UCLA vs. Stanford: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Behind Christian McCaffrey's record-setting night, No. 15 Stanford trounced No. 18 UCLA, 56-35, at Stanford Stadium to string together an eighth-straight win over the Bruins. 

Since dropping their season opener to Northwestern, the Cardinal (5-1) have scored at least 40 points in four-straight wins, while posting an average margin of victory of 22.2 points.

Few teams have been able to match Stanford's outstanding pace of late, per ESPN Stats & Info: 

McCaffrey was simply dominant in the Pac-12 statement game. His 369 total yards as a rusher, receiver and returner were the most all-purpose yards tallied by any player in a game this year, per ESPN Stats & Info. He's now in sole possession of the FBS lead for all-purpose yardage. 

The sophomore standout also broke Toby Gerhart's single-game school record by rushing for 243 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. He also returned a first-half kick for 96 yards, as ESPN College Football on Twitter documented: 

"

BOOM. This 96-yard kickoff return by Christian McCaffrey led to the quick Stanford touchdown. #STANvsUCLA http://t.co/XnscfuGxz7

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) October 16, 2015"

"This kid’s been blessed with great genes for this sport—speed, quickness, an explosive physical nature," Stanford coach David Shaw told Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel recently. "But at the same time, he has this mentality that’s developed. He’s ultra-competitive and ultra-hard on himself because he wants to be great at everything."

Thanks to McCaffrey, Stanford's hitting its stride on the ground, according to ESPN.com's David Lombardi:

Quarterback Kevin Hogan merely had to clean up as McCaffrey left defenders in his wake, and the senior signal-caller did just that. He finished 8-of-15 for 131 yards, one interception and three touchdowns, including a toss that resulted in the best touchdown catch of the season to date, courtesy of Francis Owusu, via Stanford Football on Twitter:

SportsCenter on Vine drew comparisons between Owusu's grab and the one Tyrone Prothro made for Alabama a decade ago: 

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen experienced moderate statistical success by completing 22-of-42 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns, but he tossed a pick-six on the Bruins' first drive to give Stanford an instant edge, per Stanford Football:

The Bruins moved the ball effectively in the first half at times, but third-down struggles and costly turnovers put the Cardinal in prime position to strike drive after drive. 

UCLA running back Paul Perkins looked lethal in the open field, but his chances were limited as Rosen was forced to try to make up a huge deficit through the air. Perkins finished with 14 carries for 104 yards and a score. 

Stanford may have started its season in disappointing fashion with a loss to the Wildcats, but five consecutive wins have put the Cardinal back into the College Football Playoff conversation, as Yahoo's Dan Wetzel noted: 

"

Stanford looks ridiculously good. Game v Notre Dame might be a monster. Playoff decision among 1-loss teams is going to be brutal.

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) October 16, 2015"

Given the way Shaw's squad has scored, Lombardi wondered if any conference competitor has the fortitude necessary to slow down McCaffrey and Co.:

UCLA—despite a 4-0 start—is dealing with a different trajectory. The Bruins were already in hot water following a loss to Arizona State on Oct. 3, and now they're facing the prospect of dropping out of the Top 25. 

In order to defeat Jared Goff and California in exactly a week, UCLA will need to tighten up some loose screws on defense and avoid the kind of silly penalties on the other side of the ball that repeatedly stymied Rosen's comeback attempts. 

Postgame Reaction

Shaw described the 6'1'', 201-pound McCaffrey aptly following the win, per Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel:

He didn't stop there with the praise of his star running back, as Sports Illustrated's Do-Hyoung Park relayed:

And like the rest of us, Shaw was in disbelief regarding Owusu's stunning reception. "I still can't describe that catch," Shaw said, per Lombardi. "I still don't know what happened."

"I've been told my facial expression was on TV many times," Shaw added, according to Thamel. "I still feel that way now."