On Saturday afternoon, Stanford pulled off one of the season's biggest upsets, defeating No. 19 Louisville 38-35 in dramatic fashion at Stanford Stadium. The victory snapped the Cardinal’s six-game losing streak and delivered a crushing blow to Louisville’s hopes of climbing the ACC standings.

Despite entering the game as 20.5-point underdogs, Stanford rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final 10 minutes, scoring 17 unanswered points to seal the win. The Cardinals, plagued by penalties and missed opportunities, could not hold off Stanford’s relentless push. Stanford wide receiver Emmett Mosley V was the hero of the night, finishing with 13 receptions for 168 yards and three touchdowns. Two of Mosley’s scores came in the fourth quarter, including a game-tying touchdown with just 45 seconds left on the clock.

Mosley’s clutch performance wasn’t the only highlight. Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels had a season-high 298 yards, completing 22 of 33 passes with three touchdowns and one interception. Backup quarterback Justin Lamson also contributed with a touchdown pass on his lone attempt. The Cardinals seemed to be in control early in the second half, building a 14-point lead behind running back Duke Watson, who rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns. Watson’s 68-yard scoring run in the third quarter appeared to be the knockout punch, but Stanford refused to go quietly.

Cardinals upset Louisville, look ahead to The Big Game

Stanford Cardinal players celebrates after defeating the Louisville Cardinals at Stanford Stadium.
Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Louisville’s mistakes proved costly. Two critical penalties in the final seconds—a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct and an offsides call—set Stanford up for a game-winning 52-yard field goal with just one second remaining.

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Head coach Jeff Brohm will undoubtedly lament his team’s undisciplined play. The Cardinals committed 13 penalties, nine of which were on defense, and repeatedly allowed Stanford to capitalize on errors.

Stanford’s comeback began late in the third quarter when Elic Ayomanor hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass, followed by a two-point conversion to make it a seven-point game. After Watson’s third touchdown extended Louisville’s lead to 14, Stanford struck back with Mosley’s second touchdown and a field goal to pull within four.

The Cardinal capped their scoring spree with Mosley’s game-tying catch and Joshua Karty’s clutch field goal, securing a win that will go down as a bright spot in an otherwise challenging season.

Louisville, now 6-4, will look to regroup as they return home to face Pitt in their ACC finale. Stanford, at 3-7, won’t contend for the postseason but showed grit and potential in their shocking victory.

For Stanford fans, the upset over a ranked opponent provides a rare moment of triumph in a rebuilding year. For Louisville, it’s a game they’ll want to forget—marked by missed opportunities and a late-game collapse they couldn’t overcome.