Stanford heads to Durham still searching for a road win, and the matchup with Duke comes with plenty of numbers that point in both directions.
The Cardinal are 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the ACC, with their only loss a lopsided 45-6 defeat at home to Miami on Sept. 4.
Stanford hasn’t played since that game, when it trailed 28-6 at halftime and 42-6 after three quarters. Davis Warren threw for 214 yards in the loss, but Stanford never found the end zone through the air.
Now comes the first road test for Stanford under new coach Tavita Pritchard, and the program’s road drought is a major backdrop. The Cardinal have not won away from home since a 26-24 victory at Syracuse on Sept.
20, 2024. Their 11 straight road losses are the most in program history.
The challenge only gets steeper against a Duke team that has started 2-0 and looks dangerous in multiple ways. The Blue Devils’ offense is led by running back Nate Sheppard, who tops the nation in both all-purpose yards per game at 217 and rushing yards per game at 187.
Quarterback Walker Eget, a transfer from San Jose State, has already shown he can put stress on a defense. He passed for 131 yards in Duke’s 17-3 win over Tulane on Sept. 5, then followed that with 206 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 31-27 win at Illinois.
Eget also has history against Stanford. Last season, when he was at San Jose State, he threw for 473 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-29 loss at Stanford.
That balance on Duke’s side will put a Stanford defense under the microscope. The Cardinal are tied for 33rd nationally in rushing defense at 83.5 yards allowed per game, but they rank 137th out of 138 FBS teams in passing yards allowed per game at 353.5.
The series history leans Stanford’s way, though the teams haven’t met since 2012. The Cardinal are 3-1 against the Blue Devils, including a 50-13 win at home in that 2012 matchup. The year before in Durham, Stanford rolled 44-14, with Andrew Luck throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns.
Duke enters the game with momentum and a coach who has already built a strong record. Manny Diaz is in his third season and is 20-9 with the program. The Blue Devils also bring some recent league success into this one: last season’s ACC championship was their first outright conference title since 1962.
Stanford has shown flashes this season, especially in its opener. The Cardinal outgained Hawaii 468 yards to 325 in a 37-27 win, but Miami controlled the stat sheet last time out, outgaining Stanford 549 yards to 299. Through two games, Stanford is plus-2 in turnover margin, while Duke is plus-1.
There’s also the broader context of Duke’s rise. The Blue Devils’ 37 wins since 2022 are tied for third-most among current ACC teams, behind only SMU with 40 and Clemson with 38.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.