The 127st Big Game lived up to its namesake — except it didn’t go the way the Cardinal faithful wanted. 

After holding a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter of the Saturday game, Stanford (3-8, 2-6 ACC) gave up 17 straight unanswered points in a close loss at California Memorial Stadium by a score of 24-21. 

“Obviously got a strong start and was able to get a lead. Then obviously we came up a play short,” said Stanford football head coach Troy Taylor. “Really proud of our guys. We came up short as a coaching staff and players. That’s painful because you’re so close.”

With a fourth straight Big Game loss, the Stanford football program is at a crossroads.

With the exception of junior cornerback Collin Wright, the entire secondary was manned by freshman after senior safety Mitch Leigber left the game. 

Certainly they appeared unseasoned during Saturday’s game, as Cal’s receivers regularly beat Stanford’s secondary down the field for big plays down the stretch. Four Golden Bear receivers had tallied at least 45 yards during the game. 

But it’s futile to blame players who were donning high school jerseys just months ago for Stanford’s rivalry loss. With the inability to dive into the transfer portal to consistently pick up experienced talent, the Cardinal had no other choice but to put its newly minted defensive backs out there as a rite of passage. 

“You gain stuff from experience,” Taylor said. “These [freshmen defensive backs] went through trial by fire. Maybe a little more seasoning would’ve been in their best interest, but they knew they had to step up because of injuries.”

While the talk of opening the transfer portal valve has been a tired conversation surrounding Stanford athletics, it reared its ugly head today in a way that’s hard to omit. With a more experienced secondary, Stanford likely would have won the game.

But beyond the myopic view of Saturday’s game, for the first time in nearly two decades, there’s a class of Stanford seniors who have never experienced a Big Game win. 

While the past four seasons have been more than frustrating for Cardinal fans, Saturday’s game against Cal may be the game to break the camel’s back in multiple ways.

Will key alumni and donors demand policy changes regarding the transfer portal, revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness (NIL)? Will President Jon Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez also demand structural changes?

Or is the fanbase too apathetic to demand a better performance?

Time will reveal the answer.