffered a shoulder injury in the 2015 opener that ended his season. … Kansas State began each of its last five seasons at home against an FCS opponent. … Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder will turn 77 on Oct. 7.
