STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Kevin Hogan threw for a career-high 341 yards and three touchdowns as Stanford bounced back from a disappointing loss in its season opener to beat Central Florida 31-7 on Saturday night.
Hogan got Stanford into the end zone for the first time this season on a 53-yard flea-flicker to Michael Rector in the second quarter. Hogan added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey and a 93-yarder to Bryce Love in the second half as the Cardinal (1-1) avoided their first 0-2 start since 2006.
The Knights (0-2) struggled to generate any sort of offense with starting quarterback Justin Holman leaving early with an injury. Freshman Bo Schneider came in and went 7 for 19 for 46 yards with an interception.
After being held to six points in a lackluster opener, Stanford's offense finally broke through late in the first half with help from a trick play. Hogan handed the ball to Barry Sanders, who flipped it back to the quarterback. Hogan then launched a deep pass to Rector, who got past the defense for the first score of the game.
Conrad Ukropina added a 52-yard field goal in the final minute of the half, and Love and Hogan helped break it open in the second half.
Hogan's 42-yard pass to Bryce Love set up the short touchdown pass to McCaffrey in the third quarter. Hogan then hit Love again on a short pass on a third-and-20 and Love raced past the Knights defense for the score that made it 24-0.
While Hogan got the passing game going, the Cardinal struggled to run consistently for a second straight week. McCaffrey gained just 58 yards on 20 carries and the team finished with 133 yards on the ground with 40 coming on the final drive capped by Sanders' 20-yard TD run.
The defense was dominant, holding Central Florida off the scoreboard until Tyler Harris threw a 36-yard TD pass to Tre'Quan Smith with 1:22 to play.
The Cardinal easily handled the untested Schneider, who made his debut after Holman was hit hard by Peter Kalambayi on an incomplete pass on third down of Central Florida's first drive.
The Knights had just one productive drive but that ended in the second quarter when William Stanbeck fumbled inside the Cardinal 40. Four plays later, Hogan hit Rector on the flea-flicker.
Stanford also lost a key player when defensive lineman Aziz Shittu was ejected for targeting in the first quarter on a hit to the head of running back Taj McGowan.
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AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org
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