Micah Ford stands out in Stanford's loss

Dylan Grausz | Sep 30, 2024

Aug 30, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (20) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Going into South Carolina with a massive momentum boost after an upset win last week, the Stanford Cardinal (2-2) took on No. 17 ranked Clemson (3-1) and came up short, losing 40-14 against a Tigers team that has rebounded and gotten red-hot since falling to Georgia in week one. Despite losing, the Cardinal showed a lot of promise, continuing to look like a team ready to compete in a tough ACC conference. Here are the top five takeaways from Stanford’s loss to Clemson.

Micah Ford, have a day

Sep 7, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (20) celebrates after a play against the Cal Poly Mustangs during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Coming into this season, it was unknown just how much of a factor Ford would play in his true freshman campaign, the last couple weeks have seen Ford emerge as the team’s primary ball carrier, with his game against Clemson seeing him carry the ball 15 times for 122 yards, averaging 8.1 per carry with his longest run being a 26 yard gain.

With a deep running back room in Palo Alto, Ford will have to fight for reps with guys like Sedrick Irvin and Chris Davis Jr., but with how well he has played as of late, Ford could very well be the main guy going forward as the Cardinal continue to navigate a tough ACC schedule.

Emmett Mosley V is very good

Since he first enrolled at Stanford prior to the start of spring practice, the hype around Mosley has been real, as the former three-star recruit out of Santa Margarita showed off his full potential all throughout high school. And while he had yet to play in a game since being on the Cardinal, the confidence in him is high.

Against Clemson, Mosley V got his first taste of college action and wasted no time in making his presence known, catching seven passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, also finishing the game tied with Elic Ayomanor in targets. A true freshman who brings a lot of size to the wideout room, Mosley becoming a big piece for the offense could be a very welcome sight.

Collin Wright playing his way to NFL?

Despite the score, Stanford’s defense played stout all game long, even forcing a turnover off of Cade Klubnik, one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. That lone turnover came thanks to cornerback Collin Wright, who picked off Klubnik early in the second quarter to spoil a potential scoring drive. With two interceptions this season, Wright has already surpassed his career best in that category and has continued to evolve into one of Stanford’s premier defenders.

Good in pass coverage while also being good at making tackles, Wright has proven to be one of the team’s most important players on defense. With the potential to land on NFL draft boards after this season, it is entirely possible that Wright’s rise will continue.

Ashton Daniels turnover woes continue

Over the last couple of weeks, the adjustments and growing pains of being in a new conference have been evident for Daniels, who has thrown five interceptions to only two touchdowns over the last two weeks, with a three interception game against Clemson, including throwing one in the end zone when he was targeting Elic Ayomanor early in the game.

Leading the way in overall rushing for the Cardinal this season, including carrying the ball 11 times for 87 yards on Saturday, Daniels was very effective in gaining yards and making plays. If he is able to improve his ball protection and work on his touchdown-interception ratio, the offense could soon start to reach new heights with Daniels under center. It should also be noted that Daniels left the game early on Saturday and there has been no update on his status moving forward just yet.

E(lic) A(yomanor): it's in the game

Not finding the end zone in the first two games of the season, Ayomanor has since been a scoring machine, scoring his first touchdown of the season last week against Syracuse, where he caught a pass from Daniels one-handed to help the Cardinal pull away with the upset win. And this week against Clemson, he once again continued to dominate in every facet, catching four passes for 50 yards, while being the recipient of Daniels’ lone touchdown pass.

A highly regarded player at Stanford, and a guy who will most likely wind up as a 2025 NFL Draft prospect, Ayomanor’s ability to make tough catches is what has really put him on the map and in what could possibly be his final season at Stanford, Ayomanor is poised to finish off his tenure in Palo Alto on a high note.