Like last week against Miami, the Cardinal held strong in the first half before collapsing in the second half due to costly quarterback errors.
Ben Gulbranson continued to make poor decisions with three turnovers and many near turnovers. The sixth-year signal caller completed 17 of 30 throws for 228 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for Stanford before getting benched in the second half for redshirt freshman Elijah Brown.
“Obviously today was not our best offensive outing,” Stanford coach Frank Reich said. “There were eight possessions where it was still a two-score game, and we just couldn’t do anything on offense.”
The Cardinal began the game with the ball only to soon face a fourth-and-one on their own 35-yard line. The Stanford offense could not convert. With a short field, the Panthers scored early 7-0 with 11:16 in the first quarter.
“That was big, especially because we knew how they wanted to start the game,” Panthers defensive end Jimmy Scott said. “We were scheming that play up all week.”
With a 53-yard strike to senior tight end Sam Roush, Ben Gulbranson led the Stanford offense to a field goal on the next drive to reduce the lead to 7-3.
With the ball back, Pittsburgh marched down the field only to fumble the ball in Pittsburgh territory as Panthers true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel scrambled for a first down. Soon after, a Ben Gulbranson pass bounced off a Panthers cornerback into the arms of Stanford wide receiver CJ Williams. The speedster raced 35 yards for a touchdown to put Stanford ahead 10-7 midway through the first quarter.
“When the football gods are on your side a little bit, the plays tend to go your way,” Williams said of the touchdown.
The Panthers would again march down the field scoring on Panthers wide receiver Deuce Spann 4-yard run off a direct snap to retake the lead at 14-10 early in the second quarter. A second Gulbranson interception would give Pittsburgh a short field. The Panthers scored again to push the lead to 21-10. The Cardinal would respond with a field goal to end the half at 21-13.
After trading punts to start the half, the Panthers methodically marched down 89 yards in a little over two minutes to score 28-13. Late in the third quarter, an errant pass from Gulbranson sailed into the waiting arms of Pittsburgh cornerback Shawn Lee Jr. who sprinted 30 yards to the endzone to push the game out of reach at 35-13 with under five minutes left in the third quarter.
Reich would bench Gulbranson for Elijah Brown in the fourth quarter. Brown completed 10 of 14 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown in the final quarter to end the game at 35-20.
With Micah Ford out, the Cardinal attack remained one dimensional with only 36 yards on 21 running back carries.
“We’ve got to figure out why we didn’t run the ball better when we thought we’d come in here and have at least a decent day running the game,” Reich said postgame.
Brandon Nicholson was a rare bright spot notching two endzone interceptions on the day. Stanford came into the game having only intercepted the ball once.
“[Nicholson] just got a nose for the ball and then he knows how to finish plays,” Reich said.
The Cardinal will look to right the ship against North Carolina at 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday at Kenan Memorial Stadium.
--Sam made me make a signature.