Stanford and Cal football have had a lot of epic battles over the years in Big Game, which is the oldest college football rivalry in the West. Stanford leads the all-time rivalry 65-49-11 with Cal currently on a two-game winning streak with wins in 2021 and 2022.
With Big Game happening this upcoming Saturday on The Farm, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the greatest individual Big Game performances at Stanford Stadium this century. I will be selecting five performances from both schools, making it ten in total. One also must be on the winning side in order to make the cut and only one player per game. I also won’t be doing a ranking of 1-10. It’s just gonna be ten performances from both programs that most stand out to me. Alrighty, let’s dive in!
2001-Stanford WR Luke Powell: As a redshirt sophomore, Luke Powell torched the Golden Bears with five receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He had a career-long 79 yard touchdown in the game, helping the Cardinal win by a final score of 35-28. Just an all-around splendid performance.
2003-Cal QB Aaron Rodgers: In his first career Big Game and only one played at Stanford Stadium, Aaron Rodgers had a performance that Cal fans will remember for a long time: 26-37 for 359 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. In addition to having a great game in the air, Rodgers also rushed for 55 yards on seven attempts for an average of 7.9 yards per carry. Cal went on to win 28-16. It was the second of what would end up being five consecutive Big Game wins for the Bears.
2005-Cal RB Marshawn Lynch: In 2005, Cal rolled Stanford 27-3 and sophomore running back Marshawn Lynch was a major reason why. On 24 carries, Lynch rushed for 123 yards and 1 touchdown for an average of 5.1 yards per carry.
Lynch is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Golden Bears uniform. At Cal he had a scary blend of speed, agility, and power that made him extremely difficult to bring down. His Big Game performance in 2005 will go down as one of the best.
2007-Stanford S Bo McNally: In 2007, Stanford defeated Cal 20-13. A unique Big Game in that it was held on December 1st. The top performer for the Cardinal in this one was junior safety Bo McNally, who led the Cardinal in total tackles that season with 114. Against the Golden Bears, McNally had 13 total tackles (eight solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss. In a game that was more of a defensive struggle, McNally truly shined, helping the Cardinal win their first Big Game since 2001.
2009-Cal RB Shane Vereen: The 2009 Big Game is remembered fondly by Cal fans and has been for quite some time as that was the last Big Game they won before Stanford went on to win nine in a row. 34-28 was the final score.
While Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed had the game-winning interception in the end zone, it was sophomore running back Shane Vereen that was the top performer for the Golden Bears that day. Vereen carried the ball a whopping 42 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns. That’s 4.6 yards per carry. Vereen also tacked on a 10 yard reception. Just an all-around great game. Both teams played extremely hard and it was competitive all the way through. It was the first Big Game I saw in person. My brother and I both had a blast.
2011-Stanford QB Andrew Luck: Stanford won the 2011 Big Game by a final score of 31-28. Stanford ended the game 10-1 while Cal was 6-5, so it was a hell of a fight by the Bears considering how much Stanford was favored by. For the second straight season, Andrew Luck finished second in the Heisman voting, this time as a senior. Luck had a really strong performance, going 20-30 for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. For those that are curious, Cal DB Steve Williams was the one who picked off Luck, returning it for 45 yards.
2013-Stanford WR Ty Montgomery: In 2013, Stanford dominated Cal 63-13. The top performer for the Cardinal was junior wide receiver Ty Montgomery. Montgomery had five receptions for 160 yards and four touchdowns while also having two carries for 31 yards and one touchdown. That’s five touchdowns in total. Montgomery’s rushing touchdown was for 31 yards. His top two receiving touchdowns in terms of yardage were for 50 yards and 72 yards courtesy of sophomore quarterback Kevin Hogan.
A case can be made for Hogan to make the list. In this one he went 17-26 for 329 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. I’m giving the edge to Montgomery because he had four of those five touchdown receptions plus the rushing touchdown. While Hogan was certainly fantastic, this day belonged to Montgomery.
2015-Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey: In 2015, Stanford defeated Cal 35-22 as sophomore running back Christian McCaffrey stole the show. McCaffrey rushed for 192 yards on 29 attempts for an average of 6.6 yards per carry while having one reception for 49 yards, which was a touchdown. On special teams, McCaffrey had three kick returns for 148 yards and one touchdown. The kickoff return for a touchdown was for 98 yards. McCaffrey was excellent in this one. One of the most gifted running backs to ever play for the Cardinal. There wasn't anything he couldn't do.
2019-Cal QB Chase Garbers: The 2019 Big Game is historic because it was the first time The Axe returned to Berkeley since 2009 as Cal won 24-20. The hero for the Bears in this one was sophomore quarterback Chase Garbers, who went 20-30 for 285 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. Garbers also had a 16 yard touchdown run with 1:19 to go, giving the Bears the lead and ultimately the victory. Given that it ended such a long drought for the Bears, one has to put Garbers’ performance on the list.
2021-Cal RB Marcel Dancy: Cal shredded Stanford 41-11 in the most recent Big Game on The Farm. Cal senior running back Marcel Dancy had a big-time performance for the Bears, rushing for 92 yards and two touchdowns on four carries for a crazy 23.0 yards per carry average. One of those touchdowns was a 76 yard run. Dancy also had one reception for 13 yards, giving him 105 total yards from scrimmage on the day.
Dancy wasn’t the only Cal running back who balled out in this game. Senior Christopher Brooks rushed for 131 yards on 13 carries for a 10.1 yards per carry average. Brooks also had a one yard receiving touchdown. I nearly gave this one to Brooks, but Dancy had the slightly better day.
Note: This would also be the final Big Game David Shaw would coach on The Farm.
Honorable mention: For this section, I’m going to select two players, one from each school who most stood out in a loss.
2001-Cal CB Nnamdi Asomugha: In the 2001 Big Game, Nnamdi Asomugha had two interceptions for 16 yards, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Cal only lost that game by seven points. Thanks to Asomugha’s performance, the Bears were able to hang around and make it a game. Getting two interceptions in a game is pretty special and then to have one get taken back for a touchdown? That’s a really good day.
2009-Stanford RB Toby Gerhart: Stanford senior Toby Gerhart finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2009 and had a whale of a Big Game against Cal, rushing for 136 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. That’s 6.8 yards per carry. He also had a 29 yard reception. Gerhart balled out in that game. Definitely a Big Game performance that should not be forgotten even though his team came up short.
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