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:
1 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
Look back at who we picked as the best college football players of this millennium. The challenge was difficult. There were all-time greats in competition for spots on the first and second team. Heisman winners, Hall of Famers and future NFL superstars were among those left out in the voting by more than 10 college football writers and editors at USA TODAY Sports. Nineteen schools are represented on the first team that includes spots for specialists. Six teams have multiple players among that group with Alabama and Miami (Fla.) leading the way with three apiece. First-team offense QB Cam Newton, Auburn Newton was only a college starter for one season, but he certainly made it count. On his way to the Heisman Trophy in 2010, he racked up 4,327 total yards and 50 touchdowns while leading Auburn to a national championship despite playing on offense with no players who ever recorded a rushing or receiving yard in the NFL. There are other passers with gaudier career numbers, but no college quarterback in the sportÕs modern history has been so singularly impactful.
(John Reed, Imagn Images)
1 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
Look back at who we picked as the best college football players of this millennium. The challenge was difficult. There were all-time greats in competition for spots on the first and second team. Heisman winners, Hall of Famers and future NFL superstars were among those left out in the voting by more than 10 college football writers and editors at USA TODAY Sports. Nineteen schools are represented on the first team that includes spots for specialists. Six teams have multiple players among that group with Alabama and Miami (Fla.) leading the way with three apiece. First-team offense QB Cam Newton, Auburn Newton was only a college starter for one season, but he certainly made it count. On his way to the Heisman Trophy in 2010, he racked up 4,327 total yards and 50 touchdowns while leading Auburn to a national championship despite playing on offense with no players who ever recorded a rushing or receiving yard in the NFL. There are other passers with gaudier career numbers, but no college quarterback in the sportÕs modern history has been so singularly impactful.
(John Reed, Imagn Images)
2 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma Peterson burst on the scene, rushing for 1,925 yards and 15 touchdowns as a freshman in 2004 for an Oklahoma team that went undefeated in the regular season. Injuries limited his output in his final two seasons, but he still finished his three-year college career with 4,041 yards and 41 touchdowns while displaying a rare combination of raw power, agility and speed.
(Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
3 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
RB Reggie Bush, USC Bush wasn’t just a star, but a national phenomenon, someone whose fame transcended his sport. The versatile running back was the most electrifying player to come out of USC in a decade in which the Trojans helped define the sport. His 2,218 total yards and 18 touchdowns during his Heisman Trophy-winning junior season in 2005 only did so much to explain his brilliance. Even 20 years later, his highlights are as jaw-dropping as any a college player has ever put together.
(Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
4 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh The player with the second-most receiving yards in NFL history offered a peek at his prodigious talent in college, where he had 1,672 receiving yards, 22 touchdowns and a slew of acrobatic catches at Pitt in 2003. As a sophomore on a five-loss Panthers team, he was edged out by Oklahoma quarterback Jason White in one of the closest and most contentious Heisman Trophy votes this century.
(Jason Cohn, REUTERS)
5 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama As a freshman, Smith was on the receiving end of Tua TagovailoaÕs title-winning pass in the 2018 College Football Playoff championship game. By the time he was a senior, he finished with 1,856 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns Ñ both of which rank him in the top 10 all-time in the FBS in a season Ñ for a dominant Alabama team that gave Nick Saban his final national championship. That season, he became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since 1991.
(Gary Cosby Jr, The Tuscaloosa News via USA TODAY Network)
6 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia Bowers was a colossus, someone whose listed measurements of 6-4 and 240 pounds somehow seemed like they were underselling him. He was Georgia’s leading receiver in each of his three seasons at the school, a stretch in which the Bulldogs went 42-2 and won two national championships.
(Dale Zanine, Imagn Images)
7 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
OT Joe Thomas, Wisconsin A Wisconsin program that has been a factory for offensive linemen for the past 30 years has likely never produced a finer one than Thomas. Before setting an NFL record by logging 10,363 consecutive snaps, Thomas was a two-time first-team All-American for the Badgers. He has earned enshrinement in both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
(Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images)
8 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame The 6-5, 330-pound Nelson was a unanimous All-American as a senior in 2017 while serving as the centerpiece of a Notre Dame offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award. That promise he showed in college has carried over to the NFL, where he has been a three-time first-team All-Pro for the Indianapolis Colts.
(Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images)
9 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
OT Bryant McKinnie, Miami On a 2001 Miami team considered by many to be one of the greatest, most talented teams in college football history, there were few, if any, stars bigger than McKinnie, literally. The 6-9 All-American lineman won the Outland Trophy in 2001 and was eighth in Heisman Trophy voting, one of the highest finishes for an offensive lineman in the past 40 years. Perhaps most impressively, he never allowed a sack in his college career.
(Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)
10 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
G Barrett Jones, Alabama Jones won three national championships with the Crimson Tide and a long list of postseason accolades. In addition to earning first-team All-SEC honors three times, Jones won the Outland Trophy as a junior left tackle and then the Rimington Trophy as a center the next year, becoming the first and still only player in college football history to win both awards at two positions.
(Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images)
11 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida A Day 1 starter for the Gators, Pouncey had his best year as a junior in 2009, when he captured the Rimington Trophy and was a consensus All-America selection. Overall, Pouncey started 39 games over three years and helped Florida capture the 2008 national championship.
(Erik S Lesser, REUTERS)
12 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
All-Purpose Christian McCaffrey, Stanford Few players this century have made as big an impact in so many ways. After sharing touches as a freshman in 2014, McCaffrey exploded with a memorable sophomore campaign that saw him post 2,019 rushing yards and an NCAA-record 3,864 all-purpose yards in finishing second for the Heisman. His performance in that yearÕs Rose Bowl ranks among the best in the gameÕs history.
(Steven Bisig, Imagn Images)
13 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
First-team defense DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska There have been few if any more intimidating interior linemen in the sport’s history. Suh’s four-year run at Nebraska is defined by an unforgettable senior season: 85 tackles, 20½ tackles for loss, 12 sacks and an interception. He finished fourth in the Heisman voting, and might’ve been robbed.
(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)
14 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
DT Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh Before taking the NFL by storm, Donald was a wrecking ball for the Panthers who, like Suh, hit another level as a senior. In 2013, Donald had 28½ tackles for loss and 11 sacks in taking home the Lombardi, Nagurski, Bednarik and Outland trophies.
(Howard Smith, Imagn Images)
15 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
DE Terrell Suggs, Arizona State Suggs was a menace for the Sun Devils in the early 2000s and one of the most productive pass rushers in college football history. He recorded 10 sacks during his sophomore season and was first-team all-Pac-10. Things got better as a junior in 2002. Suggs was a unanimous first-team All-American and winner of Lombardi Award and Nagurski Trophy while setting an NCAA single-season record with 24 sacks that still stands.
(Rob Schumacher, The Republic via USA TODAY Network)
16 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M The future No. 1 overall draft pick was an immediate hit for the Aggies, pulling down 11½ sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a freshman and then led the SEC with 12½ sacks and 19½ tackles for loss one year later. While slowed by injuries in his third and final season, Garrett captured first-team All-America honors for the second time.
(Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images)
17 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame A second-team All-American as a junior after a campaign with a team-high 128 tackles, Te’o was the defensive leader for Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish reached the Bowl Championship Series title game in his senior season. He has a storage closet full of hardware, including the Bednarik, Nagurski, Lombardi and Butkus awards. That same year, Te’o became the second primary defender to finish second in the Heisman voting. He finished his career ranked third in program history in tackles.
(Matt Cashore, Imagn Images)
18 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
LB Will Anderson, Alabama An outside linebacker that also played at the line of scrimmage, Anderson crammed 62 tackles for loss and 34½ sacks into three seasons at Alabama, helping the Tide win one national championship in 2020 and play for another the following season. He was a two-time SEC defensive player of the year and twice won the Nagurski Award. Anderson finished fifth for the Heisman Trophy in as a sophomore then captured the Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award as a junior.
(Gary Cosby Jr., Imagn Images)
19 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
LB Paul Posluszny, Penn State By the time his Nittany Lions’ career concluded in 2006, Posluszny had etched his name among the best in the long line of Penn State linebackers. The two-time Bednarik Award winner and Butkus Award recipient recorded 372 tackles, then a school record, including 35 for loss and nine sacks, adding three forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions.
(Al Messerschmidt, WireImage)
20 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
CB Patrick Peterson, LSU In addition to developing into one of the gameÕ’s top cover corners in his three-year collegiate stint, Peterson led the SEC in punt return average and was second in kickoff return average in his final season with the Tigers in 2010. He swept the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards in his final college season and finished his LSU career with seven interceptions and 135 total tackles.
(Kim Klement, Imagn Images)
21 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
S Ed Reed, Miami Reed’s collegiate career began in 1998 but he qualifies for selection after finishing his senior season in 2001. He definitely saved his best for last as a unanimous All-America selection while helping lead the Hurricanes to the national championship. His nine interceptions that 2001 season brought his career total at Miami to 21, with five returned for touchdowns, while also recording four forced fumbles, four blocked punts, and 288 total tackles.
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
22 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
S Roy Williams, Oklahoma Williams was a dynamic player and all-Big 12 selection when the Sooners won the national championship in 2000. But it was his final season that made him a legend in Norman and propelled him toward NFL stardom. The 2001 Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski Award winner wrapped up his Oklahoma career with 287 tackles with 34 for loss, still a school record for a defensive back. And oh yeah, there was that “Superman” forced fumble that sealed the team’s win against archrival Texas.
(Scott Halleran, Getty Images)
23 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU Dubbed the Honey Badger for his ferocity, Mathieu made quite an impression in just two seasons with the Tigers in which he forced 11 fumbles and snagged four interceptions and was an elite returner. As a freshman, he totaled 57 tackles and was most valuable player of the Cotton Bowl. He shined as sophomore in 2011, winning the Bednarik Award and finishing fifth in Heisman voting. Mathieu was suspended the following season before entering the NFL draft.
(Sean Gardner, REUTERS)
24 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
First-team specialists PR Devin Hester, Miami Hester contributed on all three units during his three-year stint as a Hurricane from 2003-05, however he is most remembered for his electrifying returns that earned him Walter Camp All-America recognition as a sophomore and foreshadowed his record-setting pro career. In all he scored eight touchdowns in college, half of which came on punt returns, and amassed 2,070 all-purpose yards.
(Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
25 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
KR CJ Spiller, Clemson Though his primary position was running back, the flashy Tiger was a constant scoring threat regardless of field position. He amassed 7,588 all-purpose yards and returned eight kicks for touchdowns, with a total of 21 scores of 50-plus yards during his four-year collegiate stint from 2006-09.
(BART BOATWRIGHT, USA TODAY Network)
26 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
K Roberto Aguayo, Florida State Though it was harder to find a catchy nickname for him like members of the Gramatica family, Aguayo was nevertheless automatic during his three years kicking for the Seminoles. The 2013 Lou Groza Award winner totaled 405 points at FSU and was perfect on 198 PAT attempts, and he never missed a field goal inside of 40 yards. He immediately endeared himself to FSU fans as a freshman in 2013 by nailing a career-best 53-yarder against Miami.
(Kim Klement, Imagn Images)
27 / 27
Are your picks among the top college football players of the 2000s?
P Tory Taylor, Iowa Perhaps no program’s fans appreciate their punter more than Iowa’s, and few did it better than Taylor. The 2023 Ray Guy Award winner helped the Hawkeyes to a 10-3 record as a senior despite the team averaging just 16.6 points a game. Taylor averaged 46.3 yards per punt over his career and led the Bowl Subdivision in kicks downed inside the 20 three years in a row.
(Bryon Houlgrave, The Register via USA TODAY Network)
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 quarterback Davis Warren reacts after a touchdown against Georgia Tech at Stanford Stadium.
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?
