Stanford's Hopes Fizzle as Pittsburgh Outguns Cardinal 35-20
In a disappointing afternoon at Stanford Stadium, the Cardinal suffered a crushing 35-20 defeat to Pittsburgh Panthers. The Panthers' victory was marred by a dismal performance from quarterback Ben Gulbranson, who struggled mightily behind a leaky offensive line and an inconsistent running game.
The contest began on a sour note for Stanford as Pittsburgh's Mason Hentschel completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to CJ Williams, setting the tone for a long day for the Cardinal. However, the home team managed to hold strong, thanks in part to a crucial interception by sophomore Brandon Nicholson, which helped Stanford take an early lead of 10-7.
But despite being the underdogs, Pittsburgh soon took control of the game. Gulbranson's struggles continued as he was intercepted not once, but twice in the second quarter, and again in the fourth quarter, allowing Pittsburgh to pull ahead by a wide margin.
The Panthers' success can be attributed to Hentschel's impressive performance, which saw him complete 23 of 38 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. His counterpart, Gulbranson, was far less fortunate, finishing with just 17 of 30 attempts for 228 yards and three interceptions.
As the final whistle blew, Stanford coach Frank Reich expressed his disappointment, but refused to point fingers at any individual players, instead choosing to focus on the team's collective mistakes. "I've learned over the years, don't just jump the gun," he said. "I'm not looking to point fingers... I'm just looking to figure out how we get better."
The loss marks a significant setback for Stanford, which had previously won four straight games at home dating back to last season. The team now looks to bounce back with two crucial wins against North Carolina and Cal before finishing up the season against Notre Dame.
In related news, CJ Williams continued his impressive form, hauling in seven catches for 122 yards, while senior Sam Roush had a career-high eight receptions for 104 yards. Despite the disappointing defeat, Stanford remains hopeful that it can still reach five wins for the first time since 2018.
In a disappointing afternoon at Stanford Stadium, the Cardinal suffered a crushing 35-20 defeat to Pittsburgh Panthers. The Panthers' victory was marred by a dismal performance from quarterback Ben Gulbranson, who struggled mightily behind a leaky offensive line and an inconsistent running game.
The contest began on a sour note for Stanford as Pittsburgh's Mason Hentschel completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to CJ Williams, setting the tone for a long day for the Cardinal. However, the home team managed to hold strong, thanks in part to a crucial interception by sophomore Brandon Nicholson, which helped Stanford take an early lead of 10-7.
But despite being the underdogs, Pittsburgh soon took control of the game. Gulbranson's struggles continued as he was intercepted not once, but twice in the second quarter, and again in the fourth quarter, allowing Pittsburgh to pull ahead by a wide margin.
The Panthers' success can be attributed to Hentschel's impressive performance, which saw him complete 23 of 38 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. His counterpart, Gulbranson, was far less fortunate, finishing with just 17 of 30 attempts for 228 yards and three interceptions.
As the final whistle blew, Stanford coach Frank Reich expressed his disappointment, but refused to point fingers at any individual players, instead choosing to focus on the team's collective mistakes. "I've learned over the years, don't just jump the gun," he said. "I'm not looking to point fingers... I'm just looking to figure out how we get better."
The loss marks a significant setback for Stanford, which had previously won four straight games at home dating back to last season. The team now looks to bounce back with two crucial wins against North Carolina and Cal before finishing up the season against Notre Dame.
In related news, CJ Williams continued his impressive form, hauling in seven catches for 122 yards, while senior Sam Roush had a career-high eight receptions for 104 yards. Despite the disappointing defeat, Stanford remains hopeful that it can still reach five wins for the first time since 2018.
but cj williams is like a total stud 
i need to know more about mason hentschel tho... who is he? 
is pittsburgh gonna make it to the playoffs? 
. The Panthers' D played like champs, but that shouldn't be on Pittsburgh alone - they got some decent help from their own coaching crew 
. They gotta regroup and refocus, 'cause two losses in a row isn't exactly where they want to be 
. On the bright side, CJ Williams is still looking like a stud 
! Maybe this loss can actually propel them into some real momentum 
. They got lucky with those interception returns and Mason Hentschel had a decent day but it's not like he carried the team on his back alone 
what's going on with that offense though? ben gulbranson cant seem to get anything right on the field 
and fran reich is trying to play it cool but its clear he's frustrated too 
still, gotta give the team credit for holding strong early on, 10-7 was a good start... but that momentum didn't last 
they were so close but just couldn't seem to get it together with ben gulbranson behind center it's like he had some major rust or something 
what do you guys think would've happened if stanford had won that game? would they've been in the running for a title or was it already too late 
. But hey, we can't dwell on this loss too much - we've got a big season ahead of us and we need to bounce back from this one ASAP 
! And let's be real, CJ Williams and Sam Roush are straight fire 
35-20 was a brutal beat for Stanford, but I still think they've got this season in them if they can bounce back from here 
. One day we're soaring high, and the next, we're crashing down to earth. The Stanford team's defeat serves as a poignant lesson in humility - no matter how skilled or strong we may feel, external circumstances can swiftly turn the tables against us 
️. And yet, in the midst of such disappointment, lies an opportunity for growth 
. Perhaps Coach Reich's words hold wisdom: it's not about pointing fingers, but rather embracing our collective vulnerabilities and working together to rebuild 
. The Stanford team's resilience will be tested like never before, but perhaps that's where true strength lies 
i mean, 3 interceptions in one game? that's just not gonna cut it coach reich is right tho, it's all about the team effort... or lack thereof 
can't say i'm surprised though, stanford's offense has been struggling all season 
like what's going on with his timing? and pittsburgh looks so solid, cj williams is killing it out there 
but you gotta wonder if stanford can even get its act together for the rest of the season 
. And to make matters worse, they couldn't even hold onto their own momentum 
. They had some good players like CJ Williams and Sam Roush, so it's not like they didn't have any chances 
- 17 of 30 attempts for 228 yards and THREE INTERCEPTIONS... talk about a major letdown for Stanford 
. And can we pls just say that Stanford's defense was all over the place 