Tag: Stanford

Oct 12, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Riley Leonard (4 TDs), No. 11 Notre Dame steamroll Stanford

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Riley Leonard completed 16 of 22 passes for a season-high 229 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, and No. 11 Notre Dame cruised to a 49-7 win over Stanford on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.

Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams rushed for one touchdown apiece for Notre Dame (5-1), which won its fourth straight game. Kris Mitchell, Jayden Thomas and Eli Raridon each caught one touchdown pass from Leonard.

Ashton Daniels completed 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards and carried the ball 14 times for 42 yards for Stanford (2-4). Justin Lamson scored the team’s lone touchdown.

The game was delayed for more than an hour because of inclement weather in the area. Players headed to their locker rooms and fans cleared the stands between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter because of nearby lightning.

Mother Nature was about the only thing that could pause the Notre Dame offense. Stanford opened the scoring with Lamson’s 1-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter before the Fighting Irish reeled off 49 points in a row.

Leonard helped Notre Dame establish a 21-7 lead at the half. He scored on a 6-yard run, connected with Thomas on a 15-yard touchdown and hit Mitchell for a 5-yard score.

The Fighting Irish added three more touchdowns in the third quarter to pull ahead 42-7. Price scored on a 16-yard run, Love broke open a 39-yard touchdown run, and Leonard notched his third touchdown pass of the game with a 5-yard strike to Raridon.

After play resumed, Notre Dame increased its lead to 49-7 with 9:17 remaining. Williams scored on a 19-yard run to finish an 11-play, 60-yard drive.

Fighting Irish backup quarterback Steve Angeli took over for Leonard with the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Angeli completed 2 of 5 passes for 19 yards.

Likewise, Stanford turned to Lamson at quarterback after the delay. He went 2-of-4 for 13 yards.

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard looks for an open receiver during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Louisville at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in South Bend.

After bye week, preparation crucial for No. 11 Notre Dame vs. Stanford

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A bye week allowed Notre Dame extra time to refresh and refocus on its game against Stanford on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

However, the No. 11 Fighting Irish (4-1) know that being rested is not as important as being prepared for their non-conference game against the Cardinal (2-3).

“There is no magic formula,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “I think every bye week is different, right? Where it occurs in your season, what injuries you have going on, your upcoming opponent. There’s a lot of different things that you have to focus on during that specific bye week.”

This time, Freeman is focused on keeping his players sharp against an opponent that knocked off the Fighting Irish in its most recent visit to Notre Dame Stadium. Stanford held on for a 16-14 win on the road against Notre Dame in 2022, and last season the Fighting Irish won 56-23 in Stanford, Calif.

Both teams feature plenty of new players from the last time the teams met in South Bend. Among them is Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, who has passed for 750 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and has rushed for 374 yards and seven touchdowns in his first five games with the program.

Freeman studied Leonard during the bye week, saying he thought the quarterback “did a really good job of decision-making.”

“Two weeks ago, I said we have to continue to focus on our move-to-pocket throws, which I thought he did a better job at,” Freeman said. “I have a lot of confidence in Riley. Nobody plays perfect, but I thought he did a really good job in terms of his preparation, in terms of his execution, and we’re going to continue to build on that.”

Notre Dame will seek its fourth win in a row after knocking off Purdue, Miami (Ohio) and then-No. 15 Louisville in its past three contests.

Meanwhile, Stanford is coming off back-to-back losses against then-No. 17 Clemson and Virginia Tech. The Cardinal have two wins this season after winning three games during all of 2023.

“It’s a growth process,” Stanford coach Troy Taylor said. “… We’re improving, and we’re much closer than we were last year. You talk about mental toughness, that’s what mental toughness is — being able to be the same person each day. As a leader, I’ve got to be consistent in everything I do and my mentality and my emotions and my preparation.

“Our players are so resilient. I think (each loss) hurts pretty badly for everybody for about a 24-hour period of time, and then once you get your eyes on the next opponent and start preparing, it starts to wane a little bit, and then, hopefully, you get a victory in the next week.”

Quarterback Ashton Daniels leads the Stanford offense with 633 passing yards and five touchdowns, with six interceptions, for the season. He also has a team-high 250 rushing yards.

Taylor said Daniels and the rest of the offense will face a stiff challenge against Notre Dame’s defense.

“They’re good in all areas,” Taylor said. “… They play a lot of man coverage. They’ve got a lot of confidence.”

The Cardinal defense will try to stop Leonard as a dual-threat quarterback, and they also must focus on the Fighting Irish’s one-two punch at running back: Jeremiyah Love has 373 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and Jadarian Price has 211 yards and two scores.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) scores a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech defense stars in win at Stanford

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Kyron Drones threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a third, the Virginia Tech defense forced two turnovers that were turned into scores, and the Hokies celebrated a rare trip to California with a 31-7 Atlantic Coast Conference football victory over host Stanford.

Drones completed 14 of his 19 passes for 201 yards without an interception, while Bhayshul Tuten rushed for a game-high 73 yards and a score, propelling Virginia Tech (3-3, 1-1) to a bounce-back victory after a controversial loss to Miami last week.

Justin Lamson, subbing for injured Ashton Daniels, threw for 103 yards on 24 attempts for Stanford (2-3, 1-2), which lost its second straight ACC game.

After a defense-dominated first half that ended with Virginia Tech up 14-0, the Hokies took command when it needed just four plays to navigate 75 yards to open the third period. Drones connected with Da’Quan Felton at both ends of the four-play sequence, moving the chains with a 17-yard completion before combining for a 55-yard touchdown.

Felton was the game’s top receiver with four catches for 84 yards.

When running back Micah Ford threw 19 yards to Elic Ayomanor for a touchdown late in the third, Stanford got within 21-7.

After a Virginia Tech punt, the Cardinal had a chance to further cut into the deficit, but Keonta Jenkins swiped a Lamson pass, returned it 13 yards to the Stanford 35, and set up a clinching 2-yard TD run by Drones.

John Love completed the scoring with a 46-yard field goal with 2:33 remaining.

The only turnover of the first half went a long way to creating the visitors’ 14-point halftime margin.

After a Stanford missed field goal, the Hokies drove 65 yards in seven plays on their first possession, with Stephen Gosnell getting the game’s first touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Drones.

Stanford then methodically went 47 yards on 11 plays when it got the ball back. But on second down at the Virginia Tech 2, Lamson fumbled, giving the visitors possession after Antwaun Powell-Ryland recovered.

After an exchange of punts, the Hokies took their 14-0 halftime lead on a 7-yard run by Tuten.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney reacts during the third quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Cade Klubnik (5 total TDs), No. 17 Clemson blow out Stanford

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Cade Klubnik threw touchdown passes to three different receivers over a 5:33 span bridging the third and fourth quarters Saturday night, helping 17th-ranked Clemson pull away from visiting Stanford for a 40-14 Atlantic Coast Conference football victory.

Klubnik finished with four touchdown passes and a 34-yard TD run for the Tigers (3-1, 2-0 ACC), who have outscored opponents 165-69 since a 34-3 opening loss to Georgia.

Micah Ford rushed 15 times for a game-high 122 yards for Stanford (2-2, 1-1), which was playing on the East Coast for the second consecutive week in its first two ACC games.

Klubnik’s TD run opened the scoring and came three plays after Stanford failed on a fourth-and-1 at its own 34 on the game’s opening possession.

The Tigers’ lead became 10-0 when Nolan Hauser nailed a 20-yard field goal five plays after an Avieon Terrell interception in the end zone that denied Stanford the second time it had the ball.

The Cardinal managed to stay within 17-7 at halftime when Ashton Daniels’ 19-yard touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor with 39 seconds left in the second period offset a 3-yard Jake Briningstool TD catch 70 seconds earlier.

A second Hauser field goal, this one from 33 yards, had Clemson up just 20-7 before Klubnik’s spree.

He threw 43 yards to Cole Turner, 34 yards to Bryant Wesco Jr. and 2 yards to Olsen Patt-Henry, the latter coming with 10:36 remaining in the game and extending the hosts’ lead to 40-7.

Stanford’s Lamson threw 22 yards to Emmett Mosley V for a touchdown with 2:31 to go to cap the scoring.

Klubnik went 15-for-31 passing for 255 yards with one interception. Wesco was the Tigers’ leading receiver with 104 yards on just two catches, while Phil Mafah led Clemson rushers with 10 carries for 58 yards. Klubnik had 48 yards on seven runs.

Mosley had seven catches for 48 yards and Ayomanor four for a team-high 50 for the Cardinal, which was outgained just 405-361 but hurt itself with three turnovers to the Tigers’ one.

Daniels was intercepted three times during a 9-for-19, 71-yard performance, before Lamson came on in relief to throw for 54 yards on 4-for-8.

-Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) runs as Syracuse Orange defensive back Clarence Lewis (3) defends during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Stanford tops Syracuse on last-second field goal to earn first ACC win

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Emmet Kenney kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder as time expired, to send visiting Stanford to a 26-24 win over Syracuse on Friday night.

Playing in their first Atlantic Coast Conference game following a long run in the Pac-12, the Cardinal (2-1, 1-0 ACC) never trailed until the waning minutes. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord found receiver Darrell Gill Jr. for 24 yards on third-and-17 then hooked up with Jackson Meeks for a 13-yard TD with 3:13 remaining as the hosts jumped ahead 24-23.

However, the Orange (2-1, 1-1) were unable to stop Stanford on the final possession. Ashton Daniels’ 27-yard back-shoulder throw to Elic Ayomanor on fourth-and-9 set up the Cardinal at the 18-yard line, allowing Kenney to drill the winning kick in the final seconds.

McCord finished 27 of 42 for 339 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus a rushing score. Daniels went 23 of 38 for 178 yards with one TD and two picks.

McCord accounted for two touchdowns — one for each team — in the latter portions of the third quarter. With a little more than four minutes left, he was intercepted by Mitch Leigber, who returned it 71 yards to put Stanford ahead 20-10 following the extra point. However, McCord got the points right back for the Orange, scoring on a 19-yard run in which he jumped over a defender on his leap into the end zone.

McCord’s second interception of the game — this one nabbed by Jay Green — set up the Cardinal around midfield less than a minute into the fourth quarter. The visitors drove into the red zone before settling for Kenney’s 35-yard field goal that made it 23-17 with 9:19 to play.

After the teams exchanged punts to begin the contest, Stanford drove 78 yards — capped by Ayomanor’s one-handed TD grab — to open the scoring. Another punt by the Orange set up Kenney’s 38-yard field goal to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter.

The Cardinal still held a 10-point advantage, 13-3, after Kenney’s 51-yard field goal with 1:35 remaining in the half. Yet, that left Syracuse enough time to cash in on McCord’s last-minute 67-yard TD pass to Umari Hatcher, whose defender fell down on the play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Kyle McCord, Syracuse welcome Stanford to ACC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a long run in the Pac-12 Conference, Stanford makes its Atlantic Coast Conference debut Friday night when it visits Syracuse and its impressive quarterback, Kyle McCord.

The Cardinal (1-1, 0-0 ACC) are now part of a 17-team league that features a recognizable face in Cal, another newcomer in SMU and the 14 returning teams from a season ago. The Orange (2-0, 1-0) are included in that latter group and are coming off a big victory against another veteran ACC foe, Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets, then ranked No. 23, visited the Orange two weekends ago and left with a 31-28 loss. McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdown passes for Syracuse, giving him 735 yards and eight TD strikes through the first two games of the season.

“I’m very thankful, of course, and the team is thankful to have him as our quarterback,” Orange coach Fran Brown said of the Ohio State transfer.

Meanwhile, Stanford trounced FCS foe Cal Poly its last time out, posting a 41-7 victory as Ashton Daniels and Elijah Brown combined to complete 26 of 30 passes for 318 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“So much of a quarterback is just experience and knowing what to expect,” Cardinal coach Troy Taylor said of Daniels, “and he just continues to grow in that area. He’s a dynamic runner, he’s a physical runner and he gives us a chance (to win). … I’m sure glad he stuck around to stay with us.”

Special teams could be key in determining the winner of this one. Stanford returned a punt for a touchdown, blocked a field goal and converted a fake punt in its last game, while Syracuse had a punt blocked, had a field goal blocked and failed to recover a Georgia Tech onside kick in its most recent contest.

“Those things are momentum changers,” said Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright, who recorded an interception in the Week 2 win.

This is the first ever meeting between the teams.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier (24) is tackled by Cal Poly Mustangs safety Jeremy Justice (25) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Ashton Daniels tosses 2 TDs as Stanford routs Cal Poly

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ashton Daniels threw two touchdown passes and Tiger Bachmeier scored on a 90-yard punt return as Stanford overcame a slow start to roll past Cal Poly, 41-7, Saturday in Stanford, Calif.

In the first-ever meeting of the schools, Stanford (1-1) fumbled on its first possession. But the Cardinal pulled away in the second half to snap their 10-game home losing streak.

Daniels was efficient throughout as he completed 19 of 23 passes for 221 yards and no interceptions.

Meanwhile, the Cardinal defense stonewalled the rushing game of Cal Poly (0-2). The FCS Mustangs gained just 25 yards on 20 carries.

Cal Poly quarterback Bo Kelly completed 17 of 25 passes for 149 yards and an interception.

The Mustangs, who were gunning for their first win over an FBS school since toppling Wyoming in 2012, played Stanford even up in the first 28 minutes before the Cardinal took the lead for good with a textbook hurry-up drive.

In the final 1:32 of the first half, Daniels completed six straight passes for 70 yards before giving way to Justin Lamson, who scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper to put the Cardinal in front 14-7.

Stanford then dominated the second half. Bachmeier struck first with his 90-yard burst, which tied the second-longest punt return in program history.

After a 32-yard field goal, the first of two by Emmet Kenney, Collin Wright picked off a Kelly pass to set up another Stanford score.

It came as Daniels zipped a 5-yard touchdown pass over the middle to tight end Sam Roush, which swelled the lead to 31-7.

With the victory secured in the fourth quarter, freshman Elijah Brown made his college debut, completing all seven of his passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Ismael Cisse, who made the touchdown grab, was the game’s top receiver with eight catches for 79 yards.

Cal Poly’s lone score came early in the second quarter when wideout Michael Briscoe threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jake Woods.

It was Stanford’s first home win since October of 2022 when it topped Arizona State. The last Cardinal loss to an FCS school came last year when they fell to Sacramento State.

–Field Level Media

Sep 1, 2022; Fresno, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper (5) is tackled by Cal Poly Mustangs defensive lineman Elijah Ponder (14) after making a catch in the third quarter at Valley Children's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Stanford hosts Cal Poly, looking for first home win since 2022

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Still seeking its first home win under coach Troy Taylor, Stanford will host FCS opponent Cal Poly on Saturday in Stanford, Calif.

The Cardinal (0-1) opened Taylor’s second season of leading the program with a 34-27 loss last week to visiting TCU, Stanford’s eighth defeat at home since the beginning of last season.

The Cardinal’s home woes include a 30-23 setback against Taylor’s former team and Cal Poly’s Big Sky Conference counterpart Sacramento State last season.

“FCS is really good football, and they’ve got good coaches,” Taylor said Tuesday. “With the amount of talent that is out there, especially with the transfer portal, you can create a really good football team in a short amount of time.

“There’s no overconfidence in us. We lost to an FCS team last year,” he added.

While Sacramento State came to Stanford having become a perennial playoff team under Taylor, Cal Poly represents the other end of the Big Sky standings.

The Mustangs (0-1) have not had a winning record since 2016 and finished their first season under coach Paul Wulff at 3-8 last year.

Wulff said before the 2024 opener that Cal Poly has “been growing this thing for a couple years, and we feel now we’re in a position to be competitive and surprise some people.”

Year 2 with Wulff opened with a 27-21 loss at San Diego last week. A 36-yard scoop-and-score by Budha Boyd Jr. gave Cal Poly a lead early in the third quarter, but San Diego rolled off 17 consecutive points.

Quarterback Bo Kelly threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Jackson Akins came on in the fourth quarter and finished strong with a touchdown pass.

Creating scoring opportunities from takeaways could be key for the Cardinal on Saturday. Taylor praised the Stanford defense’s improvement from a season ago, showing up when Jay Green and David Bailey each forced fumbles against TCU.

Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels threw for a touchdown and rushed for 89 yards in Week 1 but was just 17-of-35 passing for 163 yards and took four sacks.

The Cardinal offensive line can expect another challenge protecting Daniels from Cal Poly’s talented edge rusher, Elijah Ponder. Ponder’s 10 sacks in 2023 were the sixth-most in the FCS.

–Field Level Media

Aug 30, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Jack Bech (18) catches a pass against Stanford Cardinal safety Jay Green (5) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Hoover, TCU pass Stanford in fourth quarter

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Josh Hoover completed 28 of 42 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns to lead visiting TCU to a 34-27 victory against Stanford in the season opener for both teams on Friday.

Horned Frogs receiver Jack Bech caught six passes for 139 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 3:13 left. JP Richardson finished with six catches for 107 yards, and Savion Williams had 11 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Ashton Daniels took most of the snaps at quarterback for Stanford, and he completed 17 of 35 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Daniels also rushed for a team-high 87 yards on 17 carries.

Justin Lamson completed his only pass for a touchdown and also scored on a 1-yard run with 6:57 left in the fourth quarter to give Stanford a 24-20 lead.

Bech subsequently caught a 4-yard scoring pass from Hoover to move the Horned Frogs back in front 27-24.

After the Cardinal were stopped on downs deep in their own territory, Cam Cook scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:51 remaining to make it 34-24.

Cook finished with 81 yards on 20 carries.

Emmet Kenney kicked a 45-yard field goal with 36 seconds left to cut the Cardinal’s deficit to 34-27, but the Horned Frogs recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.

Stanford scored on its opening drive with help from three personal fouls on TCU, which committed seven penalties for 100 yards.

Daniels capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Harris for a 7-0 lead with 7:57 left in the first quarter.

TCU scored on its opening drive as well, marching 75 yards on 13 plays and tying the score 7-7 on a 5-yard touchdown strike from Hoover to Williams with 1:16 left in the first quarter.

Mitch Leigber forced a fumble for the Cardinal and teammate Jay Green recovered at the Stanford 30 before returning it 10 yards, giving the Cardinal prime field position early in the second quarter.

Lamson took over at quarterback for Stanford with the short field and hit Ismael Cisse with a 2-yard touchdown pass to move the Cardinal in front 14-7 with 9:19 left in the opening half.

TCU’s Kyle Lemmermann booted a 22-yard field goal to cut the margin to 14-10 with 4:09 left in the half.

Kenney answered with a 35-yard field goal, stretching the lead to 17-10 with 1:36 left in the second quarter.

Lemmermann booted a 42-yarder with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

Hoover scored on a 1-yard sneak with 2:22 left in the third quarter to give TCU its first lead at 20-17.

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal tight end Benjamin Yurosek (84) warms up before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Stanford TE Benjamin Yurosek commits to Georgia

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Former Stanford tight end Benjamin Yurosek confirmed Friday he is transferring to Georgia.

The 6-foot-4, 242-pound senior caught 108 passes for 1,342 yards and five touchdowns as a three-year starter for the Cardinal from 2021-23.

Yurosek told ESPN he was attracted to Georgia because of the competition in the Southeastern Conference and for the way the Bulldogs deploy their tight ends.

“Obviously Georgia has the best of both worlds,” Yurosek said. “They have big-time football and the use of tight ends.”

He will help the Bulldogs replace All-American Brock Bowers, regarded as the top tight end in the 2024 NFL Draft class.

Yurosek is finishing his undergraduate degree at Stanford this quarter before enrolling at Georgia.

–Field Level Media