STANFORD – Stanford lost 12 straight games against FBS teams at Stanford Stadium before winning its 2024 home finale. Now it seems like it can’t lose there.
The Cardinal followed up a last-minute win over San Jose State with an even more improbable win Saturday night against Florida State to improve to 3-0 at home for the first time since 2018 – the last time it made a bowl game.
Gavin Sawchuk was ruled down inches from the goal line on a final, untimed play, a call that was upheld after a lengthy review, to end a 20-13 Stanford win.
“This is crazy,” interim coach Frank Reich said. “Really proud of the guys. I just love the fact that we’re 3-0 at home. We’ve taken some punches and had some down moments. We’ve been money at home. We find ways to win.”
The Cardinal (3-4, 2-2) won as 17.5-point underdogs over the Seminoles (3-4, 0-4), who lost their ninth straight conference game, which ended at 2:17 a.m. on the East Coast.
BACKUPS STEP UP
Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson and running back Micah Ford both suffered leg injuries in the second quarter and didn’t return. Reich didn’t provide an update on either starter after the game.
In stepped a pair of redshirt freshmen, quarterback Elijah Brown and running back Cole Tabb, who led a 13-play, 94-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter that gave Stanford a 20-10 lead.
“(Elijah’s) always composed,” Tabb said. “You know what you’re going to get out of EB. He’s always calm, cool, collected back there, no matter what the situation is. He came back there, took the reins, led us to a win.”
Brown, who started a game last year, was the presumed starter before Gulbranson transferred in from Oregon State after spring practice. He finished 6 of 12 passing for 71 yards but didn’t make any big mistakes as Stanford protected its lead.
Tabb had 118 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
“Cole had a massive game,” Reich said. “Every time I looked up, the pylon kept moving and moving. He has the speed to get outside. Great vision, great balance. Really a great player. Very happy for him. A monster game. Made the tough yards. Made explosive plays. Just a trustworthy guy on your team. He had such a big game, such a big game.”
DEFENSE SHINES
The Seminoles ranked third nationally in yards per game (536.5) and fifth in points per game (44.2) behind a rushing offense that had scored 22 touchdowns.
FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos had an 8-yard scoring run with 40 seconds left in the first half, but otherwise the Stanford defense held firm despite losing top cornerback Collin Wright in the first quarter.
“I think the key to that was stopping the big plays in the run, making Tommy make plays in the air with his arm,” junior safety Jay Green said. “We trusted our front, so we held it up in the back end. We knew that was the plan going in, just stop the run, kind of figure everything out from there.”
Florida State finished with 133 yards on 43 carries, less than half of its average of 274.5 yards per game on the ground. It averaged just 3.1 yards per carry and its longest run was 15 yards.
HOLDING ON
Stanford seemed to have the game in hand when FSU had one last possession at its 20 with 1:03 left and no timeouts. True freshman Kevin Sperry was leading the Seminoles after Castellanos was injured while sliding on a late hit by safety Mitch Leigber, who was ejected for targeting.
Florida State faced a third-and-22 from its 38 with 10 seconds left, but Sparry completed a 53-yard pass to Micahi Danzy to the Stanford 9 with two seconds left, and then the Cardinal were called for pass interference in the end zone on the next play, setting FSU up at the 2 for an untimed down.
Sparry completed a shovel pass to Sawchuk, who was hit by Stanford linebacker Matt Rose and hit the ground just before the ball reached the end zone.
UP NEXT
After defending its home field, the next step for Stanford is to win its first road game.
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“We’ve talked about one step that we’ve got to prove to ourselves is that we can go on the road and play good football,” Reich said.
It won’t be easy next Saturday at Miami (4 p.m., ESPN), whose margin for error for making the ACC championship game and the College Football Playoff narrowed after the Hurricanes lost to Louisville Friday night.
But Stanford has already exceeded preseason expectations – the Cardinal was picked to finish last in the 17-team ACC. It now has three more home games and three games against unranked teams to improve on the 3-9 record the team has had for four straight seasons.
“It’s really exciting to see what Andrew Luck is doing, how he’s leading this program, how he’s connecting with all the past players,” Reich said. “We’re doing everything we can do to fight, scratch and claw, put this program back where we want it to be.”