Stanford’s pass defense has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 0-2 start to the season.
That group is sure to be tested in Stanford’s home — and Atlantic Coast Conference — opener Saturday night against Boston College (7:30 p.m., ACC Network).
Eagles redshirt sophomore Dylan Lonergan has thrown eight touchdown passes without an interception in his first two starts after transferring from Alabama. The Georgia native was named ACC Quarterback of the Week after completing 34 of 45 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns in BC’s double-overtime loss at Michigan State last Saturday after BC opened the season with a 66-10 win over Fordham.
Stanford linebacker Tevarua Tafiti (11) and Stanford safety Jay Green (5) attempt to intercept the pass during an NCAA college football game against BYU, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
“I’m excited to see our defense play this offense, this team, this quarterback,” Stanford interim coach Frank Reich said. “We have to find ways to put pressure on them. We have to be in tight coverage and not give them easy stuff. But they do a good job — a lot of short, intermediate stuff, but then he has the arm to get the ball down the field, so it’ll be a good challenge.”
The Cardinal (0-2) allowed 210 passing yards on 40 attempts against a pass-heavy, run-and-shoot Hawaii offense in a season-opening 23-20 loss. Last week, Stanford lost 27-3 at BYU, but the Cardinal defense clamped down again, allowing just 175 yards to the Cougars, the first time it held a team to under 200 yards through the air since the 2023 season.
Those numbers represent a significant step forward from a unit that allowed 287.5 passing yards per game last season, the sixth-most in the country.
When BYU started four drives at midfield or better in the first half last week – including two possessions that started inside the 20 due to turnovers – the Cardinal held the Cougars to six points in that stretch to keep the game competitive.
“I think a lot of times a team might get an explosive play on you and you kind of start to fall apart on that drive,” linebacker Hunter Barth said. “I think we did a good job of, when an explosive play might have happened or we got put in a bad position on defense, just kind of buckling down, trusting our technique and not letting what had happened before affect our performance for the next play.”
The Cardinal has found ways to combine strong coverage with a productive pass rush. Seventh-year defensive tackle Clay Patterson has led the way with three sacks in the first two weeks, just a half-sack off the FBS lead.
Stanford defensive lineman Clay Patterson celebrates his sack against BYU during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday Sept. 6, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Jeffrey D. Allred)
Taking over as one of the starting inside linebackers in 2025, senior Matt Rose ranks third in the ACC in tackles (20), trailing only Rasheem Biles and Zach Crothers of Pittsburgh.
“I think we took a good step and gained some confidence on defense,” Reich said. “We were going into a hostile environment against a good offense, and we could go out there and have a pretty good outing. I think that confidence is important for the team, and that’s what we need on offense right now.”
While the 6-foot-2 Lonergan has thrived in BC coach Bill O’Brien’s system, redshirt senior Ben Gulbranson hasn’t been able to find his footing in his first season at Stanford. The Oregon State transfer is 32 of 62 passing (51.6 percent) for 251 yards and no touchdowns, while committing four turnovers and being sacked four times.
Overall, the Cardinal passing offense has the second-worst pass efficiency in the FBS (75.9), ahead of only Akron.
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Despite the sluggish start, Reich said during his media availability on Monday that he wasn’t ready to announce a change at quarterback.
“The one thing I will not do is overreact,” Reich said.
FROM AFC TO ACC
Reich and O’Brien faced each other five times when Reich coached the Indianapolis Colts and O’Brien coached the Houston Texans, who also played in the AFC South.
Reich went 3-2 against O’Brien, including a win in the 2018 AFC wild card game that served as Stanford GM Andrew Luck’s final NFL playoff victory.