Stanford football drops another Big Game to Cal

While it was a dogfight until the end, late game defensive and offensive blunders cost Stanford a big win.

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Jonathan Brady (6) reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Coming off of a big upset win against Louisville, the Stanford Cardinal (3-8, 2-6 ACC) hit the road to face the California Golden Bears in the 127th edition of Big Game, looking to carry their momentum over and take their second straight win against their fiercest rivals. However, the Cardinal came up just short, falling 24-21 in a hard fought battle.

Losing their fourth straight game against Cal, the Cardinal at one point were ahead big, leading the game 21-10 by the end of the third quarter. However, the Golden Bears did not go down without a fight, clawing their way back with two unanswered fourth quarter touchdowns, with Fernando Mendoza finding Jonathan Brady on two occasions. What nearly ended with Stanford snapping its losing streak against Cal, ended up being another instance of Stanford falling short.

There were two major takeaways in this game. One, Stanford’s defense proved that while it is very strong, it still struggles in late-game scenarios, allowing opponents’ playmakers to make plays when they matter most. For the game, Mendoza completed 25 out of 36 of his passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns, with two of those touchdowns coming late in the fourth quarter. In addition, four out of the eight big plays recorded by Cal, plays that went longer than 15 yards, occurred in the fourth quarter as well. The late game stretch once again was too much for Stanford to contain.

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; The California Golden Bears axe committee holds the axe during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Offensively, the Cardinal started fast, with quarterback Justin Lamson scoring two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter to get Stanford out in front by two scores. However, it did not take long for the offense to fizzle out, with only one more touchdown scored the rest of the way, as well has two field goal attempts that didn't lead to points. One attempt went wide, and on the other, the snap was bobbled and the kick was never attempted.

The third TD for Stanford came in the third quarter when Emmett Mosley scored on a trick play. For the game, the Cardinal only mustered 259 yards compared to Cal’s 371. In a game against the Golden Bears where it is utterly important to keep the scoring going, Stanford was unable to get on the board when it mattered most, with their last drive of the game ending in a turnover on downs that squashed any hopes for a Stanford win.

With the loss, the Cardinal extended their losing streak in Big Game to four, last earning a win against Cal in the 2020 COVID shortened season while also dropping to 3-8 on the season, needing a win next week in order to improve on their 3-9 record from the past three seasons. A loss next week would make it four years in a row that Stanford finishes with a 3-9 record.

The Cardinal’s next game will be against San Jose State in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Spartan Stadium.