After a 35-7 loss to Duke, Stanford (1-2) will try to snap its two-game skid against Georgia Tech (1-2) in the Cardinal’s second game of ACC conference play.
When Stanford has the ball: Offensively, Stanford is looking for any signs of life. Over their last 22 possessions, the Cardinal have generated only one touchdown and two field goals.
“I believe our defense played well enough, especially early on in that game, to give ourselves a chance,” Tavita Pritchard told reporters Tuesday. “I don’t believe we did enough on offense to stay in the game a long enough time.”
Facing a Georgia Tech defense that ranks sixth in the country in opponent passing success rate (31.4%), it’s imperative Stanford establishes the ground game. The Cardinal will look to running back Micah Ford, who leads the team with 202 rushing yards and three rushing TDs.
When Georgia Tech has the ball: The Yellow Jackets’ run game will look to attack a Stanford defense that let Duke’s Nate Sheppard run rampant for 154 yards and two TDs on 23 carries.
“It starts with tackling,” Pritchard said of his team’s run defense. “That’s the biggest thing you can point to is making sure we are tackling fundamentally and with speed and violence.”
Led by senior running back Justice Haynes, who collected 141 rushing yards and two TDs in Georgia Tech’s 44-11 win over Mercer, the Yellow Jackets rank 31st in the country in rushing success rate (50.0%).
Notable injuries: Stanford is hoping to get some key pieces of their offensive line on the field, with two projected starters, left tackle Niki Prongos and left guard Nick Fattig, listed as questionable once again.
On Georgia Tech, the situation is more dire. The Yellow Jackets are down multiple starters, with defensive end Jordan Walker, safety Savion Riley and left tackle Ethan Mackenny all listed as out.
Key stats: Of the 138 FBS teams in Division I football, the Stanford offense ranks 137th in explosive play rate at just 3.0%. But Georgia Tech isn’t much better, ranking 129th in the country at 4.0%. Don’t expect fireworks from this game.
Kenzo Fukuda is a freelance journalist born and raised in San Francisco. He has covered the Giants, Warriors and Valkyries since 2025, and he previously covered Cal football and women’s basketball from 2022-24. You can follow him on X at @kenzofuku