Stanford football has two players earn ACC Player of the Week honors

Stanford got off to a fast start in ACC play, taking home an upset win over a very tough Syracuse squad. And wins like that tend to generate plenty of recognition, which the Cardinal had no issues getting in coming off of the impressive feat

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal place kicker Emmet Kenney (13) celebrates a field goal with long snapper Peyton Warford (93) against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Stanford experienced plenty of firsts this past week, not only playing in its first-ever ACC game but also taking home the win, beating Syracuse 26-24 thanks to a last second field goal by Emmet Kenney. Entering the game as heavy underdogs, favored to lose by 9.5, and leaving with the upset win gives the Cardinal plenty to celebrate as they start their new era on a high note. But as they turn the page onto their next opponent, more firsts keep rolling in as both Kenney and linebacker David Bailey earned ACC Player of the Week honors, giving Stanford its first two players to win the honor.

A player from each position is selected each week for Player of the Week, as one quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive lineman, defensive lineman, linebacker, defensive back and specialist win the award. Kenney won the Player of the Week for specialists while Bailey won it for linebackers.

Kenney’s selection was a no-brainer, as the senior from Fargo, North Dakota had the game of his life, going 4-for-4 on field goals, including making his career long of 51 yards, and also was a perfect 2-for-2 on extra points. The biggest moment for him was when he was called upon to take a 39-yarder and just as the clock hit triple zeros, Kenney drilled it right down the middle of the uprights to cue the celebrations and send the Cardinal home with the walkoff win. Originally supposed to be a 34-yarder, a penalty on Stanford brought the play back five yards but it was still no big deal for Kenney. For the season, Kenney is a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points.

Bailey earns his second-ever conference Player of the Week, last winning one during week one of the Pac-12 season last year. This past week, he put together a dominant game against the Orange, recording two sacks and forcing a fumble while compiling five QB pressures as well. He also had four total tackles, with all four being solo tackles.

This is the first time since 2022 that the Cardinal have had multiple players selected for Player of the Week, when Joshua Karty and Jonathan McGill earned the specialist and defensive back award, respectively for their strong games against Notre Dame during their week six win over the Fighting Irish.

Stanford will have another chance this week to add to the winning column, hitting the road to take on No. 17 ranked Clemson. The game is slated to take place on Saturday with a 4 p.m. (PT) kickoff and will be shown on ESPN.