Stanford Cardinal place kicker Emmet Kenney (13) is carried by teammates following his game-winning field goal against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Friday night lights: Stanford, No. 24 Illinois earn dramatic upset wins

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Sep 21, 2024 12:23 AM ET

College football Week 4 kicked off with a bang on Friday night. A West Coast team making its ACC debut pulled a wild upset on the East Coast while two ranked Big Ten squads duked it out to the very last minute.

If you only watch college ball on Saturdays then you really missed out.

Stanford wins ACC debut with walk-off FG over undefeated Syracuse

Hearing the words "Stanford" and "ACC win" in the same sentence is still taking some adjusting to, but that's exactly what fans heard as the clock expired in the JMA Dome on Friday.

Down one point with three minutes remaining, Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels methodically led his team down the field to set up kicker Emmet Kenney for a 39-yard game-winner.

STANFORD WINS ITS FIRST-EVER CONFERENCE GAME AS A MEMBER OF THE ACC pic.twitter.com/Jh5qCfArYI
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 21, 2024

The upset over Syracuse means Stanford is 1-0 in the ACC for the first time in program history. The school departed the Pac-12 in 2023 along with California to join the East Coast-based conference this season.

No. 24 Illinois upsets No. 22 Nebraska in overtime

Both teams had opportunities to win this game in regulation but it seemed like neither wanted it.

Illinois forced Nebraska to punt late in the fourth quarter after nearly causing quarterback Dylan Raiola to fumble on a sack play. But then, the Cornhuskers actually forced a sack-fumble and recovered it themselves around midfield.

After driving down the field, kicker John Hohl missed a 39-yarder for the lead. The game went to overtime shortly after where Illinois struck first on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Pat Bryant.

Wide open!!@IlliniFootball strikes first in OT! pic.twitter.com/1jsLA0XOZo
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 21, 2024

Nebraska didn't have anything close to a response on the ensuing possession with Raiola getting sacked three times to end the game.

The play that sealed the game for @IlliniFootball in OT!

Down goes Nebraska ❌ pic.twitter.com/7IeAspAOiT
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 21, 2024

The Cornhuskers drop to 3-1 on the season and could fall out of the top 25 while the Illini's undefeated resume could be the start of a dark-horse bid in a stacked Big Ten.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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