The Opening Kickoff
- After an early off week, Stanford football returns to action against BYU in a Saturday night clash in Provo.
- The Cardinal looks for its first win of 2025 after dropping a heartbreaking 23-20 game at Hawai'i in Week 0. Stanford allowed two Hawai'i field goals in the final 2:01 of the game, including the game-winner as time expired.
- Stanford's run game was much-improved against the Rainbow Warriors and they made a commitment to pounding the rock. Stanford ran the ball 43 times for 177 yards, including 113 yards and a touchdown from sophomore Micah Ford. The emphasis on the ground game helped Stanford hold onto the ball for 36:07, the team's most time of possession since 39:01 against Washington in 2019.
- Staying with the running game, Micah Ford's 113-yard performance was his second career 100-yard rushing game. He also scored a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, the first rushing touchdown by a Stanford running back in 20 games.
- On the first defensive snap of 2025, Clay Patterson forced a strip-sack of Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado, recovered in the end zone by Wilfredo Aybar for a touchdown. After scoring three defensive touchdowns in 2024, including a fumble recovery touchdown in the season finale, Stanford's defense got off to another fast start in terms of turnovers.
- Matt Rose took over one of the starting inside linebacker positions and delivered. Week 0 against Hawai'i was just his second career start, but he paced the team in tackles with 13, more than double his previous career high (6). It was the most tackles recorded by a Stanford linebacker since Bobby Okereke in 2019.
- Stanford welcomed 17 transfers to the program in 2025, the most in a single season in program history and more than all other seasons combined. This comes after the Cardinal brought in just four transfers in advance of the 2024 season.
- This is a return trip to Provo following the 2022 season finale that featured Stanford and BYU. That was the final game coached at Stanford by David Shaw, the winningest head coach in program history.
- Stanford has not lost following an off week since Week 4 of the 2022 season. The Cardinal is 3-0 following off weeks in the two years since.