Stanford Football's 5 Biggest Games Of The Last 20 Years

It’s no secret that Stanford isn’t a traditional football powerhouse. Long gone are the days of Elway and Plunkett, consecutive Rose Bowls and even a national championship. For the last few decades, the Cardinal have been fully mired in mediocrity. And since that appears to have changed (for now), and Stanford is set for a top-10 showdown with major national implications, it seems as good a time as any to examine the Cardinal’s biggest games in recent memory. These are not just the games that turned out to be big (Stanford 24-23 USC for example), but the games that would be significant regardless of the result — where everyone knew what was at stake during the week before.

So here they are, ranked in order of importance: the 5 most influential games of the last two decades.

5) 2009, Stanford Vs. Oregon

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PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Chris Owusu #81 of the Stanford Cardinal is tackled by the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium on November 7, 2009 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Buildup: Stanford was having a bad decade. Since Tyrone left, the Cardinal had been to zero bowl games and had endured some of the worst seasons on record. But Jim Harbaugh had changed the feel of the program — bringing respectability if not immediate results in his first two seasons. But against Oregon, he had his team on the cusp. A win would make Stanford bowl eligible for the first time since 2001; a loss might trigger a catastrophic meltdown vs. the toughest part of the schedule (Oregon, USC, Cal and ND).  Stanford hadn’t proven anything yet, but this was its chance against the No. 7 Ducks.

The Result: Stanford 51-42 Oregon in a high-scoring thriller for the ages. The Cardinal kicked a clinching field goal very late in the game to put the game away.

The Impact: National relevance, confidence, and the Cardinal’s first bowl game in years.  In short: the return of Stanford football.

4) 2005, Stanford Vs. Cal / Notre Dame

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SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 07: Quarterback Trent Edwards #5 of the Stanford Cardinal moves to hand off the ball to Anthony Kimble #26 during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 7, 2006 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Ph

The Buildup: The Buddy Teevens years were behind Stanford, and the newly arrived Walt Harris had a solid pedigree at Pitt which bolstered fan confidence to some degree. Despite an early season debacle vs. UC Davis, the Cardinal rebounded to a 5-4 record with two home games to go. Win at home against one of your rivals and go to the first bowl since Willingham — simple enough. On top of that, these were the final two games at the old Stanford Stadium. Surely the Card would pull one out, and the Walt Harris era might work out after all, we thought.

The Result: Cal 27-3 Stanford /// Notre Dame 38-31 Stanford in two absolutely miserable games.

The Impact: Misery. Notre Dame rushed the field at Stanford Stadium’s goodbye party, Stanford was denied a bowl, and things went downhill in a hurry. The next year was the worst in Cardinal history, and Harris was sacked after a mere two years. Who knows what would have happened if those games had turned out differently?

3) 1992, Stanford at Washington

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26 Sep 1992: Coach Bill Walsh of the Stanford Cardinal watches his players during a game against the San Jose State Spartans. Stanford won the game 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule /Allsport

The Buildup: It’s the year 1992. The great Bill Walsh is at the helm. The Cardinal are ranked 15^th and are taking on the #2 Huskies. It had been a great start to the season, and a win would mean Rose Bowl potential and a top-10 ranking. A loss would knock the Cardinal out of Pac-10 contention. They had already blown a #8 ranking vs. Arizona, now was the chance to prove their strength at Husky Stadium.

The Result: Washington 41-7 Stanford in an embarrassment.

The Impact: The Blockbuster Bowl. What could have been Stanford’s best season ever (the Cardinal were ranked throughout) turned into a year of “what-ifs”. 

2) 2001, Stanford at Washington

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21 Nov 1998: A portrait of Tyrone Willingham head coach of Stanford University taken as he watches the field during the game against the California Golden Bears at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California. Stanford defeated California 10-3. Mandatory Cred

The Buildup: 2001 was the heyday of Ty Willingham. Stanford was a year removed from the Rose Bowl, had momentum from two big wins against Oregon and UCLA, and was ranked 10^th in the country. A win at Husky Stadium vs. #11 Washington could boost Stanford into the Rose Bowl fast lane and national prominence, but a loss would virtually eliminate the Cardinal in the competitive Pac-10.

The Result: A devastating 42-28 loss.

The Impact: The Seattle Bowl — the Pac-10’s short-lived 4^th place bowl. It’s hard to say what the loss actually caused, but the aftermath was pretty devastating. Stanford wins out but goes to Seattle and loses, Tyrone bolts for Notre Dame, and the program sees its worst spell ever afterward. Probably not all directly related to the loss, but it’s still hard not to wonder what could have been.

1) 1999, Stanford Vs. Cal

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20 Nov 1999: Troy Walters #5 of the Stanford Cardinals holds a rose in his teeth as a sign that they are Rose Bowl bound during a game against the Cal Golden Bears at the Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. The Cardinals defeated the Golden Bears 3

The Buildup: This one’s simple. A win would send Stanford to its first Rose Bowl in decades, while a loss would doom the Cardinal to a lesser bowl yet again. Those stakes are high enough. Combined with it being the Big Game, it could hardly have been any more important.

The Result: Stanford 31-13 Cal. Fullback Casey Moore had a 94-yard touchdown and the Cardinal defense came through to shut down the Bear attack and punched its ticket to an unlikely Rose Bowl.

The Impact: Rose Bowl! Sure, Stanford lost the game. And sure, the Cardinal didn’t finish the season ranked. But getting a Rose Bowl berth and the Axe in the same game is good enough for to make it the most important game of the last 20 years.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Let me know!