With under five minutes remaining, Stanford held a 10-point lead over NC State and looked to be in control, up 31-21. The Wolfpack would drive down the field, and in just over three minutes they had brought themselves within a field goal.
Fortunately for Stanford, it recovered the onside kick that followed, and was able to kneel out the remaining time, sealing a 31-28 victory.
With the win on Friday night against NC State, Stanford football has matched last year's win total of four, which snapped a streak of four straight three-win seasons. In Tavita Pritchard's first year as head coach, the Cardinal are 4-4 with four to play.
The Stanford offense opened things up quickly in the first quarter with quarterback Davis Warren finding Caden High for a 21-yard gain on its first play from scrimmage. The two connected four times for 61 yards on the opening drive, but it was Nico Brown who found the end zone on an 8-yard TD catch to put the Cardinal up 7-0.
Stanford never trailed in this game.
The Cardinal would add another touchdown on their second drive, which featured a lot more Micah Ford, who earned four carries for 27 yards. It was Sedrick Irvin who ended up with the touchdown reception on that drive, however, giving Warren two touchdowns in the first quarter.
The Wolfpack would answer right back with a quick strike, going 72 yards on four plays, with the big strike being a 58-yard reception on a Cardinal miscue. NC State ended up tying the game with 7:29 remaining in the second quarter, but from there it was all Stanford.
The Cardinal would have a quick offensive drive after NC State tied things up, but they got the ball back with just under two minutes remaining, and Stanford just drove down the field, gaining yards on every play from scrimmage until Warren found High for a 26-yard strike.
NC State received the ball to begin the second half, but Stanford forced a punt after just two minutes had passed. The Cardinal used a 43-yard run from Micah Ford to move them down the field quickly, and Warren would find Brown for the second time of the night, putting Stanford up 28-14.
NC State would add a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the Cardinal responded with a five-minute drive that netted them a field goal, putting them up by two scores.
Davis Warren finished 22-37 for 303 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Caden High was targeted 14 times, hauling in nine catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Brown made four catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns.
While Ford didn't make it into the end zone in this game, he racked up another 100-yard game, his second in a row, carrying the ball 22 times for 150 yards. He added three catches for 58 yards, giving him 208 total yards from scrimmage.
The Stanford offensive line was the unsung hero of the night, providing running lanes for Ford and protection for Warren all game.
Stanford's remaining games are on the road against Louisville (10/31), Virginia Tech (11/14), and Cal (11/21), before returning home to finish the season against a tough SMU team. For Stanford to make a bowl game, they'll need to win two of those games.