The Opening Kickoff
- Stanford football is back following its second bye week of the season, hitting the road to face SMU on Saturday at 9 am PT on The CW.
- SMU is one of Stanford's protected rivals in the ACC, along with California. The two programs will meet annually within the ACC, alternating locations between Stanford and Dallas. SMU won last year's game 40-10.
- Prior to the bye week, Stanford came from behind to defeat San Jose State 30-29 in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game. The Cardinal trailed 26-14 in the fourth quarter but took the lead with 19 seconds remaining on a one-yard rushing touchdown from Sedrick Irvin.
- Ben Gulbranson put together the best game of his collegiate career and enters Week 7 as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the ACC. Gulbranson threw for 444 yards against the Spartans, the third-most passing yards in a single game by a Stanford quarterback. Over his last three games, Gulbranson is completing 66% of his passes for 916 yards and five touchdowns without an interception.
- With an increase in passing yards, Stanford's wide receivers are beginning to break out. CJ Williams has recorded consecutive 100-yard receiving games, and Caden High had his first 100-yard game at Stanford against San Jose State. With both Williams and High going for over 100 yards, Stanford's offense has had consecutive games with multiple 100-yard receivers for the first time since 1998.
- Stanford's defense has allowed the second-most trips to the red zone of any team in the country (28), but ranks ninth in opponents' red zone touchdown percentage (39.3%). That mark is second-best in the ACC, behind only North Carolina.
- Sticking with the wide receivers, CJ Williams is tied for sixth in the ACC in receptions (28) after having just 31 the last two years at Wisconsin. Bryce Farrell has 346 receiving yards after compiling just 323 receiving yards during his first five seasons on The Farm. His 69.2 receiving yards per game is eighth in the ACC.
- The last Stanford football game to kick off prior to 12 pm local time was the Cardinal's Week 3 game in 2018 against UC Davis (11 am PT).