Love’s 3 TDs lead Stanford past No. 9 Washington 30-22

STANFORD, Calif. — Bryce Love ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns against the nation’s stingiest defense, leading Stanford to a 30-22 victory over No. 9 Washington on Friday night.

The Huskies (8-2, 6-2 Pac-12, No. 9 CFP) started fast with touchdown runs by Myles Gaskin on the first two drives but stalled after that in a crippling blow to their hopes of getting back to the four-team playoff.

The Cardinal (7-3, 6-2) bounced back from a loss at Washington State last week with a very balanced attack. K.J. Costello took advantage of opportunities downfield, completing 16 of 27 passes for a career-high 211 yards. Costello threw for just 105 yards in last week’s loss.

The result leaves Stanford and the Cougars in control of the Pac-12 North race. Washington State can clinch a spot in the conference title game with wins at Utah and Washington in the final two games. The Cardinal will go with a win next week against California and one loss by the Cougars.

Love also boosted his Heisman hopes after being held to 69 yards last week on a gimpy ankle that also forced him to miss one game. While he failed to extend his streak of games with a run of at least 50 yards to 11 games, he helped Stanford control the clock with a strong performance against a defense that came into the game ranked first in the nation in yards allowed and second in scoring defense. The Huskies had allowed only three TD runs all season before facing Love.