SF Chronicle: Stanford: Much to make up for

Michelle Smith, Chronicle Staff Writer

Stanford can't minimize the magnitude of what happens today on its home field. Even the coach who shuns hype and bowl talk knows this Big Game is really, really big.  The Cardinal play for more than a year's worth of bragging rights and the Stanford Axe when they take on the Cal Bears at Stanford Stadium at 4 p.m. The Cardinal are looking to exorcise a difficult past and usher in a brighter future.  A win would be "monumental,'' coach Walt Harris said. "It would heal a lot of wounds."  If Stanford is going to end Cal's three-game winning streak and secure its first bowl berth since 2001, it will almost certainly be on the back of a defense that has carried a heavy load all season, a unit that includes seven seniors who want to know what it feels like to win this game.  No group of Stanford seniors in 32 years has left the Cardinal football program without playing in a victory over Cal. The fifth-year seniors were redshirt freshman when the Cardinal last won this game in 2001 -- observers, not participants.  "It's a very big deal," said Stanford senior linebacker Jon Alston. "When you walk away from Stanford, you don't want to say we never beat Cal. For the rest of our lives, this is going to be something we remember, win or lose."  Winning certainly seems more plausible that it has been in a while, given Stanford's run of four wins in its last six games. But it has not been easy. In those four games, the combined margin of victory has been 20 points. Three of those wins were decided by four points or less.  And in all of them, Stanford's defense has been the linchpin.  Take away decisive losses to Oregon and USC and the Stanford defense has been on the field with the charge of hanging on to victory in seven games, from the opener at Navy where the Midshipmen cut the lead to three points with two minutes to go and got the ball back one last time, to last week's win at Oregon State where the defense managed to hold off the Beavers in the cold and rain after injuries stalled the Stanford offense for the majority of the second half.  Five times the Cardinal have been successful to the nail-biting finish.  Twice they have not been up to the challenge -- against UC Davis (although the Cardinal would argue that despite the officials' call, cornerback Nick Sanchez intercepted a pass that should have saved the game) and against UCLA, when they lost a three-touchdown lead with a little more than seven minutes to go.  Still, it's been a significant change of fortune from 2004, when Stanford lost five games by a total of 22 points.  "We never want to say it's a comfortable situation for us, but we are used to it,'' Alston said. "We've had to go out in so many of those situations, not just this year, but in past years. And we haven't always been successful."  Julian Jenkins sees the benefit of extensive experience.  "We've seen everything. We've seen complete long passes on us in the fourth quarter and then we've come up with a big play," said Jenkins, who leads Stanford with seven sacks. "It's like, 'Let's just go out there and play.' "  Stanford's first defensive priority will be containing Cal's running game, the talented tandem of Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, both knocking on the door of 1,000-yard seasons.  After a shaky start, the Cardinal's run defense has rounded into strong form. Over the first four games, Stanford gave up 698 rushing yards (an average of 174.5 per game). In the last five games, the Cardinal have surrendered 561 (112.2 yards per game).  "I think we have learned the scheme better and our players have learned from mistakes," Harris said. "More so than any time this season, our focus is on being able to stop the run because this is a great running team, they are great up front, and their backs are faster than anyone on our team."