Tag: ACC

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Stanford looking for second straight win take on SMU Saturday

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Stanford Cardinal quarterback Myles Jackson (3) flips the ball back to the official in a game against the San Jose State University Spartans at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Sep 27, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 How significant is the “Bill Walsh Legacy” branding for this game in terms of recruiting, alumni engagement, and the rivalry’s narrative between the two programs at SJSU and Stanford?

#2 What happened to SJSU’s defense it didn’t stop or disrupt Stanford’s offense, given Stanford’s struggles in yardage and scoring so far this season?

#3 Which quarterback — Walker Eget for the Spartans or Ben Gulbranson for the Cardinal — had the edge in this matchup, especially in clutch moments (third downs, red zone, late drives)?

#4 How did both teams handle special teams and kicking — did Stanford or SJSU gain an edge via field goals, punts, or kickoff returns?

#5 What adjustments will the coaching staff make as the Cardinal take on the SMU Mustangs (2-2) in Dallas this Sat Oct 11 for a 9:00AM PT kick off. The Mustangs lost to the TCU Frog Horns (3-0) in their last game 35-24 on Sat Sep 20 dropping their record to 2-2. How do you see Stanford matching up with SMU this Saturday?

Michael Roberson is a Stanford Cardinal beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Virginia Hands Stanford Third Loss of Season 48-20

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Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) makes a catch over the Stanford Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright (6) in first half action at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville VA on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Virginia Cavaliers (3-1) defense just stuck it to the Stanford Cardinal (1-3) on Saturday at Scott Stadium. The Cardinal just couldn’t get any offense going scoring only 14 points in the first half and six points in the third quarter to keep up with the Cavaliers and picking up their third loss of the season 48-20.

Virginia got right after it in the first quarter taking an early 7-0 lead in the opening minutes. Quarterback Chandler Morris found Trell Harris for three yards and the touchdown. Stanford answered right back scoring in the first quarter at 8:27.

Five plays later quarterback Ben Gulbranson drove downfield for 76 yards and a touchdown to tie up the game seven apiece. Gulbranson found Benji Blackburn for five yards and the touchdown to even this game.

Virginia scored a second touchdown in the first quarter extending their lead to 14-7. Quarterback Chandler Morris threw a bomb downfield to Trell Harris for 75 yards and a touchdown. The Cavaliers went on a run for the rest of the quarter. with Morris again finding Harris, this time a 27 yard pass and Virginia had a 21-7 lead going into the second quarter.

The Cardinal were able to keep stride with Virginia in the second half of this game. The Cavaliers did score first in the second quarter to push their lead out to 28-7. Morris rushed for 13 yards and the touchdown.

The Cardinal were able to score in the final seconds of the half. They took the ball downfield; 80 yards in less than 90 seconds. Micah Ford rushed for 3 yards and the score keeping this a two-touchdown game. The Cardinal were able to match the Cavaliers in the second quarter. Virginia would start the second half with the ball.

The Cavaliers picked up where they left off in the second quarter driving downfield with ease for their fifth touchdown of the day taking a 35-14 lead. Morris connected with Sage Ennis for 13 yards and the score.

This was Morris’ fourth touchdown of the day. The Cavaliers would go on to extend their lead 38-14 kicking their first field goal of the day, a 27 yard Will Bettridge boot. With 5:35 left in the quarter, Stanford had a lot of work to do.

Gulbranson got right to work airing out the ball with just over four minutes left in the quarter for 68 yards caught in stride by Bryce Farrell, his first touchdown this season. The two-point attempt failed and the Cardinal trailed 38-20. Gulbranson had completed a number of impressive passes so far in this game.

Going into the fourth quarter Virginia had established a 38-20 lead looking for their third win of the season. Virginia would drive into the red zone early in the quarter threatening to extend their lead.

Unable to score the touchdown, Virginia kicked their second field goal of the day pushing their lead back out to three touchdowns 41-20. The Cavaliers had their third sack of the game resulting in a Stanford fumble and Virginia had forced the first turnover of the game with under nine minutes left on the clock.

The Cavaliers were back in business in Stanford territory. They would to on to score their sixth touchdown of the night taking a 48-20 lead. Stanford did drive deep into Virginia territory in the final minutes but failed to score. They attempted a field goal at the end but it failed.

Game notes: Saturday evening the Cardinal traveled back east for a matchup with the Cavaliers. Virginia came into this game a 15+ point favorite. The Cardinal faced a power-house offense that put their defense to the test.

The Cavaliers were averaging 265 yards per game. Looking at the Stanford offense, Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson was challenged by the Virginia defense all afternoon. After starting this season and looking like probably the worst Power Four team in football Stanford went out and upset Boston College last week 30-20 despite being a two-touchdown underdog.

Boston had some unfortunate plays and monster mistakes that resulted in the loss. Now the Cardinal travel cross country to take on the Cavaliers who have not not been overly impressive but they may not have to be in this matchup.

Virginia went down to the the wire against NC State, a road game, in their only loss. They blew away Coastal Carolina 48-7 and W & M 55-13. Stanford didn’t pose much of a threat to the Cavaliers. Stanford really struggled with passing issues.

Going forward the Cardinal could run into a lot of trouble against east teams. Virginia had a balanced attack through the air, as well as on the ground. In this game being played at home the Cavaliers they just ran away with this game.

Despite the lop-sided score Stanford was competitive in this game for much of the time. They had some really nice passing plays but just did not have the consistency needed to overcome the Cavaliers. Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson finished with 286 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bryce Farrell had 135 receiving yards.

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinal kick off against Cavaliers this Saturday in week 4 action

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Stanford Cardinal celebrate their win over the Boston College Eagles at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Sep 14, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1  Stanford Cardinal (1-2) running back Micah Ford carried for 157 yards and scored a touchdown. Ford reach a career high for yards carried.

#2 The win gave Stanford Cardinal head coach Frank Reich his first win at Stanford and also college win over the Boston College Eagles (1-2) 30-20 on Saturday.

#3 Stanford’s Collin Wright scored on a 19 yard interception in the first half of the game and the Cardinal defense did some prevent defense stopping a changing goal line stand just shutting down the Eagles in third quarter.

#4 Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson threw 13-22 passes for 186 yards that help get coach Reich his first college win as a college head coach. Reich was a quarterback in the NFL with the Charlotte Panthers and got a win with the Indianapolis Colts.

#5 The Cardinal head back east to face the Virginia Cavaliers (2-1) this coming Sat Sep 20. The Cavaliers won their last game against William and Mary Tribe 55-16. Cavaliers quarterback Daniel Kaelin went 8-14 for 164 yards and a touchdown.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cardinal win ACC football opener over BC 30-20

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Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Caden High (6) is thrilled as Stanford wins it’s opener against the visiting Boston College Eagles at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Sep 13, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Micah Ford rushed for 157 yards and a go-ahead touchdown for Stanford Saturday, helping the Cardinal win its first game of the season, a 30-20 Atlantic Coast Conference football victory over Boston College at Stanford Stadium.

The Cardinal improved to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the league, while BC dropped to 1-2 overall, 0-1 in the ACC.

Stanford opened the scoring with a pair of field goals by Emmet Kenney from 23 and 35 yards, giving the Cardinal a 6-0 lead after one quarter.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard at 13:38 of the second quarter on a 51-yard field goal by Luca Lombardo. Less than two minutes later, Turbo Richard caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Lonergan, and Boston College had its first lead of the game at 10-6..

On BC’s next possession, Jordan McDonald ran in on a 2-yard TD with 8:04 left in the second quarter, extending the Eagles lead to 17-6.

The Cardinal scored twice within 18 seconds to regain the lead. At 1:47 of the period, Sam Roush hauled in a 69-yard scoring pass from Ben Gulbranson. Eighteen seconds later, Collin Wright returned an interception 19 yards to put Stanford up 17-13.

Boston College tied the game at 20-20 going into halftime on a 31-yard field goal by Lombardo as the first half ended.

With 1:35 left in the third quarter, Ford’s 5-yard rushing touchdown put the Cardinal back in front to stay at 27-20. Stanford finished the scoring at 11:26 of the fourth quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Kenney.

Gulbranson completed 13 of 22 passes for 186 yards, one touchdown and was sacked twice. Bryce Farrell caught five passes for 72 yards, and Roush caught three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Lonergan completed 30 of 44 passes for 333 yards for BC with one touchdown, one interception and was sacked once. Richard ran 14 times for 54 yards. Reed Harris and Lewis Bond each caught seven passes – Harris racked up 141 receiving yards.

Next Saturday, the Cardinal travel to Charlottesville, Va., for an ACC encounter with Virginia. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. Pacific.

Cal Bears/NCAA Tournament podcast Morris Phillips: Cal-MS State meet in the 4-Spokane Saturday in LA

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Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron (top right), forward Liatu King (left), battle for the ball with the Cal Bears forward Ugonne Oniyah bottom right in the ACC quarterfinals in Greensboro NC Fri Mar 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

On Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 Cal is in their first March Madness since 2019 and will be in the 4-Spokane. The Bears are No.8 as they face No.9 Mississippi State on Saturday for a 2:30pm PDT tip in Los Angeles.

#2 The Bears will be playing in a familiar place at USC Galen Center. Would it help playing in a building they used to go to every year?

#3 Cal head coach Charmin Smith said, “I’m thrilled” said Smith “I’m just really excited. We did a lot of work to get to the NCAA Tournament. I think we can bring a lot of fans to Southern California and it’ll be a great matchup.”

#4 Cal who had a 25-8 season celebrated at a watch party last Saturday. This is Cal’s best record since 2012-13 Cal had finished 32-4 that season.

#5 Cal took a tough loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second round 73-64. Cal was the seventh seed in that tournament. The looking to rebound against Mississippi State Saturday. The Bulldogs are 21-11 and 6-6 on the road.

Morris Phillips does the Cal Bears podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#2 Cardinal Charged the Matadors 87-70, in NIT Opener, Tuesday Night on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud led in scoring against the Northridge Matadors at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue Mar 18, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Second ranked (NIT SF Regional) Stanford Cardinal (21-13) utilized their Maples Magic to handle instate opponent California State University – Northridge Matadors (22-11) 87-70, inside their Maples Pavilion.

Stanford led from wire to wire and had an advantage in the first 20 minutes The Cardinal was in control from the first shot made by redshirt-sophomore guard Ryan Agarwal from beyond the arc. They never looked back after that bucket.

The home team also produced a 9-0 run, while playing stellar defense against the Matadors. Stanford forced CSUN to shoot 37% from the field and 22% from three in the first half.

Senior forward Maxime Raynaud led all players in scoring at recess. He compiled 15 points, 5 rebounds and an intimidating 4 blocks in the initial half of the contest. Raynaud was not only the leading scorer for both squads, he was the only Cardinal player in double figures.

Although Benny Gealer was in single digits at the midway point of the game, his second three-pointer was at the halftime buzzer, which gave them their then largest lead (17). Also during the beginning frame, Raynaud placed himself in Stanford’s Top 10 scoring list.

Senior forward Keonte Jones was the Matadors’ lone double-digit scorer (11) and was the key player attempting to keep Stanford in reasonable reach.

After the Stanford mid-game buzzer beater, Stanford led by 17 points, 46-29. All the momentum seemed to be in Stanford’s favor and the sting of that heart-wrenching loss in the ACC Tournament appeared to be a distant memory

The second half had a similar start as the first half did 20 minutes prior. This time it was freshman forward Donavin Young launching a trey, putting his Cardinal up by 20 immediately. They would add another point to that impressive scoring margin during the final half.

CSUN tried to make it competitive, as more players contributed from the scoring aspect. However, Stanford was able to hold on to their large lead and win by 17 points, 87-70. Out of the Cardinal’s 21 wins, 17 have been in the friendly confines of Maples Pavilion.

Raynaud posted another double-double, 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. Oziya Sellers also scored 20 points, while Benny Gealer dropped 13 points and Jaylin Blakes chipped in 11 points and offered four assists.

The Matadors had four players scoring at least 10 points. Keonte Jones led CSUN with 18 points and 5 rebounds, while Scotty Washington tied Jones in rebounds while producing and tallied 17 points. Grady Lewis led his team in rebounds (7), while while producing 12 points, and Tyler Beard mustered up 10 points and team high four assists.

The Cardinal will play Round 2 of the NIT at Maples hosting Kent State, Saturday March 22 or Sunday March 23, time and date TBA at a later date,.

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson Tue Mar 18, 2025: Stanford holds lead over Matadors in 87-70 win

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) led with 22 points against the Cal State Northridge Matadors at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue Mar 18, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 First half Michael the Cardinal were just scoring like it was going out of style. The Cardinal finished the first half with a 46-29 lead against the Cal State Northridge Matadors.

#2 Once again Maxime Raynaud led Stanford in scoring with 22 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. Raynaud has come through all season long.

#3 Oziyah Sellers finished second in scoring with 20 points and three rebounds. Sellers has come through for the Stanford offense all season long.

#4 In the second half after a rough first half the Matadors ended up tying the Cardinal in second half scoring 41-41 but Stanford would come away with a 87-70 win at Maple Pavilion.

#5 The Cardinal take on Kent State Golden Flashes this Sunday at Maples. The Flashes have had a good season at 23-11. This could turn out to be as rather contested game coming up?

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinal can’t get over the buzzer beater shock to Louisville

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Oziyah Sellers guard (4) for the Stanford Cardinal goes up for the high percentage shot against the Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte NC on Thu Mar 13, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Stanford Cardinal were up for the Louisville Cardinals on Thursday night only to lose it on a Chucky Hepburn buzzer beater at the Spectrum Center on Thursday night 75-73. The Cardinal record falls to 20-13.

#2 For Stanford leading scorer Oziyah Seller with 22 points and made seven of 12 field goal attempts and four out six 3 pointers. Oziyah also had four rebounds, three assists had three steals which is a career high.

#3 The Stanford effort was all there in this heartbreaker, Maxime Raynaud scored 17 points, Ryan Agarwal had 11 points and Chisom Okpara had ten points.

#4 This is the first time the Cardinal had lost on a buzzer beater since Feb 27, 2010. The Arizona Wildcats LaMont Jones shot was the game winner as time run out.

#5 One of the amazing parts about this game Stanford who had lost previously to Louisville by 20 points was a prepared team and battling team that kept it close all game long and even had a 15 point lead at 14:36 only to see it melt away with 5:40 left in the game by just one point.

Michael Roberson is a Stanford Cardinal beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinals take out Cardinal 68-48 to close out regular season in Louisville

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Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) takes a shot over Stanford Cardinal forward Aidan Cammann (52) in the second half at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on Sat Mar 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Louisville Cardinals (25-6) basketball are a force to reckon with after winning their ninth straight game against the Stanford Cardinal (19-12) by a whopping 20 points 68-48 earlier today in Louisville.

#2 Louisville’s Terrence Edwards Jr and Chucky Hepburn had 16 points each they were two that the Cardinal defense had trouble stopping.

#3 One of the struggles for the Cardinal was that they went without a basket for eight minutes and missed 11 shots in a row. The Cardinals went on a 14-1 run and took a 29-11 lead.

#4 Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud was the only Cardinal to finish in double figures with 17 points. The Cardinal needed offense from Jaylen Blakes with five points, Oziyah Sellers eight points, Chisim Okpara eight points, and Ryan Agawal with seven points.

#5 Michael from what you have seen from today’s game the 20 point loss, the struggles from the defense, Raynaud being the only player in double figures. Going forward what adjustments will the Cardinal need when facing these Goliath teams.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Levels To The Game: No. 6 Irish Too Good For Cal Women Down The Stretch in 73-64 Win

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Cal Bears Marta Suarez (right) finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and got her sixth double double of the season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro NC on Fri Mar 7, 2025 (Cal Bears photo)

By Morris Phillips

For 26 minutes, Cal’s typically uneven game was more smooth than rough, giving them an unlikely 47-43 lead over higher-seeded Notre Dame. Over the final 14 minutes, the Irish took over.

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame’s only efficient scorer in this one, scored 25 points and the Irish advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals with a 73-64 win. Cal finishes their season 25-8 but should hear good news next weekend when the NCAA Tournament field is announced.

The Bears played without top reserve Jayda Noble, and saw Michelle Onyiah limited by foul trouble before fouling out in the final minutes. Still, the Bears came up with a far better effort against Notre Dame than they did in a 91-52 regular season loss. The Bears could have fared better but 28 turnovers gave the Irish more than enough opportunities to lift their play as the game progressed.

“I thought we were really competitive, and I thought we played good basketball aside from turning it over a bit too much,” coach Charmin Smith said.

“I think defensively we did a great job,” Marta Suarez said. “I think offensively we did a good job finding our shots. Our only issue was taking care of the ball.”

Cal’s offense looked elite with Onyiah on the floor and providing her team with a low-post presence. Onyiah shot 6 of 8 from the floor, and Lulu Twidale led Cal with 16 points. But the turnovers were glaring, and they kept the Irish from having to pay for subpar shooting from distance, and having anyone else on point from a shooting standpoint besides Hidalgo.

“Some of our shots, our normal shots, didn’t really go in in the first half. But I thought we really settled in in the second half,” coach Niele Ivey said.

The Irish will face Duke in the ACC semis with North Carolina and North Carolina State facing each other in the first matchup.

Smith wants to see her team seeded higher than eighth in the NCAA Tournament but without a significant upset win over Notre Dame or another top eight-nationally program, that’s where they figure to land come selection day a week from Sunday.