Late field goal lifts Demon Deacons over Cardinal 27-24; Stanford’s winless streak continues, 12th consecutive loss to FBS opponents

Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Eric Ayomanor scampers from the grasp of a Wake Forest Demon Deacons defender at Stanford Stadium on Sat Oct 26, 2024 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Wake Forest kicker Matthew Dennis booted a 23-yard field goal with under two minutes to play Saturday, as the Demon Deacons slipped past Stanford 27-24 in Atlantic Coast Conference football at Stanford.

It was the fifth loss in a row for the Cardinal (2-8 overall, 1-4 ACC) and are winless in the last two seasons. Stanford has lost 12 consecutive home games to FBS opponents.

Wake Forest, meanwhile, won its third straight road contest and moved a step closer to bowl eligibility, The Demon Deacons rolled up 418 yards in total offense, while Stanford had 346.

Nick Anderson wrapped up the victory for Wake Forest (4-4 overall, 2-2 ACC) when he intercepted an Ashton Daniels pass with 22 seconds to play. A 36-yard punt return by Taylor Morin gave the Demon Deacons the ball at midfield, setting up the game-winning field goal.

Demon Deacons quarterback Hank Bachmeier tossed three touchdown passes in the first half, including a 30-yard strike to Micah Mays Jr. and a 39-yard TD toss to Tate Carney. Bachmeier threw for 245 passing yards on 20 of 30 completions, but struggled in the second half and was sacked four times.

At 12:44 of the second period, Justin Lamson scored from a yard out to put the Cardinal on the board. Wake Forest turned the ball over at 8:58 of the second period when Bachmeier was sacked and fumbled, Tevarua Tafiti picked up the ball and ran 44 yards for the game-tying touchdown.

Emmet Kenney kicked a 40-yard field goal at the end of the quarter, and the Cardinal trailed 24-17 at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Cardinal tied the game with 8:41 to play on a 16-yard TD pass from Daniels to Sam Roush. Dennis later booted his go-ahead field goal for Wake Forest with 1:48 remaining,

Demond Claiborne rushed for 127 yards on 23 carries for Wale Forest, and Deuce Alexander led the Deacons with five catches, Daniels completed 24 of 31 passes for 214 yards, one touchdown, and was intercepted twice. Daniels also led Cardinal ball carriers with 54 rushing yards on 11 carries. Elic Ayomanor caught 11 passes for 96 yards to lead Stanford receivers.

The Cardinal travel to Raleigh, N.C., next week to face NC State.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal hoping to end skid against Oregon State Saturday at Berkeley

NC State Wolfpack tight end Justin Joly (15) fell short of scoring a touchdown after being tackled by Cal Bears defensive back Cam Sidney (20) in the first half at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris it was quite an afternoon last Saturday as the NC State Wolfpack edged the Cal Bears at Memorial Stadium 24-23 from your view how close of a game was it for Cal in trying to seal the deal on this one?

#2 The Wolfpack’s CJ Bailey was successful in scoring two touchdowns and getting 306 yards enough offensive yards to get the job done.

#3 First half a close game where Cal had NC State close 13-10. The Bears Jaivian Thomas with an impressive 49 yard run for Cal’s first score of the game making it 7-0 with 13:47 in the first quarter. Second quarter Cal kicker Derek Morris booted a 41 yard field goal at 1:12 and Morris added another three points with a 26 yard field goal seven seconds left to close out the first half Cal in front 13-10.

#4 Third quarter again Morris kicked a field goal at 9:10 and a seven yard carry for a touchdown by Thomas with 24 seconds left in the quarter making it 23-10. In the fourth quarter the Wolfpack got touchdowns from Dacari Collins and Hollywood Smothers that edged out the Bears in the for a 24-23 Wolfpack win.

#5 Next game at Cal this Sat Oct 26 at 1:00pm PT as former co Pac 12 team the Oregon State Beavers come calling. The Beavers lost to UNLV last Saturday 33-25. The Beavers are 4-3 and have lost three of their last five games. The Bears are on a four game losing streak and hope to snap it this Saturday how do you see Oregon State and Cal matching up this Saturday?

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

Cardinal Stampeded by Mustangs 40-10 on an Early Saturday Evening on the Farm

Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) looks to pass against the SMU Mustangs in the first half at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Oct 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanfords Cardinal (2-5, 1-3 ACC) had no resistance for the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (6-1, 3-0 ACC), as they ran free all over the Bay Area stadium and campus, 40-10, in front of a crowd of just under 20,000 fans.

SMU wasted no time with their onslaught of the Cardinal, with an immediate TD pass for 87 yards and a quick 7-0 lead. Redshirt sophomore QB Kevin Jennings hit senior receiver Moochie Dixon for the first play of the contest scoring effort. The Mustangs were not finished scoring in the initial quarter.

Nearly 10 minutes later, SMU mounted another scoring drive via the air. Jennings tossed his second TD pass to senior WR Key ‘Shawn Smith for a 45-yard TD. Less than three minutes later, Jennings throws his third touchdown (38) pass of the quarter, this time with elusive grace and maneuverability.

After escaping the rush, he connected with junior tight end R.J. Maryland. With less than two minutes left in stanza one, SMU led 21-0. The quarter ended with the same score; however both teams committed crucial penalties to end the first 15-minute black of the ACC battle.

The second quarter started ominously for the Cardinal. Freshman QB Elijah Brown threw an interception. Fortunately for them , the Mustangs did not capitalize o the miscue. A few minutes later, Stanford forced a fumble on their punt, they recovered the ball on SMU’s 46 yard line. Nothing resulted from that opportunity, but they had another chance less than two minutes later.

The hot-armed Kevin Jennings threw an egregious interception on his own 14-yard line. Stanford parlayed that into an eventual touchdown, and got off of the proverbial goose egg and brought the score to a respectable 21-7. Brown threw an 18-yard pass to redshirt sophomore WR Elic Ayomanor to put them on the scoreboard.

The problem was, the Mustangs were not finished scoring before recess. They actually added 10 more points to their tally before the midway point of the game. Redshirt junior running back L.J. Johnson Jr. scampered five yards to paydirt, increasing their lead to 28-7. At the halftime whistle junior kicker Collin Rogers booted a 51-yard FG. At the half, SMU led 31-7.

Mustangs’ QB Kevin Jennings had an impressive 30 minutes of play: 244 passing yards, 3 TDs & an INT. Elijah Brown threw for 45 yards, with a TD and INT.

In the second half, Stanford’s first drive stalled and they had to punt. Fortunately for them, SMU fumbled again on a punt return. Stanford was able to take advantage of the error and get points out of the turnover. Senior kicker Emmet Kenney converted a 42-yarder to bring the team within three touchdowns, 31-10. The score stayed the same after 45 minutes of regulation, but Stafford sacked Jennings right at the end of quarter number three.

The Dallas Area Equines had an interesting start to the fourth quarter. They missed a field goal attempt and intercepted a pass within the first minute of the final quarter. Less than three minutes later, they had Stanford penned down on their own goalline, and the inevitable happened. Elijah Brown was sacked in the endzone for a safety. Two more points on the docket for the Mustangs, and they led 33-10 with nearly 12 minutes left in the game.

For good measure and to have a nice round number on the scoreboard, the visitors from Texas added another touchdown to their already impressive total. 40-10, with 5:03 left in the game, on a 2-yard plunge by L.J. Johnson, for his second rushing TD.

The only suspense left after that last score was how long will it take for the scoreboard to reach triple-zeros? After 60 minutes, SMU 40, Stanford 10.Elic Ayomanor caught 4 passes for 55 yards and a TD.

SMU’s Kevin Jennings was 17-27, 3 TD’s & INT, while LJ Johnson Jr. rushed for 45 yards and scored 2 TDs.

Stanford is next in action Saturday, October 26. They will host Wake Forest at 12:30pm PDT on the ACC Network. SMU heads to North Carolina to take on Duke, also on Saturday, October 26, at 5:00pm EST on the ACC Network

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal looking to snap three game skid against NC State Saturday

Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) had to run for his life pretty much all afternoon against Pitt Panther tackle Braylan Lovelace (0) and the Panther pass rush at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Oct 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 There was no holding down Pitt Panthers last Saturday as they maintained their undefeated record now at 6-0 while Cal drop to 3-3.

#2 Close game but Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza couldn’t get enough points on the board as Cal fell short 17-15.

#3 For Mendoza he threw 27-37 for 272 yards and one touchdown. Did the Panthers have Mendoza running for daylight as he was running out of the pocket and often and ended up getting sacked six times.

#4 Cal’s defense kept the Bears in the game but the offense just couldn’t score enough to get by the Panther in the two point loss.

#5 Cal now focuses on the NC State Wolfpack (3-4)this Saturday with a 12:30pm PT kickoff at Memorial Stadium. The Wolfpack who have lost their last two games the last one against the Syracuse Orange 24-17. Cal comes into this game against NC State snake bitten having losing their last three games all close games against Florida State on Sep 21, to Miami on Sat Oct 5 and to Pitt on Sat Oct 12. Cal will no doubt be driven to get back in the win column after last week’s loss to Pitt with home field advantage.

Join Morris Phillips for the Cal Bears podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Battle for Women Sports in the US

San Jose State University Spartan’s volley ball player Blaire Fleming (3) a transgender has been the subject of boycotts by four universities (San Jose State University photo)

The Battle for Women Sports in the US

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Although this instance involves a Bay Area University, this issue is becoming a bigger and bigger national issue. Simple, should a biological male who transitioned to female be able to participate in biological women’s sports? Several teams have canceled matches against San José State rather than compete against the team that features transgender senior Blaire Fleming.

Below: This was the official statement by the University of Reno women’s volleyball team.

“We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San José State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University,” the statement said, referring to the other teams who have forfeited their matches. We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any game that advances injustice against female athletes.”

So, how do we approach this issue in sports as a society? According to the professionals in academia, the people who know and are authorized to talk about biology, men have more skeletal muscle than women, an average of 26 pounds. Regarding upper-body strength, men have about 40% more upper-body strength than women. Regarding lower-body strength, men have about 33% lower body strength than women.

In other words, when a male is born compared to a female, they have deeper bones, tendons, and ligaments and a greater cardiovascular reserve. Men also have larger hearts, greater lung volume, higher red blood cell counts, plus other physical advantages.

This is not a commentary but a fact revealed by people who study and are qualified to give us this type of statistical information. We are all entitled to offer our opinions on sports and cultural issues. However, most people with any common sense agree that a biological man is born with more physical attributes than a female.

70% of the country agrees that biological males who do the transformation to women should not compete against biological females. I am part of that 70%, and we cannot criticize these women in collegiate sports who refuse to play against a team that showcases a biological man.

Lia Catherine Thomas is an American swimmer and the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, having won the women’s 500-yard freestyle event in 2022 before being barred from competing in women’s events by World Aquatics.

Thomas’s career has been a part of the public debate about transgender women in women’s sports. I, for one, would not like any of my two grandaughters to compete against the biological men who transitioned to female. I consider myself fair, and in my book, such a thing is not fair.

This issue is bigger than sports, but since it is now part of our sports culture, I thought we should consider what we are doing, and should be open for debate.

Amaury Pi Gonzaelz does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 11 Fighting Irish hammer Cardinal 49-7; Game delayed an hour by lightning

All fans could do was wait for the lightning bolts to simmer down before resuming the game between Stanford Cardinal and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame IN on Sat Oct 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Notre Dame scored 49 unanswered points Saturday, as the No. 11-ranked Fighting Irish rolled past Stanford 49-7 in non-conference football before 77,622 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

Play was interrupted at the start of the fourth quarter as inclement weather with lightning passed through the area. The game was held up for one hour before resuming at 7:10 p.m. local time.

Notre Dame gained 477 yards in total offense, while the Cardinal gained 200. The Fighting Irish had the edge in first downs 24-14 and converted three fourth down plays and converted 6 of 11 third downs.

The Cardinal (2-5 overall, 1-2 ACC) scored first when Justin Lamson ran in front of one yard out. After Emmet Kenney added the extra point at 6:49 of the first quarter, it was all Notre Dame.

Riley Leonard’s 6-yard touchdown run out of the shotgun with 1:27 to play in the opening quarter tied the game at 7-7. The Irish (5-1 overall) went ahead to stay when Leonard completed a 15-yard scoring pass to Jayden Thomas at 7:46 of the second quarter.

With 1:11 to play in the first half, Leonard’s 5-yard TD pass to Kris Mitchell gave Notre Dame a 21-7 lead at the break.

The second half started with an ominous tone for the Cardinal when Tiger Bachmeier bobbled the kickoff at his own 3-yard-line. Three minutes later, Jadarian Price ran 16 yards for a Notre Dame touchdown.

Jeremiyah Love ran 39 yards up the middle for the next Irish touchdown at 6:49 of the third quarter. Five minutes and 20 seconds later, Notre Dame extended its lead to 42-7 on a 5-yard TD pass from Leonard to Eli Raridon.

The Fighting Irish wrapped up the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run by Aneyas Williams at 9:17 of the fourth quarter.

Leonard completed 16 of 22 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. Love rushed for 52 yards on six carries, and Price gained 49 yards on 12 carries. Mitchell and Beaux Collins each caught four passes.

Daniels threw for 74 yards on 8 of 13 passing but was sacked three times. Daniels also ran for 42 yards on 14 attempts. Chris Davis Jr, led the Cardinal ballcarriers with 45 rushing yards on 10 carries. Elic Ayomanor caught three passes for 16 yards.

Next week, the Cardinal return to Atlantic Coast Conference play when they return home to host Southern Methodist. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. Pacific.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal faces another undefeated team Pitt (5-0) Saturday at Acrisure Stadium

The Cal Bears running back Jaydn Ott (1) takes the football in for a 66 yard score in the second quarter while being pursued by a Miami Hurricane defensive back Jaden Harris (7) at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris, the Miami Hurricane (6-0) rallied from 25 points down to edge the Cal Bears (3-2) last Saturday night 39-38 that took some doing by the Hurricanes to have to score three unanswered touchdowns in that fashion.

#2 Morris taking a look at Miami’s scoring at 10:28 left in the game the Hurricanes Isaiah Horton scored on an 18 yard pass from quarterback Cam Ward to make it 38-25. The Hurricanes scored once again at 4:04 when Ward carried for a 24 yard rush to cut Cal’s lead down to six 38-32.

#3 The Hurricanes scored the winning touchdown with 26 seconds left when Ward hit wide out Elijah Arroyo for five yards for the 39-38 win. Miami stays perfect at 6-0. How true is it that good teams can rally late and win.

#4 Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 11-22 for 285 yards for two touchdowns and one interception. For Mendoza was it a matter of not getting enough protection or Mendoza just didn’t the completions and conversions he needed to create some offense in that fourth quarter.

#5 Cal tries to get back in the win column once again this time at Pitt where the Panthers are another team that comes in undefeated at 5-0. The Panthers won their last game against the North Carolina Tar Heels 34-24. The Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein can do it all throwing 381 yards for three touchdowns. Do you see Cal having a busy day trying to keep the Panthers offense down to a low roar?

Join Morris Phillips for Cal Bears football podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Will Cardinal have hands full at Notre Dame this Saturday?

Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Dorian Strong (44) can’t quite make the interception while Stanford Cardinal Ismael Chase (84) defends on the play at Stanford Stadium on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal (2-3) got demolished last Saturday by visiting Virginia Tech (2-3) 31-7 at Stanford Stadium. The Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones was unstoppable throwing for three touchdowns and 201 yards passing.

#2 It was a great recovery for Virginia Tech rebounded from their previous week’s loss to Miami Florida. The Hokies got good protection from the Stanford pass rush which left to be almost non existent.

#3 Hokies running back Bhaysul Tuten rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown. Tuten was a transfer from North Carolina AT&T and now has more than 3,000 yards rushing career.

#4 Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels did not play last Saturday due to a ankle injury he sustained against the Clemson Tigers the previous week. Back up quarterback Justin Lamson completed 13 of 24 passes for 103 yards and was intercepted once.

#5 The Cardinal are back to the drawing board again this time at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are rolling they are 4-1 and won their last contest last Sat Sep 28th against Louisville Cardinals 31-28. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw 17-23 for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Michael will Stanford have their hands full this Saturday?

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

Cardinal hit with “Hokie-Doke” by VA Tech 31-7 in their ACC Home opener, on a HOT day on the Farm

Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Dorian Strong (44) has gone airborne in an attempt to intercept a pass intended for Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ismael Cisse (84) at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — A blazing 89 degrees was a contributing factor why the Stanford Cardinal (2-3, 1-2 ACC) realized hosting the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference game at Stanford Stadium was Too Hot to handle, and lost to the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-3, 1-1 ACC), 31-7.

The visitors from the Old Dominion State won the coin toss, but graciously deferred the ball to the hosts. Unfortunately Stanford did not cherish the benevolent gift. They failed to convert any points on the scoreboard.

As the Cardinal took the snap on the first drive of the game, there was a chang under center. Backup junior QB Justin Lamson was the starter, as Ashton Daniels was out with an ankle injury, reportedly from the game last week at Clemson.

Lamson was sacked on a crucial 3rd down play, around the 10 minute mark, resulting in a field goal attempt To the team’s dismay, senior kicker Emmet Kenney missed a 53-yarder.. Despite good intentions during the initial possession, the Cardinal ended up with a “Goose Egg, 0-0.

The Hokies on the other hand, were determined to reach paydirt. More than midway though the first quarter, redshirt-junior QB, Kyron Drones hit graduate WR Stephen Gosnell for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Virginia Tech scored first and put seven points on the board and led 7-0 late in the quarter, However, Stanford still had time to deliver the equalizer.

Lamson tried a QB keeper with :12 left in the first 15; he was hit at the goal line with the opportunity to tie the game, consequently fumbling and turning the ball over to theards into the end zone, doubling their score. Two scoring opportunities thwarted for various reasons. After one quarter of play, 7-0 Virginia Tech.

In the second stanza, the Hokies went on a nearly 7-minute drive, culminating in another score just under the 2-minute timeout before halftime. Senior running back Bhayshal Tuten scampered seven yards into the end zone, doubling their score midway through the game, 14-0. That was their third halftime shutout of the year.

The third quarter provided the Hokies the opportunity to triple their original score in only four plays and just under two minutes. Drones launched a 55-yard TD pass to graduate WR Da’Quan Felton, to give VA Tech a commanding 21-0 lead with almost 3/4 of the contest being over. However, the Cardinal had something to say and do before quarter’s end.

On a trick play, freshman running back Micah Ford tossed a 19-yard TD to redshirt sophomore WR Elic Ayomanor, with a minute remaining in the third quadrant, 21-7 VA Tech. That was all the scoring for the Cardinal, as the Hokies tagged on 10 more points in the final quarter.

Lawson threw an interception early in the quarter, in which the Hokies capitalized on the turnover. A few minutes later, Drones scores on a QB keeper for a 2-yard TD. The Hokies were up 28-7 and capped off the blistering afternoon five minutes later with a 46-yard field goal by redshirt sophomore kicker Josh Love. After 60 minutes of scorching heat, the Virginia Tech Hokies won the conference game, 31-7.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday October 12 in South Bend, IN to take on Notre Dame at 12:30 PM EST. on NBC. Virginia Tech goes back to Blacksburg Thursday October 17, to host Boston College at 4:30 PM EST on ESPN.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Stanford hoping to recover from Clemson loss, host Virginia Tech next Saturday

The Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (20) is tackled by the Clemson Tigers RJ Mickens safety (9) and defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart (19) in the first half at Memorial Stadium in Clemson on Sat Sep 28, 2024 (AP News photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Clemson Tigers struggled early on to get on the scoreboard Saturday but later in the first quarter they were able to put ten points up and come away with a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.

#2 Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell shrugged off that early struggle and said they were confident in what they had to do in first half.

#3 For Stanford the defense gave up four touchdowns as the Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik had plenty of protection and time to throw.

#4 Stanford quarterback Austin Daniels threw 9-19, 71 yards, and had one touchdown and had three interceptions.

#5 The Cardinal face Virginia Tech who lost their last game 38-34 to Miami Florida. The Hokies are 2-3 and this one is at Stanford Stadium this Saturday for a 12:30pm PT kick off.

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