Stanford football’s (1-2, 0-2 ACC) first road test of the season fell flat against the reigning ACC champion Duke Blue Devils (3-0, 1-0 ACC), extending a program-high 12 consecutive away losses. In a game where the Cardinal struggled to find their footing, the 7-35 loss was highlighted by an allowed 268 rushing yards to the Blue Devil rushing attack, the most rushing yards given up by Stanford since the 2024 28-59 loss to NC State.
The game opened with a quick gut punch, as Duke’s special teams started with a successful onside kick.
“I thought that was a big shift of momentum, obviously, for us to not get that opening kick,” head coach Tavita Pritchard said in the postgame conference.
However, the Blue Devils failed to capitalize on the possession steal. After marching down to the Cardinal second-yard line within the first three minutes of the game, junior cornerback Darrius Davis caught his first career interception in the back of the Stanford end zone.
With a scoreless first quarter, Duke quickly took a 14-0 lead in the second with two back-to-back scoring drives, including an explosive 32-yard run down the sideline by sophomore running back Nate Sheppard.
The Cardinal answered before the end of the half with an impressive sub-two-minute drill that went seven plays for 55 yards, culminating in a five-yard connection between sixth-year quarterback Davis Warren and senior wide receiver Caden High. Despite the Blue Devils leading in total offensive yards and having a greater time of possession by more than five minutes, a more disciplined Stanford team with only a single penalty found themselves within striking distance at the halfway mark.
Unfortunately, Duke quickly shut down any chance of a Cardinal comeback, opening the half with two back-to-back scoring drives on rushing touchdowns, putting an exclamation mark on the game. Stanford’s touchdown before the end of the half would be the only points the Cardinal offense saw this game.
“There’s two good backs on that side, and they do a great job of breaking tackles,” Pritchard said about Duke’s two-headed monster of Sheppard and sixth-year running back CJ Campbell Jr.
The Blue Devils’ 7-35 win was largely due to the game being run through Sheppard, who finished with over 150 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. Four of Duke’s five scores were rushing touchdowns.
Beyond Stanford’s struggles against the run, Warren found difficulty connecting with his wide receiver core, going only 18-of-32—a 56% completion percentage—for 151 yards. The Cardinal receiving group also made numerous mental errors, with seven total drops. Junior running back Micah Ford had a solid showing, averaging 6.9 yards per carry for 76 yards, but was lightly used as the Cardinal fell behind by multiple scores.
“We did not play a good game. We missed the mark, and that starts with me,” said Pritchard.
Stanford will look to make the proper adjustments by next weekend in a home game against Georgia Tech (1-2, 0-0 ACC). The Yellow Jackets are now led by national champion and redshirt junior quarterback Alberto Mendoza. Kickoff for the Saturday night showdown is set for 7:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium.