October 20th 2024.
The atmosphere at Stanford Stadium was buzzing with excitement as the Mustangs from SMU took on the Cardinal for the very first time. The crowd erupted into chants of "S-M-U" as the game kicked off, and it didn't take long for the Mustangs to make their presence known. On the very first play from scrimmage, they scored an impressive 87-yard touchdown pass, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Led by quarterback Kevin Jennings, SMU took full advantage of a weakened Cardinal secondary, racking up 205 passing yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter alone. By the end of the quarter, they were already up 21-0, leaving the Cardinal struggling to keep up. Despite facing their fourth consecutive loss by a large margin, the Cardinal remained determined, even though three of the teams they faced were highly ranked.
The game started off rocky for Stanford, with their two-year starter Ashton Daniels only gaining 25 yards in their first three drives. In a bold move, coach Troy Taylor decided to switch things up and put in freshman Elijah Brown, who had limited experience from a previous game against Cal Poly. Brown managed to throw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to turn the tide. He finished the game with 153 passing yards, two interceptions, and six sacks, including one for a safety.
The Cardinal were also dealing with the absence of three of their regular starters in the secondary: safeties Jay Green and Scotty Edwards, as well as cornerback Zahran Manley. This proved to be a major setback, as Edwards took full advantage of the situation by throwing three touchdown passes of 87, 45, and 38 yards in the first quarter alone. By the end of the game, SMU had amassed an impressive 501 yards of offense.
Although Stanford's defense managed to intercept Edwards once, leading to their only touchdown of the game, it was clear that they were struggling to keep up. Even their ground game was hindered, with their only scoring drive coming from a fumbled punt return, giving them a short field to work with. Despite the tough loss, the Cardinal will have another chance to redeem themselves next Saturday when they take on Wake Forest at home.
This game was not only a historic first meeting between the two teams, but it also marked the beginning of a long-standing rivalry as they are both protected rivals in the ACC. This means that they will face each other every season, giving the Cardinal plenty of opportunities to turn the tides. But for now, they will have to regroup and come back stronger in their next game against Wake Forest, hoping to secure a win against an FBS opponent at home for the first time since 2022.
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