What to know before Stanford takes on San Jose State in rivalry game

"Stanford has a new quarterback, a completely new receiving corps and a new offense under interim coach Frank Reich, but it has still struggled to score (18.3 points per game, last in the ACC). Then again, San Jose State has been even worse (17.3), which should help the Stanford defense bounce back from its worst performance of the season in last week's 48-20 loss at Virginia."

"SJSU has a chance to defeat Stanford in back-to-back seasons for the first time since they defeated the Cardinal three times in a row from 1998-2000, all at Stanford. Kicker Denis Lynch hit the game-winning 48-yard field goal against Idaho, his first make of the season after starting the year 0-4 on field goals. Head coach Ken Niumatalolo confirmed that wide receiver Malachi Riley will be out for the season; the Arizona transfer was expected to play a key role in the offense."

"Micah Ford ranks fourth in the ACC in rushing yards with 335, and he has the fourth most broken tackles in the nation (25), per PFF. ... Stanford is attempting to begin 2-0 at home for the first time since 2018, the last time the Cardinal played in a bowl game (2018 Sun Bowl). ... Under Niumatalolo, the Spartans are 2-4 on t"

San Jose State is 1-2 and Stanford is 1-3; kickoff is 4:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium, televised on ACC Network and on radio at KNBR 1050 AM. Stanford leads the series 52-15-1, including 49-13-1 at Stanford Stadium, and San Jose State seeks back-to-back wins over Stanford for the first time since 1998-2000. Stanford has a new quarterback, a completely new receiving corps and a new offense under interim coach Frank Reich but has struggled to score, averaging 18.3 points per game (last in the ACC). San Jose State has averaged 17.3 points per game and is coming off a 31-28 win over Idaho. Kicker Denis Lynch hit a 48-yard game-winner after starting the season 0-4 on field goals, and wide receiver Malachi Riley will be out for the season. Micah Ford ranks fourth in the ACC in rushing with 335 yards and has 25 broken tackles, per PFF. Stanford is attempting to start 2-0 at home for the first time since 2018.

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