Stanford outlasted Georgia Tech Saturday, Sept. 26, in an offensive shootout at Stanford Stadium that could prove to be momentum-building for the Cardinal as they get their first ACC win of the season.
The Cardinal completely flipped the switch in the second half against Georgia Tech, showing up as a different team from their last two outings against Miami and Duke when they were outscored by a combined score of 80-13.
Stanford was headed in a similar direction after the first half. They faced a 20-10 deficit after allowing a field goal and touchdown on consecutive possessions in the opening quarter. The Cardinal defense had trouble early with Georgia Tech's offense led by Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando
Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft Pick. But Stanford (2-2, 1-2 ACC) outscored Georgia Tech (1-3, 0-1) 17-0 in the third quarter.
"The big message to our team this week was improve, was be the best at getting better, and we were really focused in practice of just having a phenomenal week of practice and doing our best to make sure that showed up in the game because I felt like the two weeks before Duke we practiced well, and that obviously didn't translate to the field like we wanted it to, and I thought this week it did more," coach Tavita Pritchard told reporters.
The Cardinal won 34-27 to get back to .500 on the season under their first-year head coach. Here's what we learned in Stanford vs. Georgia Tech:
Winners
Bounce back for Stanford QB Davis Warren
Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren finished with a career-high 396 passing yards on 22-of-36 passes and three touchdowns.
It was the bounce-back game that he needed. He threw for more yards against Georgia Tech Saturday than his previous two weeks against Duke and Miami. Warren looked poised practically all game and he didn't commit any turnovers.
It was the type of game he needed for his confidence moving forward as he leads Stanford in the tough ACC that includes Wake Forest and No. 3-ranked Notre Dame in the next two weeks.
Stanford get defensive in third quarter
Stanford clamped down as soon as the third quarter began. Whatever Pritchard said in the locker room at halftime work magically. For that 15 minutes period, the Cardinal looked like a completely different team. They forced turnovers, created pressure in the backfield and limited the Yellow Jackets' time of possession.
"You think about the second half, and a week ago we were down seven. We came out. We know how that game finished, but this week we came out and we were down 10, and that ended up being a 24-0 run, you know, to start the second half," Pritchard said. "I was really proud of the way our guys our guys came out with a concerted effort to start that half well. Defense got stops, offense finished and capitalized opportunities that we had to go punch it in the end zone. And yeah, again, was proud of the way our guys strained and finished."
When they go back over film and discuss the right way to do things, the third quarter of that game will likely have many appearances.
"I think we can finish finish the game a little bit better," he added. "But again, that's on me to make sure that we are coaching all those points down to every situation to make sure we can put the game away when it's there for us."
They continued to play lock-down defense into the fourth, but Georgia Tech had life at the end until a game-sealing interception from junior cornerback Brandon Nicholson.
Tavita Pritchard gets first ACC win
Pritchard was searching for his first ACC win after getting trounced by Miami and Duke in back-to-back weeks. It was a short honeymoon after his first-win as a head coach. That's why this is a positive takeaway for the first-year coach. There were adjustments made from week-to-week and it showed as the Cardinal offense looked alive.
"We still had some spots, and we have some spots that we can get better, that we can improve. But was proud of the way, especially that our guys finished the game," Pritchard said.
LOSERS
Georgia Tech QB Alberto Mendoza
Quarterback Alberto Mendoza started his first collegiate game against Stanford. Although his Yellow Jackets couldn't come up with the win, there were bright spots for Mendoza. He showed signs of accuracy and athleticism, however he made one too many attempts to keep the play alive, resulting in worse outcomes for Georgia Tech: once for a penalty, another for a turnover. To make matters worse, it was late in the game.
Overall, Mendoza finished with 26-of-39 for 268 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He'll have plenty more opportunities to be better.
Late-game Stanford injury
Georgia Tech just finished a 22-yard run gain and were gaining momentum until Stanford cornerback Brandon Nicholson put the nail in the coffin. The next play after the big gain, Nicholson read a pass from Mendoza, intercepting the first-time starter to practically seal the deal.
Unfortunately, Nicholson was injured while making the turnover play. He was checked on by Stanford athletic trainers, coach Pritchard and general manager Andrew Luck as he was helped off the turf and was carted off the field.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Stanford's win against Georgia Tech spark momentum, turnaround?
