• The 126th Big Game takes place on Saturday afternoon at Stanford Stadium as Stanford hosts California. The game is televised on Pac-12 Network and kicks off at 3:30 pm.
• The Cardinal lost last week on the road 62-17 to then-No. 12 Oregon State. After Stanford's defense had its best game of the season at Washington State, it allowed a season-high in points and yards.
• All three Stanford wins in 2023 have come on the road. Despite losing to the Beavers, Stanford has clinched a winning record in road games for the first time in a non-COVID-19 season since 2018.
• Elic Ayomanor eclipsed 100 receiving yards at Oregon State, the third time he has done so this season. He now has the most 100-yard games by a Stanford receiver since J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had five during the 2018 season. He also became the first Cardinal since Luke Powell in 2000 to have multiple 75-yard receptions in the same season.
• Prior to the Cardinal's final road game of the season, kicker Joshua Karty was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the best kicker in the country. Karty was a finalist in 2022 and was named a First Team All-American last year. He ranks seventh in Stanford history in field goals made at 45 and has the best field goal percentage in program history (84.9%).
• After struggling early in the season with third-down defense, Stanford has been better in the past few weeks. At Washington State and Oregon State, the Cardinal held both teams to just 7-22 on third down. Stanford has had the second-worst defense on third downs most of the season, but over the last two weeks, it is 35th in the country and third-best in the Pac-12.
• Stanford has lost three of the last four Big Games, but had won the previous nine.
• California remained bowl eligible after beating Washington State 42-39 last week in Berkeley. The Golden Bears would have to win out to finish 6-6 and be eligible for a postseason bowl. California is averaging over 30 points per game this season and they have one of the best running backs in the conference. Jadyn Ott ranks second in the conference in rushing yards (1,014) and rushing TDs (10).