Stanford University achieved a remarkable turnaround by upsetting Florida State University 20-13 in a thrilling home game on March 30, 2024. This victory marked the Cardinal’s second consecutive win at Stanford Stadium, following a narrow victory over San Jose State. With this win, Stanford improved to 3-0 at home for the first time since 2018, the last year they qualified for a bowl game.
The game concluded dramatically with a controversial play. Stanford running back Gavin Sawchuk was ruled down just inches from the goal line during a final untimed play, a decision that was upheld after an extensive review. Interim coach Frank Reich expressed his pride in the team’s performance, stating, “This is crazy. Really proud of the guys. I just love the fact that we’re 3-0 at home.”
The Cardinal, now standing at 3-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play, entered the game as 17.5-point underdogs against the Seminoles, who have now lost nine consecutive conference games.
Backups Rise to the Occasion
In a challenging turn of events, Stanford lost both starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson and running back Micah Ford to leg injuries in the second quarter. Gulbranson’s status remained unclear post-game. Stepping into their roles were redshirt freshmen Elijah Brown and Cole Tabb, who executed a crucial 13-play, 94-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, extending Stanford’s lead to 20-10.
“(Elijah’s) always composed,” Tabb commented on his teammate’s performance. “You know what you’re going to get out of EB. He’s always calm, cool, collected back there.” Brown completed 6 of 12 passes for 71 yards, maintaining focus and avoiding mistakes, while Tabb rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
Coach Reich praised Tabb’s performance, stating, “Cole had a massive game. 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.”
Defensive Standouts
The Stanford defense, which faced a Florida State offense averaging 536.5 yards and 44.2 points per game, performed admirably. Despite losing standout cornerback Collin Wright early in the game, the defense held firm. Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos managed only a single scoring run late in the first half, while the defense limited the Seminoles to just 133 rushing yards on 43 carries, significantly below their average.
Junior safety Jay Green emphasized the defensive strategy, saying, “The key to that was stopping the big plays in the run, making Tommy make plays in the air with his arm.” The Cardinal’s defensive line effectively stifled the Seminoles’ rushing attack, allowing only 3.1 yards per carry with a longest run of just 15 yards.
Stanford appeared to have secured the victory as Florida State took possession with just over a minute left on the clock. True freshman Kevin Sperry stepped in for Castellanos, who left the game after a late hit. Facing a critical third-and-22 from their own 38, Sperry launched a 53-yard pass to Micahi Danzy, bringing the Seminoles to the Cardinal’s 9-yard line with only two seconds remaining. A pass interference call on Stanford set up Florida State at the 2-yard line for an untimed down, but Sawchuk was stopped just short of the end zone, sealing Stanford’s victory.
Looking ahead, Stanford aims to secure its first road win of the season in their upcoming matchup against Miami. Coach Reich acknowledged the challenge, stating, “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.”
This victory has exceeded preseason expectations, as the Cardinal were projected to finish last in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference. With three more home games and matchups against unranked teams, Stanford has a clear path to improve on its recent struggles.
Reich concluded by expressing excitement about the team’s direction under the guidance of former player Andrew Luck, saying, “It’s really exciting to see what Andrew Luck is doing, how he’s leading this program.”
