Stanford: 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Champions

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tara VanDerveer hugged each of her Stanford players as they climbed the ladder to cut down a piece of the net.

It took 29 years, but VanDerveer and the Cardinal are NCAA women's basketball champions again.

Haley Jones scored 17 points and Stanford beat Arizona 54-53, giving the Cardinal and its Hall of Fame coach their first national championship since 1992 on Sunday night.

"Getting through all the things we got through, we're excited to win the COVID championship," VanDerveer said. "The other one was not quite as close, the last one. But we're really excited. No one knows the score, no one knows who scored, it's a national championship and I'm really excited to represent Stanford. It's a great team. We did not play a great game today, however. But if we can win, not playing as well as we need to, I'm excited."

It wasn't a masterpiece by any stretch with both teams struggling to score and missing easy layups and shots, but Stanford did just enough to pull off the win.

Stanford (31-2) built a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter before Arizona (21-6) cut it to 51-50 on star guard Aari McDonald's 3-pointer.

After a timeout, Jones answered with a three-point play with 2:24 left. That would be Stanford's last basket of the game. McDonald got the Wildcats within 54-53 with 36.6 seconds left converting three of four free throws.

"I just owe it all to my teammates, they have confidence in me when I don't have confidence in myself," said Jones, who was honored as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "I saw they needed me to come up big and I did."

The Cardinal, after another timeout couldn't even get a shot off, giving Arizona one last chance with 6.1 seconds left, but McDonald's contested shot from the top of the key at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

"I got denied hard. I tried to turn the corner, they sent three at me. I took a tough, contested shot and it didn't fall," said McDonald, who fell near midcourt, slumped in disbelief while the Cardinal celebrated.

It's been quite a journey for VanDerveer and the Cardinal this season. The team was forced on the road for nearly 10 weeks because of the coronavirus, spending 86 days in hotels during this nomadic season.

The team didn't complain and went about their business and now have another NCAA championship. Along the way, the Hall of Fame coach earned her 1,099th career victory to pass Pat Summitt for the most all time in women's basketball history.

Now the 67-year-old coach has a third national title to go along with the ones she won in 1990 and 1992. That moved her into a tie with Baylor's Kim Mulkey for third most all time behind Geno Auriemma and Summitt.

VanDerveer had many great teams between titles, including the ones led by Candice Wiggins and the Ogwumike sisters — Nneka and Chiney, but the Cardinal just couldn't end its season with that elusive win in the title game until Sunday night.

It was the first women's basketball championship for the Pac-12 since VanDerveer and Stanford won the title in 1992. The last time a team from the conference was in the title game was 2010 when the Cardinal lost to UConn. That game was also played in the Alamodome — the site of every game in this tournament from the Sweet 16 through Sunday's championship game.

The entire NCAA Tournament was played in the San Antonio area because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NOTES:

Stanford is the nation's all-time leader in NCAA team championships (127), totaling eight more than second-place UCLA (119).

Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship during each of the last 45 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign.

Of Stanford's 127 NCAA championships, 67 have come from men's programs and 60 from women's programs.

Of Stanford's 127 NCAA championships, 35 have been won in the fall, 29 in the winter and 63 in the spring.

Stanford has won 51 NCAA championships since 2000.

Stanford won its third NCAA championship in school history. The Cardinal also captured NCAA titles in 1990 and 1992. Head coach Tara VanDerveer has guided Stanford to all three NCAA crowns.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer becomes Stanford's first female head coach to win an NCAA championship since Lele Forood (women's tennis) in 2019.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer is one of seven active Stanford head coaches to have won at least three NCAA championships, joining Lele Forood (women's tennis - 10), John Tanner (women's water polo - 7), Thom Glielmi (men's gymnastics - 3), Jeremy Gunn (men's soccer - 3), Greg Meehan (women's swimming and diving - 3) and Paul Ratcliffe (women's soccer - 3).

Stanford: 2018 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO, Texas -- With all of the struggles it had on offense, it was a wonder that Stanford was able to hold off Pitt for a 14-13 victory in the Sun Bowl.

Pitt had an advantage in nearly every statistical category Monday. The Panthers had more yards (344-208), first downs (18-12), rushes and yards (42-208, 34-103), passing yards (136-105) and third-down conversions (5-1). And Stanford was playing without five starters -- star tailback Bryce Love, receiver Trent Irwin, tight end Kaden Smith, left tackle Walker Little and right guard Nate Herbig.

Finally, Pitt's defense was stingy. Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello saw a streak of 16 games with a TD pass end, and the Cardinal was 1 of 10 on third downs.

"Pitt's a very physical football team with two outstanding runners," Stanford head coach David Shaw said. "As indicative of our entire season, we had more guys get banged up and guys stepped up and played. Thankfully, guys didn't stay out very long. Guys were able to come back in and make plays and keep fighting. Can't say enough about the heart of some of our older guys."

Even the game-winning score was ugly -- the Panthers had stopped Costello on a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line and forced a fumble, which tailback Cameron Scarlett recovered in the end zone.

Scarlett carried 22 times for 94 yards, including another score on a 1-yard run, to earn game MVP honors while filling in for Love.

Love decided to skip it to rehab an ankle injury ahead of the NFL draft, becoming the second Stanford back to do that in the past three Sun Bowls. In 2016, Christian McCaffrey skipped the game, was drafted eighth overall by Carolina and just finished sixth in the NFL in rushing in his second season.

And just as Love kick-started his career with that opportunity, Scarlett gave himself a similar boost.

Of the game-winning score, Scarlett joked, "Just like we drew it up. I was fortunate enough to carry out the fake and look back and the ball was in my hands."

Pitt drove into position for a 55-yard field goal try on the ensuing possession, but Alex Kessman's try was no good.

The Panthers still weren't sure how to explain it all afterward.

"It doesn't add up how that score's 14-13," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "Offensively, defensively we outplayed them. We just didn't win on the scoreboard."

The Cardinal (9-4) finished on a four-game winning streak, much the same way they did two years ago when Stanford won the Sun Bowl for a season-ending six-game streak.

"Our defense gave up some yards, but we didn't give up a bunch of TDs," Shaw said. "We made them kick a couple of field goals, and that's the difference in the ball game.

"It's not a beauty contest. It's a football game, and I'm thankful we were able to win it."

The Panthers (7-7) lost their fourth straight bowl game and sixth in the past seven after falling to playoff championship finalist Clemson in the ACC title game. The past three losses have been in four years in under coach Pat Narduzzi.

Pitt, which had a 10-7 halftime lead and was up 13-7 early in the fourth quarter, was led by tailback Darrin Hall, who had 16 carries for 123 yards and a score.

Pitt finished the season on a three-game losing skid, in which the offense never scored more than 13 points. That carried over into Monday's game. Pitt got inside Stanford's 10-yard line twice, and each time settled for field goals. "We get inside the 10 twice and we don't score," quarterback Kenny Pickett said. "We've got to finish drives."

Stanford's offense, which had struggled all day, finally got going in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinal were 0 for 8 on third downs before Costello hit JJ Arcega-Whiteside for a 12-yard completion. A 49-yard pass to Arcega-Whiteside followed, and Scarlett recovered Costello's fumble for the go-ahead score on the next play with 11:28 left.

"They got lucky," Pitt defensive lineman Rashad Weaver said of the fumble, on which Costello was stopped for a loss before fumbling. "They caught a ball that was a fumble."

THE TAKEAWAY

Stanford: Arcega-Whiteside entered the game needing one touchdown catch to break the school season record of 14 he shared with Hall of Famer James Lofton. But the senior was limited to three catches without a TD. He can play one more year and Stanford, and even though the team said no players declared for the draft Monday, Costello said after the game, "We're losing three of the best receivers in the Pac-12, including Kaden Smith." The Cardinal won for the first time this season without forcing a turnover. Stanford had been 0-4 in such games.

Pittsburgh: The game was the final one for the 1-2 rushing punch of Qadree Ollison and Hall, the first duo in program history with at least 1,000 yards apiece in a season. Ollison, who was injured in the first half and didn't return, had 1,213 yards. Hall finished with 1,144 yards. "It's hard (to see Qadree get hurt)," Hall said. "We feed off each other throughout the game. We're upset. We wanted this one bad."

UP NEXT

Stanford: The Cardinal have been able to reload each year under head coach David Shaw, who is 82-26 overall (55-17 Pac-12). Shaw has never won less than eight games in a season, and his Cardinal have played in four Pac-12 title games (3-1). Stanford opens at home against Northwestern on Aug. 31.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers are coming off their first ACC Coastal Division title under Narduzzi, who with 28 wins is second in program history to Jackie Sherrill (39).

Stanford: 2016 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO, Texas -- Stanford got its usual dual-threat, standout performance from its running back Friday, but this time it wasn't Christian McCaffrey.

Bryce Love took over for the absent McCaffrey in the backfield, running for 119 yards and catching a 49-yard touchdown pass to help No. 16 Stanford beat North Carolina 25-23 in the Sun Bowl.

"I always feel like my next game will be my best one," said Love, channeling his inner Tom Brady when asked if this was his biggest game or best win. He then added, "But it's always good to win."

Stanford (10-3) held on after North Carolina (8-5) pulled within two with 25 seconds left on Mitch Trubisky's 2-yard pass to Bug Howard, sacking Trubisky on the 2-point conversion try.

"When the game was on the line and we had to make a big play, we did," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "It was an outstanding football game. Two really tough, talented football teams played all the way to the end. Thankfully, our guys made enough plays at the end to seal the victory."

McCaffrey skipped the bowl game to focus on his NFL career. Still, in the postgame press conference, Shaw made sure his contributions to the team weren't overlooked.

"You heard my comments (in the postgame ceremony) thanking Christian," he said. "When we weren't playing well, he was playing great. At the end of the year, he played so well. He played so hard until the rest of us on offense started picking it up around him. So this six-game run that we finished the season on is a large part to him."

Enter Love, who showed flashes of what he could do with a 100-yard-plus performance and a score against Notre Dame. He ran for more than 600 yards this season in a backup role, though everyone said they were excited to see what he could do. That included North Carolina, which also recruited the Wake Forest, North Carolina, product.

Stanford took a 25-17 lead on Conrad Ukropina's 27-yard field goal with 3:23 left. North Carolina was forced to punt on its next series, but used two timeouts to get the ball back.

After taking over at their own 3, the Tar Heels drove 97 yards in 10 plays and 1:11. After competing passes of 44 and 27 yards, Trubisky capped the drive with the 2-yard scoring pass to Howard.

Stanford then sacked Trubisky on the 2-point try, a rush led by Solomon Thomas forcing the quarterback to retreat before being taken down. Thomas was selected the game's MVP.

"It's an honor to go out on a win," said Solomon, a junior who also is considering entering the draft. "I'm in no rush. I just want to enjoy this victory with my teammates."

Stanford safety Dallas Lloyd intercepted two of Trubisky's passes, returning the second 19 yards for a touchdown to give Stanford a 22-17 lead early in the fourth quarter.

"If you're in the right place at the right time, good things will happen," Lloyd said.

Trubisky also is projected by some as a possible first-round pick if he declares for the NFL draft. But the junior and former Ohio Mr. Football wasn't ready to even think about that after the game.

"I'm not going to think about it for a couple of days," he said.

Trubisky finished 23 of 39 passing for 280 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

THE TAKEAWAY

Stanford: The Cardinal faced a lot of problems Friday. Starting quarterback Keller Chryst left with a knee injury in the second quarter, forcing backup Ryan Burns into the game. At that point, they were without their top two backfield weapons. They finished the game with 12 penalties for 85 yards, but still won. "We got a little sloppy," Shaw said.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels hurt themselves in the first half with two turnovers, each of which led to a field goal, then added a killer in the third quarter when Lloyd intercepted Trubisky's pass and returned it for a TD. UNC couldn't overcome those mistakes.

GETTING HIS KICKS


Ukropina kicked four field goals to tie a Sun Bowl record and was named the game's Most Valuable Special Teams Player. He also set a Stanford record for field goals in a season with 22. He set the record with his second-quarter kick, then added two more. "It feels great. I love winning with my teammates."

UP NEXT

Stanford: Going into the Sun Bowl without McCaffrey, Shaw was asked if anything would change. He said no. The same goes for the Cardinal going into next season. Their season opener is Sept. 2 at Rice.

North Carolina: The big question is whether or not Trubisky will return next year. The Tar Heels' season opener is Sept. 2 at home against California.

Stanford Cardinal: 2016 Rose Bowl Champions

The 102nd Rose Bowl game was a blowout by the second quarter Friday, with Stanford well on its way to a 45-16 demolition of Iowa, when the Cardinal pulled the football equivalent of a three-card Monte on what seemed like a bunch of unsuspecting Midwest tourists.

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan dropped back from the Iowa 31-yard line and reached toward the ground with both hands on the ball, giving the impression he had fumbled.

Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey, who got a head start on his 2016 Heisman Trophy campaign by racking up a Rose Bowl-record 368 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns, added to the hoax, diving toward Hogan's hands as if he was recovering a fumble.

Stanford had never used the play in David Shaw's five years as coach, and the Hawkeyes bit on the fake like it was a hunk of prime rib at the Lawry's Beef Bowl. Hogan stepped back and lofted a high-arching pass to Michael Rector, who was wide open on a corner route in the right side of the end zone.

Rector hauled in the pass for a 31-yard touchdown and a 35-0 Stanford lead with 8 minutes 22 seconds left . . . in the first half. It was that kind of afternoon for the Hawkeyes, who hadn't been to the Rose Bowl in 25 years and looked like they had no business being there Friday.

Adding insult to Iowa and its faithful fans, who accounted for more than half of the crowd of 94,268 in the Rose Bowl, was the name Stanford coaches gave the trick play that made the Big Ten team look so foolish.

"We actually call it Hawkeye," said Rector, who caught two passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns. "We just made that up. We knew their defensive backs and linebackers flew down hard. We thought if we faked a fumble, they'd bite hard on it, and they did. It was a great throw by Kevin, and fortunately, I came down with it."

Shaw, who has coached the Cardinal to three Pac-12 Conference titles and two Rose Bowl wins in five years, said the play has "been in the works for six years," adding that he first saw Boise State run it under coach Chris Petersen.

"I always liked it and was looking for the right situation to do it," Shaw said. "We've worked on it at different times. For this game, if was a group effort. It's one of those things when you talk about it, everyone says, 'No, we can't do that.' Then we look at it again and say, 'Gosh, that could be really good.'"

There wasn't much Stanford couldn't do on Friday. The sixth-ranked Cardinal imposed its will on the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes, dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and running up a 38-0 lead early in the third quarter before Iowa finally got on the board.

Iowa gave up an average of 18.5 points a game during 12-1 season. Stanford (12-2) scored 21 points in the first quarter. The Cardinal racked up 429 yards compared to Iowa's 287. Stanford had seven sacks in the game, four coming on third down.

Hogan, a fifth-year senior, capped a stellar Stanford career by completing 12 of 21 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, and his last pass in a Cardinal uniform was a beautiful 42-yard bomb down the left sideline to Rector for a touchdown with 1:54 left in the game.

The Hawkeyes spent much of the afternoon grasping at air in their attempts to corral McCaffrey, the speedy and elusive sophomore who became the first player in Rose Bowl history with at least 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving.

McCaffrey, who broke the previous all-purpose mark of 346 yards set by Wisconsin receiver Jared Abbrederis against Oregon in the 2012 game, caught a short curl pass from Hogan in stride and raced 75 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

"We dominated up front," said Joshua Garnett, Stanford's Outland Trophy-winning left guard. "We dominated all facets of the game."

Football players often look for motivation in perceived slights during the week leading up to bowl games. For Garnett, it was a declaration by Iowa cornerback Desmond King, who said he was going to "pancake" Garnett.

There were also comments from other Hawkeyes who said they hadn't heard of McCaffrey until the Heisman Trophy show and that Stanford's offensive line wasn't much different than those they face in the Big Ten.

"They know who McCaffrey is now," Garnett said. "They said we're like a regular Big Ten offensive line. When you challenge guys like us, when you light a fire under us . . . we're the wrong guys to do that to.

"For us to dominate up front and prove to people in the Big Ten that we can scrap with them, get down and dirty with them, that means a lot. We showed them what Stanford football is all about. Once the whistle blows, there's nowhere to hide on the field."

Stanford: 2015 College Cup Champions

What a way to go out.

Behind two goals from Jordan Morris and a staunch defensive effort, Stanford men’s soccer (18-2-3) won its first national championship with a 4-0 rout over Clemson (17-3-4) Sunday afternoon at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

The victory marked Stanford’s 108th NCAA Championship and was its 129th national title, adding a year to the school’s now-40-year streak of winning at least one NCAA championship each year. It was also the first time a men’s team has won a title for The Farm since 2011 and the first time a men’s fall team has since 2003.

But to the team, the title was more the result of what it set out to do at the beginning of the year — the result of years of program-building and individual work, all leading to exactly where it had every right to be: hoisting the NCAA championship trophy.

“It’s a special thing,” head coach Jeremy Gunn said. “It’s a great moment, and we are all super excited, but it pales in comparison to the journey we take as a group. You get to see us all celebrating, but the cool thing is the staff that has all worked together so hard… The whole experience, the whole journey is what’s special. Seeing the excitement on their faces is pretty cool as well.”

The Cardinal led for all but the first 86 seconds of the game, gaining the lead for good with the first of Morris’ brace of goals. The play started with a fast break from sophomore Corey Baird, who then sent a cross towards Eric Verso at the top of the box. The fifth-year senior tapped it to Morris, who shot it in past the Clemson’s keeper’s near side.

After struggling to convert Friday in the semifinal match, Morris stepped up when it mattered most, scoring his 12th (and later 13th) goal in his last 14 games.

“Whenever we go out, we want to score first,” Morris said. “Scoring early helps to not only give me confidence, but the rest of the team as well. It was good to get one early.”

After Morris’ early goal, the rest of the half was mostly a Clemson show. Using their skilled passing, the Tigers maintained most of the possession and got off 6 shots, and though none of them were on goal, Cardinal keeper Andrew Epstein remained fairly active. By the end of the afternoon, Stanford would only give up one shot on goal.

Though Clemson had some chances in the second half to get on the board, the Cardinal were better at maintaining possession and creating possession than they were in the first half.

“We adjusted well at halftime and said, ‘Guys, we can’t just sit here defending because we are going to be holding on clock watching. We have to go at them and be assertive the rest of the game,’” Gunn said. “And that’s what we ended up doing.”

“They got their chances; they’re a quality team, so you expect that, but we did a good job of holding them back,” said defender Brandon Vincent. “We kept going after it, keeping up the intensity and finishing it out strong.”

“It’s a testament to the back line and the keepers. The front six as well,” he added. “Everyone doing their job defensively. The front six make it tough on them to get through in the first place, and then when they do, we are there to pick up the scraps and make sure they don’t get a look on goal. If they do, Andy [Epstein] is there to come up big with the save.”

For the third time in its five tournament games, Stanford’s second half featured its most productive offensive showings: Morris’ second goal of the night came quickly — not even six minutes — after play resumed in the second half, and from there the entire game opened up for the Cardinal. Receiving a feed from Baird, Morris drew two defenders on him. The Clemson keeper stepped out to try to contest the shot, but the junior, off-balanced, was able to finesse the ball into the far post.

Midway through the second half, Morris got fouled inside the box, leading to Stanford’s third goal off a penalty kick from Vincent. Three minutes later, Verso sent a ball past his defender and the diving Tigers keeper to score Stanford’s fourth and final goal.

Having scored his second goal of the season, Verso proceeded to rip off his jersey — under which he was wearing a sports bra to carry the Cardinal’s assortment of heart-rate monitors and mileage trackers — and slid on his knees toward the Stanford sideline. The move paralleled Brandi Chastain’s famous celebratory action from the 1996 World Cup Final.

“Probably not the best look with the sports bra underneath, but I was just so excited in the moment,” Verso said. “I had only one goal on the year. I was just so happy that I had finally scored, especially in the final. I wasn’t thinking at that point, just really excited.”

Despite the pressure of it being the tournament’s final matchup, Sunday’s match was by far Stanford’s most dominant performance in the tournament, and indeed the season.

In the Second Round, and its first game, of the NCAAs, Stanford went down 1-0 in the 28th minute, but for the rest of the tournament, that would be the only point when the team trailed. Stanford came back to score three goals against Santa Clara and beat Ohio State in the next round by the same 3-1 margin, thanks to the first of Morris’ two braces of the tournament.

Over its next three games, Stanford would proceed to take down the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 2 seeds by a 6-1 margin: Wake Forest in overtime off a game-winner from Foster Langsdorf, the win sending the program to its first College Cup since 2002; Akron in a scoreless tie that ended with 10 rounds of dramatic penalty kicks that, at one point, Stanford was inches away from losing; and then Sunday, when Morris scored in the first 87 seconds, and the team never looked back.

“It’s unbelievable,” Gunn said. “Going into the tournament, the thing that I felt good about was the great balance we have. We are a great attacking team; we showed that today; and we’ve shown it all season. We are also tremendous at the back, so to win at any sport, you’ve got to be scoring and stopping scoring. You have to have that balance, and I think that was really the key for us.”

Stanford also scored all the goals of the College Cup, as both semifinal games ended in scoreless ties before going into penalty kicks, and did not let in a goal in all 200 minutes of game time it played in this weekend. Vincent was named the tournament’s defensive MVP, while Morris was named the offensive MVP.

While Vincent and fellow seniors Ty Thompson, Slater Meehan, Eric Verso and Adrian Alabi have definitely played their last games as Stanford Cardinal, time will tell whether the same will hold true for USMNT player Jordan Morris. With many offers from his hometown Seattle Sounders, he has not announced whether he will leave The Farm to pursue his professional career.

But on Sunday, none of that mattered. In one of the most emphatic College Cup Final victories in history, the Cardinal accomplished what they’ve had their eyes on all season — perhaps all their lives — and were able to pull off what the program never could do before in its 102 years of existence: They had became national champions.

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” Gunn said.



Contact Alexa Philippou at aphil723 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Stanford: 2015 National Invitation Tournament Champions

NEW YORK -- With the season -- and his record-breaking career -- winding down, Chasson Randle found a way to deliver one last time and help bring another NIT title home to Stanford.

Randle put Stanford ahead with two free throws after drawing a controversial shooting foul with 3.4 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Cardinal held on for a 66-64 win over Miami on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

It was the third NIT title for Stanford and second since 2012.

"Our guys just refused to lose," coach Johnny Dawkins said. "I think that's what you saw down the stretch of the game, the last few minutes and in overtime, just a will to win."

Randle said, "It's just a great feeling, just to be able to end your season and your career with a win."

With Stanford trailing 64-63 in the final seconds of overtime, Randle was heavily defended and seemingly out of answers when he took an off-balance shot and appeared to lean into Miami's Davon Reed. Randle was awarded the free throws, and he calmly buried both to give the Cardinal its second NIT championship in four years.

"We were going to put the ball in Chasson's hands, and he was going to decide it for us," Dawkins said.

Randle, the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after he finished with 25 points in the championship game, was difficult to pin down even after the dramatic contest ended.

Asked if he initiated contact, he replied, "The ref called it. I can't do anything about it."

After a Miami turnover, Anthony Brown was fouled and made one free throw to make it 66-64, but the Hurricanes had one more chance. But Sheldon McClellan's off-balance jumper from the right corner fell short and Stanford (24-13) began to celebrate.

Dawkins, in his seventh year, acknowledged that the program's aspirations extend well behind the NIT, college basketball's consolation prize. "We are a program that wants to compete in the NCAA and wants to compete for championships," he said. "Unfortunately, that has not happened as much as we would like.

"But our last four years, we've won two NIT championships and we have gone to the Sweet 16. I don't think that's horrible. I think we have shown we can be competitive in either tournament."

Randle, who ended his career with a Stanford-record 2,375 points, scored Stanford's final four points in regulation, which ended at 59-59. With fans for both teams rising to their feet, he twice slashed down the right side to bank home scores.

The Hurricanes forced overtime on McClellan's driving score with 16.8 seconds to play.

Stanford: 2014 Foster Farms Bowl Champions

Stanford (8-5) did its part to keep the Pac-12’s perfect bowl record in play this bowl season. The Cardinal were dominant in a 45-21 victory over Maryland (7-6), improving the Pac-12 bowl record to a clean 4-0 this season.

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan was locked in from the start, ending his night with a pair of touchdown passes and plenty of short, accurate passes for 189 yards and 50 rushing yards. Cardinal running back Remound Wright rushed for three touchdowns to help push Stanford to a big lead in the first half. Wright was unstoppable down close to the end zone, scoring all three of his first-half touchdowns from inside the four-yard line. Having that offensive line providing a nice push against the Maryland defense certainly had an impact as well.

There were very few offensive highlights for Maryland in their first bowl game representing the Big Ten. Will Likely returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, although it came in the fourth quarter with Stanford still leading 42-14 following the score. Stefon Diggs returned to the field after missing the last few games of the season due to an injury, and he led the Terps with 106 receiving yards on nine catches. Quarterback C.J. Brown struggled to find consistency during the game, and he was picked off once and under pressure and sacked multiple times. He did run for a touchdown on his final play on the field of his career, so that was nice.

Stanford was a mess inside the red zone for a while this season, but you would not have been able to guess that if the Foster Farms Bowl was your first time watching the Cardinal this season. Stanford scored five red zone touchdowns. If the Cardinal can take that and the success seen in the regular season finale against UCLA into the spring, the Cardinal should once again be considered a team to pay attention to in the Pac-12 in 2015. There are going to be plenty of holes to fill though, on both sides of the football. The defense should be hit especially hard, but David Shaw‘s program has found a way to continue to play well on defense and that is not expected to change anytime soon.

Shaw now has two bowl victories to his name. That is as many bowl victories as Stanford had from 1993 through the end of the Jim Harbaugh era in 2010.

The Pac-12 remains the only conference without a loss this bowl season. At 4-0, the Pac-12 now owns the best bowl record of any conference this season, with Conference USA and the SEC each trailing with 4-1 records. The Big Ten is now a game under .500 at 2-3. The ACC (3-5) and Big 12 (0-3) are also struggling so far this bowl season.

What's Next For Stanford?

What's next for Stanford after Rose Bowl win By Jon Wilner jwilner@mercurynews.com San Jose Mercury News Posted:

MercuryNews.com

LOS ANGELES -- Expect more of the same from Stanford next season -- more hit-and-miss offense, more immovable defense, more close games and more victories.

The number of wins, and Stanford's position in the preseason polls, depends partly on how many juniors enter the NFL draft.

Tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo, linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy and defensive end Ben Gardner will evaluate their draft prospects and decide in the next 10 days.

Ertz, a potential first-round pick who is on track to graduate this spring, is expected to depart. Toilolo, an intriguing pro prospect at 6-foot-8, might not be far behind.

Stanford also will lose a handful of key seniors from an offense that ranked 69th in the nation in scoring and sputtered in the second half of Tuesday's 20-14 victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Without record-setting tailback Stepfan Taylor, center Sam Schwartzstein and starting receivers Drew Terrell and Jamal-Rashad Patterson, the Cardinal must find a new group of playmakers to complement quarterback Kevin Hogan, who will be a sophomore next season.

Taylor and Ertz scored half of Stanford's offensive touchdowns and accounted for the majority of its clutch plays.

"We'll get back to the running back-by-committee approach until somebody establishes himself as our workhorse," offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said.

The line should be an elite unit given the four returning starters and presumptive development of several talented freshmen.

That should make life easier for Hogan, who was 5-0 as a starter but must polish his passing skills.

"There's no reason they're not one of the best lines in the country," Ertz said. "They'll blend well because they're all good friends off the field. It will be something special to see."

The same should be true of a defense that didn't allow a point in the fourth quarter of the final six games, especially if Skov, Murphy and Gardner return to school.

Stanford loses only one senior from the group that started the Rose Bowl: outside linebacker Chase Thomas.

Thomas is a significant loss -- his contributions as a playmaker and outspoken voice in the locker room have been invaluable the past two seasons. But Stanford is loaded with young talent on every level of the defense.

One candidate to replace Thomas is Noor Davis, a freshman who picked Stanford over ... Alabama.

"We don't rebuild," Skov said. "We just replace."

• Stanford is 35-5 in the past three seasons.

• Cardinal coach David Shaw is the first African-American coach to win a Bowl Championship Series game. This is the 15th year of the BCS.

• The victory over Wisconsin improved Stanford's Rose Bowl record to 6-6-1.

Stanford: 2013 Rose Bowl Champions

 In the end, Stanford held on to win the 99th Rose Bowl ever played, running out to a big lead in the first half and then hanging on for dear life.

 Jordan Williamson’s second field goal of the game, a 22-yarder with 4:23 left, proved to be the decisive score, putting Stanford up 20-14. A subsequent interception by defensive back Usua Amanam iced it for Stanford.

Early on, it looked like it would be a runaway game for the Cardinal.

A little trickery went a long way for Stanford the first time it had the ball. Wide receiver Drew Terrell took a handoff on a reverse and launched a 34-yard pass that Jamal-Rashad Patterson hauled in down the middle. The Badgers weren’t fooled on the play, but Patterson made a fine leaping grab.

On the next play, wide receiver Kelsey Young ran around the left side for a 16-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Hogan’s 43-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz set up a 3-yard Stepfan Taylor touchdown on the Cardinal’s second possession.

Wisconsin drove 74 yards only to come up empty. An apparent 8-yard touchdown by Ball was nullified by a holding call. Curt Phillips threw what originally was ruled a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Jacob Pedersen. But on a replay review, Pedersen was ruled down at the 1-yard line.

That set up a 4^th-and-goal play, and defensive end Ben Gardner stopped James White, who took a direct snap, for no gain.

Wisconsin forced a punt and soon was threatening again. A tipped pass was caught by Jared Abbrederis for a 22-yard gain, and Ball bolted 10 yards for a touchdown on the next play.

A 47-yard field goal by Jordan Williamson boosted Stanford’s lead to 17-7.

The Badgers took over on their 15-yard line with 2:23 left in the half and drove 85 yards. Stanford was caught with its guard down on a first-down play at the Wisconsin 29, and quarterback Phillips ran 38 yards down the left side. Phillips cut the lead to 17-14 on a 4-yard pass to Jordan Fredrick with 19 seconds left before the break.

Wisconsin outgained Stanford 151-99 in the first half and had an edge in possession time by about four minutes.

The second half became a defensive struggle, as Stanford’s offense stalled. In the end, it was the defense that won the game, and the Rose Bowl, for Stanford.

Stanford: 2012 Pac-12 Champions

Stanford football: It’s Rose Bowl for Cardinal

With the weather relenting, Stanford beat UCLA for the second time in six days Friday night 27-24 and won the Pac-12 championship for the first time since 1999.

They’re headed for the Rose Bowl, and quarterback Kevin Hogan, the game’s MVP, is 4-4 in his starts, all against ranked opponents.

A potential tying 52-yard field goal attempt by the Bruins’Ka’imi Fairbairn was wide left with 39 seconds left.

In Pasadena on Jan. 1, the No. 8 Cardinal (11-2) will play the winner of Saturday’s Big Ten title game between Nebraska and Wisconsin.

No. 17 UCLA (9-4) had a superb 194-yard rushing performance by Johnathan Franklin, but the Cardinal made the big plays at the end.

Hogan completed 16-of 22 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Stepfan Taylor rushed for 78 yards and broke the Stanford career rushing record.

UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley completed 23 of 31 passes for 177 yards and rushed for another 83 yards.

Jordan Williamson’s 36-yard field goal gave Stanford a 27-24 lead with 6:49 left. A 23-yard run by Kelsey Young  followed an 18-yard punt return by Drew Terrell to help set up the field goal.

UCLA reached the Stanford 42 on the ensuing possession, but the Cardinal held and A.J. Tarpley couldn’t hang on to an interception on third down.

The Bruins forced a Stanford punt when Tevin McDonaldd broke up a pass intended for tight end Levine Toilolo.

A fourth-down pass to tight end Joseph Fauria kept UCLA’s drive alive, but Fairbairn missed the field goal.

A 31-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn on UCLA’s first possession of the second half tied the score 17-17. Franklin ignited the drive with a 32-yard run.

After holding the Cardinal to one first down on their next possession, the Bruins marched 80 yards to a go-ahead score. Hundley threw a perfect 20-yard strike to Shaq Evans on the right sideline. Franklin finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 24-17 Bruins.

But Hogan fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to Drew Terrell to tie the score 3:39 into the fourth quarter.

The crowd, announced as 31,622 but was probably more like 25,000 because of the threat of rain. Except for a couple of showers, it turned out to be a fine night.

Franklin nearly equaled his 65-yard rushing output of last week on the first drive. He broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown just 3:25 into the game.  He ran up the middle untouched and outraced Alex Carter and Jordan Richards to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Stanford tied it on Hogan’s 2-yard bootleg run around the left side, completely fooling the UCLA defense. On the previous play, Taylor took a swing pass, broke a tackle by Cassius Marsh and sprinted 34 yards to the 2.

The Bruins continued to gash the vaunted Stanford rushing defense. Hundley ran 48 yards on a keeper, and Franklin ripped off a 19-yard gain before Hundley scored on a 5-yard keeper. He rolled briefly to the right, cut back and raced untouched around the left side to the touchdown, putting UCLA up 14-7.

The Bruins had 132 yards rushing in the first quarter, nearly double what Stanford’s nation-leading defense averages surrendering (71.3).

UCLA was driving again early in the second quarter when safety Ed Reynolds made his sixth interception of the season and pulled off a magnificent 80-yard return. To the Stanford fans’ displeasure, he was called down on the 1-yard line on a tackle by quarterback Hundley. The call was upheld on a review.

Reynolds grabbed Hundley’s pass at the Stanford 19, kept his feet in bounds, shook off a couple of tackles and broke into the open field before Hundley finally caught him.

Taylor scored his 14^th touchdown of the season on the next play, tying the score.

In the closing minute of the first half, Taylor broke Darrin Nelson’s 31-year-old school record of 4,169 career rushing yards. His 10-yard run set up Jordan Williamson’s 17-14, which gave Stanford a 17-14 edge on the final play of the half.

UCLA had a 268-190 advantage in total yardage in the first half, chiefly on Franklin’s 113 rushing yards on 10 carries.