Stanford football’s (2-3, 1-2 ACC) inaugural ACC home game at Stanford Stadium ended in disappointment, as the Cardinal’s passing game struggled in a 31-7 loss to Virginia Tech.

Junior quarterback Justin Lamson, making his fourth career start in place of the injured junior Ashton Daniels, was unable to generate enough production through the air, a recurring theme in his limited starts.

Lamson, known for his mobility, had flashes of success on the ground but failed to translate that into a consistent aerial attack. Stanford’s game plan leaned heavily on the run, with Lamson rushing for 36 yards and freshman running back Micah Ford adding 47 yards, but the passing game stalled throughout, with Lamson completing just 45% of his throws for 48 yards in the first half. The absence of sophomore wide receiver Elic Ayomanor from the stat sheet during the opening two quarters only underscored Stanford’s offensive woes.

There were moments when the offense was humming along, but turnovers cut a few drives short. In the first half, a run-heavy drive featuring Lamson’s legs ended in frustration when he fumbled at the 3-yard line. A drive in the second half also ended prematurely with Lamson’s interception, which ultimately set up a field goal for Virginia Tech to extend their lead.

“I made a lot of crucial mistakes,” Lamson said. “I was moving the ball down the field, and then I had a turnover early, which put us behind. Not very good as we only scored seven points.”

In total, the Cardinal offense could only muster up 122 passing yards as Virginia Tech tallied 201 passing yards. The offense lacked explosive plays, and head coach Troy Taylor acknowledged the lack of downfield success in his postgame remarks.

“We just never had any big plays, really,” Taylor said. “We took shots, but either misfired or didn’t protect well. It’s going to be hard to go six, seven, eight yards per shot.”

The second half saw a momentary spark in the passing attack when Ford, a former high school quarterback, threw a 19-yard trick-play touchdown pass to Ayomanor, cutting the deficit to 21-7. It was a brief glimpse of what the Cardinal offense could accomplish, but that optimism faded when Lamson threw an interception near midfield, quashing Stanford’s hopes of mounting a second half comeback.

Though Taylor praised Lamson’s toughness and grit, it’s clear that the former Syracuse quarterback is still finding his footing in the Cardinal offense in year two. His 44% career completion rate entering the game remains a concern, as does Stanford’s inability to create separation in the passing game. The loss marked a continuation of Stanford’s offensive struggles in ACC play, as Taylor’s squad remains a work in progress.

“Justin is a gritty, tough kid. He’ll give you everything he possibly can,” the coach said. “I know he didn’t play probably his best, but I thought he gave it all and left it all on the field.

“And you know when you come up short, you certainly can sense that we need people to play better.”

Looking ahead, Stanford’s ACC schedule doesn’t get any easier, with a trip to South Bend to face No. 14 Notre Dame looming. The Fighting Irish will be coming off a bye week after an impressive 31-24 win over then-No. 15 Louisville the week prior.

The return of Daniels as the starter is not a guarantee for next week at this time, but Taylor is confident he will be ready to go next Saturday.

“Hopefully, he’ll be ready to go, because, like I said, he was available if we really needed him,” he said. “We just want to make sure he’s completely healthy and 100% so he can kind of protect himself back there.”

Other Notes

• It was not announced until a few hours before kickoff that Lamson would be starting in favor of Daniels. Daniels, who was questionable all week after exiting last week’s game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury, was on the sideline and listed as available for the Cardinal. However, he did not enter the game.
• Fifth-year starting center Levi Rogers was seen heading to the locker room during the second quarter and returned with a boot and crutches. He did not return to the game.
• Junior safety Jaivion Green, who had been previously listed as questionable for today’s game by Stanford football head coach Troy Taylor, did not play.
• Running back Ford appeared to injure his right foot as he limped off the field in the final minute of the game. Taylor could offer no initial update on Ford’s injury.