Takeaways from Stanford football's upset win over Syracuse

Dylan Grausz | Sep 22, 2024

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal place kicker Emmet Kenney (13) celbrates the game winning field goal with punter Connor Weselman (15) against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

History. Not only did Stanford (2-1) play its first ever ACC game in program history this week against Syracuse (2-1), but it went home with an upset win, beating an Orange team that had started 2024 off on a very high note. Coming back to Palo Alto with the 26-24 victory, the Cardinal now have extreme momentum as they look ahead to another tough test on the road last week. Here are the top five takeaways from Stanford’s win over Syracuse.

The defense is legit

Coming into the game as the No. 10th ranked run defense in the NCAA, Stanford’s entire defensive unit has been very strong this season, and showed that even more against Syracuse, entering the game as 9.5 point underdogs and leaving Syracuse with the two point win.

“We knew we had our hands full with the quarterback and the receivers and I think we disrupted the routes,” head coach Troy Taylor said. “We were able to get some pressure on them and got some early third down stops in the game and I know they would rather have that last drive back, but they were phenomenal the whole game.”

Defense will be extremely important against ACC offenses, and if Stanford is able to keep this up all season long, then how things end could look very different than how anyone expected.

Chris Davis Jr. may very well be the new starting running back

While Sedrick Irvin has been the top running back listed on the depth chart throughout the season, the last couple of weeks have seen Chris Davis Jr. emerge as the top option, with week three seeing him carry the ball nine times for 79 yards. After putting together a strong game against Cal Poly as well, he's started to emerge as Stanford’s top running back, being just one example of how strong the true freshman running backs are on this year’s team.

“Our guys really like football, and we attracted two great running backs,” Taylor said. “The other one that is a true freshman is Cole Tabb, who’s gonna be really special too which he will when eventually comes back from an injury. But those guys were fantastic, they were tough, they were gritty, they give us yards after contact. They’ve done a good job in protection as well which is hard for young running backs.”

The running game has had some moments of struggle this season, but with consistency coming from guys like Davis, an elevated rushing attack could lead to a very potent offense which will be important down the line. as the tough conference games keep coming.

Big day for Mitch Leigber

All season long, Leigber has been a major part of the defensive backfield, currently number five on the team in tackles while also being a pivotal part in the passing defense. Against Syracuse, Leigber came through with the moment of the game, intercepting a Kyle McCord pass in the second half and returning it back 71 yards for the touchdown, further showing just how good he is in pass coverage.

“Mitch is a guy that has done everything he has been asked to do prior to our staff getting here,” Taylor said. “I know they were really low on running backs and Mitch was able to play running back the year before we got here, and did a great job. That guy is an incredible kid, just a real team player. He was great, he got eyes on the ball and did a nice job of getting in the end zone and picking up some big blocks. He’s worked on that a lot, getting out in front, trying to pick up the quarterback and getting the ball into the end zone.”

The ACC is very strong when it comes to its passing game and Leigber’s ball hawking skills will become even more important as the season progresses with teams such as Clemson and Notre Dame on the docket for this season.

Emmett Kenney is a star

Before the season, the Cardinal were unsure about what was going to happen at the kicker position, with star kicker Josh Karty leaving for the NFL. And with Kenney still being somewhat unproven, it was uncertain whether or not he could be the guy to fill the void. But so far, he has been a superstar, having yet to miss a kick and now leaving Syracuse as the hero of the game.

“A lot of confidence,” Taylor said. “He replaced a guy that was arguably the best kicker in the country last year, so those are big shoes to fill and frankly, I didn’t know if anybody could fill those shoes and he has, he has been amazing. Just how consistent he is, and then we jump offsides, we move the ball back five yards and he still hits it down the middle of the uprights. You really don’t know what you’ve got with kickers until you get in a game. You can kick really well in fall camp and practice but it really comes down to being able to do it under the bright lights with pressure and he’s been phenomenal.”

Hitting his season long this week of 51 as well, Kenney continues to impress and he has already shown to not only be one of the team’s most important players but also one of the most clutch.

Welcome to the party, David Bailey

Throughout his time with Stanford, Bailey has been a threat on the outside defensive line, providing athleticism off of a snap in order to get through the line and get to the quarterback. While having zero sacks through the first two weeks of the season, Bailey had his coming out party against the Orange, recording two sacks while also picking up four tackles. A presence in the previous two games, Bailey was a huge factor in this week’s win, being a big reason for why the Cardinal were able to disrupt Syracuse’s strong passing game.

“He’s a talented guy,” Taylor said. “He gives us a threat off the edge and it’s not all about sacks, it’s just hurrying the quarterback and making him move a little bit off his spot and making him throw it a little bit early and I think we did a good job of doing that tonight and David was a big part of that.”

Quarterbacks in the ACC are very talented, so having a guy like Bailey coming off the edge, Stanford should have more of an advantage heading into each game.