Even in Their 'Dark Years' Stanford Football Has Some Marquee Wins

Over the last four years, to say Stanford’s football program has been forgettable would be an understatement. The great coaching, incredible star players, and electric environment on the farm seemed to vanish, and the Cardinal had some dark seasons, going 3-9 four years in a row. However, through all the tough moments, the Cardinal always had one thing to show: Big wins.

In 2021, Stanford had their first 3-9 season under David Shaw. They lost some tough games such as Kansas State, Arizona State, and Washington State. However, they took down No. 3 Oregon and No. 14 USC for two of their three wins, as well as beating an SEC school, Vanderbilt, by almost 20. This must have been a fluke, right? Nope.

In 2022, Stanford went 3-9 again, struggling heavily all season in Shaw’s last season running the program. Although they didn’t get any ranked wins, beat Notre Dame 16-14 on the road was no easy task.

In 2023, the Cardinal hired Troy Taylor to take over the program, which later turned out to be a pretty poor decision. They went 3-9 once again, but did have a marquee win over Colorado, in a 29 point comeback that went into double overtime. That game also saw the emergence of wide receiver Elic Ayomanor into a legitimate NFL draft prospect.

Finally, in 2024, In what ended up being Taylor’s last season, Stanford went 3-9 for the fourth consecutive season. In a tough year, the Cardinal struggled to stay consistent. Despite this, an early road win over Syracuse and a late season victory over No. 19 Louisville gave some promise for the future.

The depiction of Stanford football the last few seasons is pretty negative. Critics speak on their lack of wins, poor fan scene, and coaching struggles. However, Stanford has gotten some pretty marquee wins in their “dark years.”

With the new hiring of interim head coach Frank Reich, along with the appointment of legendary QB Andrew Luck as the program's GM, Stanford football definitely can be back to its prime, and their habit of winning big games makes them a potential threat to any team next season.