The Opening Kickoff
• Stanford plays its second home game in as many weeks when it hosts Cal Poly on Saturday afternoon inside Stanford Stadium.
• The Cardinal opened the 2024 season on Aug. 30 against TCU, falling 34-27 to the Horned Frogs. That loss is the first Friday loss in three games in the Troy Taylor era for Stanford.
• Elic Ayomanor picked up right where he left off following a breakout 2023 season. He led Stanford in receiving in its Week 1 game against TCU, with seven receptions for 102 yards, his fourth 100-yard receiving game of his career (13 games). His 102 yards were the seventh most in the ACC in Week 1.
• Stanford's defense is starting to show signs of making big plays. Dating back to last season, the Cardinal defense has forced seven turnovers in its last three games, including a pair of forced fumbles in the season opener against TCU. During that same span, Stanford is +3 in the turnover battle.
• Another sign of improvement from the defense came against the run. Stanford limited TCU to just 104 yards on the ground, good for only 3.1 yards per carry. Those numbers contrast to the 2023 Card defense allowing 163.7 rushing yards per game in 2023 with 4.7 yards per carry.
• The Cardinal got off to a fast start against TCU, scoring a touchdown on its opening drive and holding a 17-10 lead at halftime. The opening drive touchdown was the team's first since its 2023 home opener against Sacramento State. The team's halftime lead was its first since Sept. 23, 2023 against Arizona.
• Saturday afternoon marks a pair of firsts for Stanford football: its first matchup against Cal Poly, and its first appearance on ACCNX. The Mustangs opened the season with a 27-21 loss to San Diego on Aug. 31. Despite returning a fumble for a touchdown, Mustangs quarterback Bo Kelly threw three interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns.
• Stanford is attempting to win its first home game under Troy Taylor. The team is 0-8 at home, with its most recent home win coming on Oct. 22, 2022 against Arizona State.