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SAN DIEGO – A quarter of the way through the season, the Chargers have shown they are capable of going after opponents with a viable running game.

The lead man in the ground-game renaissance? Today that was Mike Tolbert.

The bruising 5-foot-9, 243-pound back became the first Chargers back to gain 100 yards in 20 regular-season games. Darren Sproles, the last player to break the century mark, rushed for 115 yards against Denver in the 2008 season finale.

“It’s a special feeling. I didn’t know until I got in the locker room after the game and my running backs coach came up to me (and told me),” Tolbert said. “If I would’ve known I would’ve kept the ball.

“My line did a great job of opening up holes and Jacob (Hester) did a great job at fullback. It was easier than it looked.”

The Chargers, protecting a multiple-score lead, hammered to 180 rushing yards. Tolbert and Ryan Mathews combined for 155 yards on more than six yards per carry.

“It shows what we’re capable of,” right tackle Jeromy Clary said. “We were able to execute at a high level which we need to do. We need to figure out a way to do it on the road as well as at home and we’ll be right where we need to be.”

Though he found Antonio Gates early and often, Philip Rivers didn’t complete a pass to a receiver until the third quarter. He didn’t have to, peppering the Cardinals defense with short flicks to Tolbert, Mathews and Hester. The three combined to make six catches for 56 yards.

But Tolbert, the leading tackler on special teams last season, made two assists Sunday and celebrated them as much as his five-yard touchdown.

“I made this team paying special teams and I’m going to go out and make plays on special teams,” Tolbert said.

SACK PARTY: The defensive front seven triggered many rounds of analogies and hyperbole in the locker room and the press box Sunday.

Nine sacks and three turnovers by the Chargers defense set off a frenzy. Shaun Phillips, as responsible as anyone, sacked Derek Anderson and Max Hall four times and returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown.

“SP just got loose. It was like he was a robot out there. Unconscious and just going crazy,” said Travis Johnson, who recorded a sack of his own. “We were feeding off him, really. He was making big plays and we just wanted to join in on the party.”

The Cardinals, missing two of its receivers, got the ball to Larry Fitzgerald early. The Pro Bowler made five of his seven catches in the first quarter. But the initial drive ended as Steve Gregory picked off a pass intended for Fitzgerald up the seam.

“Eric (Weddle) got a good jam on him and I got a good break on the ball,” Gregory said. “I saw it coming, my eyes lit up and I went up and caught it.”

Anderson gave way to Hall late in the first half, and without a significant ground game (Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower ran for 43 yards on 12 carries), the Chargers constantly put Arizona in unenviable down-and-distance situations.

“That’s what a good defense needs to do,” Gregory said. “We need to put them into situations they don’t want to be in and I think we did that a lot today.”

Kevin Burnett, who after the game acted as if questions about the pass rush were sensationalized, said the defense just did its job. But Burnett himself finished with eight tackles, two sacks, a pass deflection and a forced fumble.

“Everybody did their job. Nobody tried to do more than what they were supposed to do and then things came open,” Johnson said. “Ron Rivera just had a nice game plan for us.”

TEAMS COMES THROUGH: After allowing three return touchdowns through Week 3, the Chargers special teams units held LaRod Stephens-Howling to 17.0 yards per kickoff return. Mike Scifres earned a net of 48 yards on his lone punt.

Quinton Teal, signed this week by the Chargers, played a role in the improvement, leading San Diego with three special teams tackles.

“My thing is, hurry up and run to the guy before he turns around, because once he’s turned around and I’m right there on him, there’s nothing he can do,” Teal said.

“My whole motto is, if I can’t make the tackle, I’m going to disrupt in some kind of way. I’m getting to the ball.”

FIRST FOR MATHEWS: As if Chargers fans needed anything else to celebrate on a dominating Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium.

A sack-strip by Kevin Burnett set San Diego up with a first-and-10 on the Cardinals 15-yard line.

On the next play, Ryan Mathews took a sweep right and sprinted into the end zone, colliding with the right pylon for the first touchdown of his NFL career.

Mathews didn’t unleash an extravagant celebration, instead sweating the call as he nearly went out of bounds.

“I thought I stepped out. I was looking at the ref, I was just like, ‘Please put your hands up,’” Mathews said.

STREAK STARTS AGAIN: A third-quarter Nate Kaeding 38-yard field goal skirted almost directly above the upright for his first regular-season miss in months.

It ended a streak of 22 consecutive made field goals during the regular season. He began another before the quarter ended, planting a 48-yarder through the uprights and made one from 47 yards in the fourth.

Kaeding now is 36-of-40 during the regular season since Week 1 last year.

ATTENDANCE: 62,189.