Stanford football (3-5, 2-3 ACC) showed early promise but couldn’t sustain its first-half momentum in a 42-7 loss to No. 9 University of Miami (6-1, 2-1 ACC) Saturday afternoon. The defeat, caused by two turnovers and special teams breakdowns, continues the Cardinal’s away game losing streak this season.
Miami opened the game with a strong first drive, marching to the Stanford 25-yard line before the Cardinal defense stumped the Hurricanes, forcing a missed field goal attempt. Capitalizing on this early stop, Stanford led an aggressive response. On fourth-and-one at midfield, the Cardinal converted on a tough run to the outside, and redshirt freshman running back Cole Tabb rushed 28 yards to place Stanford deep in Miami territory at its own 19-yard line.
With 4:43 left in the first quarter, redshirt senior quarterback Ben Gulbranson connected with junior wide receiver Caden High for a 19-yard touchdown, giving the Cardinal the lone score of the day and an early 7-0 lead.
The Cardinal defense continued to hold firm, forcing punts on Miami’s next two possessions. With just over a minute left in the half, the Hurricanes completed a five-yard passing touchdown to tie the game 7-7 heading into halftime.
“Our defense the last few games against some really good offenses has come out early and stifled offenses,” head coach Frank Reich said.
Stanford’s defensive pressure faded after the break. Miami returned the first punt of the second half 45 yards, setting up a short touchdown drive that put the Hurricanes ahead, 14-7.
On Stanford’s next possession, Gulbranson’s pass under pressure at the Cardinal’s 30-yard line was intercepted and returned inside the five-yard line, leading to another Miami rushing touchdown and a 21-7 deficit. A second interception on the following drive gave the Hurricanes another short field in Cardinal territory, and Miami capitalized again to make it 28-7.
Stanford benched Gulbranson midway through the final quarter in favor of redshirt freshman Elijah Brown, who went 3-of-5 for 39 yards. Gulbranson finished 9-of-21 for 50 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Miami continued to dominate, closing out the game in a 42-7 win over Stanford.
“[Miami] got after us, they got after us real good in the second half and gave it to us,” Reich said following the game.
Despite the team falling to 0-4 on the road, Reich remained optimistic.
“We’re going to go back to work and find ways to get better and enjoy the process,” Reich said.
Stanford will return home next weekend looking to snap its two-game losing streak. Kickoff against the Pittsburgh Panthers (6-2, 4-1 ACC) is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Stanford Stadium.