By Mark Soltau
CBS SportsLine Senior Writer
Sept. 19, 1998

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Go ahead, try and make sense of it. No one else could, least of all Joe Borchard.

There he was, minding his own business on the Stanford sideline, rooting for a miracle. The next thing he knew, he was it.

Related Links Game summary Week 3 with the Wiseguys Top 25 roundup Forum: Which team will win the Pac-10 title?

With 34 seconds remaining and the game tied, 34-34, Cardinal quarterback Todd Husak was shaken up. Out trotted Borchard, the starting right fielder on the baseball team. With no time to think, let alone warm up, the sophomore dropped back to pass, was flushed out of the pocket by the North Carolina defense, and saw nothing but wide open spaces.

"I just saw a hole,'' said Borchard, whose 41-yard run, carried to the Tar Heels' 2, set up Kevin Miller's game-winning 20-yard field goal as time expired. "Before I knew it there were 40 yards of green grass in front of me. I couldn't believe it.''

He wasn't the only one. The play capped a wild and entertaining game Saturday at Stanford Stadium, as the Cardinal avoided their first 0-3 start since 1987 with a 37-34 victory.

That Borchard emerged the hero seemed only fitting.

"We needed a building block,'' Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham said. "It's difficult to run in the sand because you don't realize how much progress you are making.''

BORCHARD WAS STILL SHAKING HIS head, not to mention hands, afterward.

"I don't think there was time to get nervous,'' said Borchard, who made his college debut last week in a brief mop-up appearance against Arizona. "As a backup quarterback, it's your job to be ready. Even though it was late in the game and I hadn't sniffed the field, I knew my number could be called.''

Even with cornerback Dre Bly on their side, the Tar Heels can't bring down the Cardinal. (AP)

Never mind the combined records (0-3) coming into the game, the fact that North Carolina lost to Miami of Ohio and Stanford to San Jose State, or that two of the game's best players -- Tar Heels quarterback Oscar Davenport and Cardinal wide receiver Troy Walters -- sat out with injuries. For the 34,198 spectators who showed up, it was worth the effort.

Playing its third consecutive home game before classes start next week, Stanford dominated the first quarter, moving at will against the highly regarded North Carolina defense. Husak, making only his third collegiate start, made several key completions, notably to senior flanker Jeff Allen, but Stanford mustered only two field goals.

Coming into the game, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Allen had two receptions in three years. He didn't suit up last week because of a foot injury and was pressed into service because Walters sprained his ankle last week against Arizona. You could hardly blame Tar Heels coach Carl Torbush for asking, "Who is that guy?'' after Allen caught five first-half passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.

FOR THE RECORD, ALLEN HAS BEEN a standout on special teams and a four-year letterman in track and field. He finished second in the 400 hurdles at the Pac-10 Championships last year and has been waiting for a chance in football.

Saturday, it arrived.

"Jeff Allen stepped up really huge for our football team,'' Willingham said.

Also getting an opportunity was North Carolina's Ronald Curry, a true freshman. An outstanding point guard who will play for the Tar Heels basketball team this season, he received his first start in place of Davenport. The 6-2, 200-pound Curry is an exceptional athlete but is learning on the go.

In an effort to utilize Curry's running ability, Torbush dusted off the option for the first time since 1995. Curry made it work, especially out of the shotgun formation. His 8-yard scamper with 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter tied the game at 27-27, wiping out a 14-point Cardinal lead.

CURRY ALSO THREW A 69-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS to Na Brown, a routine slant that caught Stanford defenders flat-footed. But the game's biggest play was provided by Tyrell Godwin. Seconds after Cardinal running back Coy Wire threw a 27-yard scoring pass to wide receiver DeRonnie Pitts on a halfback option pass to give Stanford a 27-13 cushion, Godwin returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, the longest in school history.

Suddenly a hearty but quiet group of North Carolina faithful had something to cheer about. They really came alive after Curry's TD run and the momentum shifted to the Tar Heels. Their defense stiffened, forcing a quick punt, but again, the game turned on a big play.

Back on their heels and sensing an ugly turnaround, the young Cardinal team caught a break. North Carolina's Kory Bailey muffed the punt and Stanford's Frank Primus recovered at the Tar Heel 33.

On the next play, Husak hit Dave Davis for an exciting 31-yard completion. After catching the pass, Davis bobbled the ball then regained it on the run, scaring the Brie out of Stanford fans. Wire reclaimed the lead for the Cardinal with a 1-yard dive.

AGAIN, CURRY CALMLY BROUGHT NORTH CAROLINA back. Starting from his own 2, he drove his team 98 yards for the tying touchdown. The latter came on fourth-and-5 from the Cardinal 19, when Curry rolled left and found an open Bailey in the back of the end zone with 3:15 left in the game.

After forcing a Stanford punt, North Carolina had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Curry fumbled at his own 41 with 46 seconds remaining. One play later, Borchard stole the show.

"The ball got yanked out of my hands,'' said Curry, who passed for 304 yards and ran for 66. "Things like that happen. It was bad ball-handling on my part.''

And good fortune for Borchard.

Mark Soltau is a senior writer in CBS SportsLine's San Francisco bureau.