Stanford football struggles through SMU loss
Saturday morning’s matchup between Stanford football (2-4, 1-2 ACC) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) (4-2, 2-0 ACC) was marked by costly mistakes and missed chances. Despite flashes of offensive spark, the Cardinal struggled through a 34-10 loss to the Mustangs.
Stanford’s first failure to capitalize came when they found themselves down 7-0 with just under a minute left in the first quarter. Redshirt senior quarterback Ben Gulbranson took a deep shot from his own 27-yard line to a wide-open sixth-year wide receiver Bryce Farrell on a post route. But Farrell, expecting an over-the-shoulder catch, turned the opposite direction from where the ball was coming and forced the Cardinal to punt the ball.
Stanford’s next major mistake came with 2:48 left in the second quarter. Facing 4th-and-goal at the SMU 1-yard line, Gulbranson handed the ball to sophomore running back Micah Ford, who had been impressive up until that point. However, Ford was stopped just short of the goal line, ending the drive and keeping Stanford scoreless. SMU would capitalize on this missed opportunity, scoring an 87-yard rushing touchdown on the next drive and extending the Mustangs’ lead to 17-0.
Stanford, with 35 seconds left in the half, finally found the end zone. Gulbranson led a quick four-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 14-yard strike to senior wide receiver CJ Williams on a dig route. The Mustangs entered halftime with a 17-7 lead.
Williams continued his stellar form, recording seven receptions for 103 yards in his third straight game with over 100 receiving yards.
“I think the last 100-yard game was a little bit better, right?” Williams said. “Because you come out with the win and that’s really all that matters at the end of the day.”
The second half followed a similar SMU-dominant pattern. With 6:21 left in the fourth quarter and the Cardinal threatening at the SMU 4-yard line, Gulbranson threw an interception that was returned the other way for a touchdown, pushing the score to 31-10.
“I thought Ben did a nice job there today,” head coach Frank Reich said when asked about Gulbranson’s performance. “I put him in a bad position on that last interception. I really take responsibility for that.”
Gulbranson finished 22 out of 40 for 278 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
The Cardinal will look to regroup after committing 10 penalties and failing to convert on key opportunities. They return to Stanford Stadium next week to face Florida State (3-3, 0-3 ACC) for reunion homecoming weekend. The Seminoles are also coming off a loss — and may lose their top-25 ranking. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Stanford Stadium.
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