Stanford football braces for its first ACC game, on the road at Syracuse

For most of August of last year, Stanford and Cal were adrift in the rapidly changing world of conference realignment. After eight schools had planned their departures from the Pac-12, the Cardinal and Bears were left with Oregon State and Washington State in a shell of a conference.

The ACC, in essence, threw Stanford and Cal a lifeline that became official Sept. 1, 2023. On Friday night at Syracuse, the Cardinal (1-1) will play an ACC game for the first time.

Stanford head coach Troy Taylor has prepared his players for the Orange (2-0, 1-0) the way he would prepare them for any other game, but he does appreciate the historic significance of the matchup.

"When you're without a conference for the amount of time we were," Taylor said in a Zoom news conference Monday, "not knowing what's going to happen, and then all of the sudden, to be welcomed into an incredible conference like the ACC, (we) just feel a lot of gratitude.

"People talk about (the challenges of) the mileage and the travel. Our guys are excited to be able to go to these different venues, Syracuse being one that is a great place and has a lot of history — and we're very fortunate to be able to play there."

Perhaps no one on the Stanford roster feels more fortunate to play at the JMA Dome than quarterback Justin Lamson. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Orange though he did not play; a knee injury sidelined him for the '22 season. He transferred to Stanford after spring ball last year.

"Obviously, when I signed with Stanford," Lamson said, "I never thought we'd be playing Syracuse Week 3 my second year here."

Friday's game

Who: Stanford (1-1, 0-0 ACC) at Syracuse (2-0, 1-0) When:Where: Syracuse, N.Y. TV/Radio: ESPN/1050

Story line: Stanford's first-ever ACC game comes against a school that joined the conference in 2013 after a lengthy stint in the Big East. This is the first meeting between the two programs. ... Each team is coming off a bye after prevailing Sept. 7. The Cardinal ended a 10-game home losing streak by pounding Cal Poly 41-7. The Orange got past visiting Georgia Tech 31-28. ... Friday marks the 44th anniversary of Syracuse's stadium, the JMA (formerly Carrier) Dome.

When Stanford has the ball

QB Ashton Daniels has thrown for 384 yards and three scores in two games, and he also leads Stanford in rushing yards with 118. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said the Cardinal "give you a lot of problems because this kid can run so well at quarterback. When he scrambles, (the receivers) know how to get open."

Stanford needs to get more production in the ground game from its running backs. Its top two RBs on the depth chart, sophomore Sedrick Irvin and freshman Micah Ford, have combined for 48 rushing yards on 23 carries.

One of the Orange's main men on defense is 6-foot-5, 261-pound lineman Fadil Diggs. He has six tackles for loss, including two sacks. "They do a great job of moving him around and utilizing him," Stanford head coach Troy Taylor said. "He's fast. He's big. He's really explosive."

When Syracuse has the ball

Senior QB Kyle McCord, a starter at Ohio State last season, has thrived in his first two games with the Orange: 59-for-85 for 735 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. "You can just see that he's playing with a lot of confidence," Taylor said. "He's very decisive. He's really accurate."

Tight end Oronde Gadsden II, whose father played wide receiver for six seasons (1998-2003) with the Miami Dolphins, has 13 receptions for 201 yards and three TDs this season. Stanford QB Justin Lamson, who transferred from Syracuse last year, praised the 6-foot-5 redshirt junior's feel for the game. "He just has a sixth sense of being able to get open," Lamson said, "and that's kind of what makes him so special."

Stanford defensive tackles Tobin Phillips, a starter, and Clay Patterson, a reserve, have been dealing with injuries. On Monday, Taylor said they would be game-time decisions regarding their ability to play at Syracuse.

The Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills alum knows seven of the 11 Syracuse defensive starters and is particularly close with linebacker Derek McDonald.

"There are a lot of people that are special to me in Syracuse," Lamson said. "I did not take that time for granted, and I still call that place home in a way."

Because Lamson is so familiar with the Syracuse area, he was asked for restaurant recommendations.

"Any Italian food in upstate New York — especially in the Syracuse area — is great, but my go-to spot is Francesca's," Lamson said. "And if you go there, you've got to get the butter cake."

Lamson's time at Stanford hasn't been all tasty dinner and dessert. Though he started three games at QB last season, his main role has been as a backup — usually as a runner — to Ashton Daniels.

"There have definitely been some tough days," Lamson said. "Obviously, I want to be the main guy. That's why I came here. I want to be the every-down guy.

"Ashton's doing a great job. I'm super close with Ashton, so it's nothing personal. We're both there to make the team better."

As Sacramento State's head coach, Taylor tried to get Lamson to play for the Hornets. Taylor likes Lamson's size (listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and tenacity.

"He's just a really physically and mentally tough person," Taylor said of Lamson. "I have a ton of trust in him, know he can come in and do pretty much anything."

Lamson hasn't passed the ball often. He went 38-for-88 last season when he led the Cardinal in rushing yards with 334. Lamson threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ismael Cisse in the Cardinal's 34-27 loss to TCU to open this season. It was Lamson's first — and still only — career TD pass.

"I can do a lot of stuff with my running ability and I've shown that," Lamson said. "I'll keep doing that if I need to, but I'm ready to take the next step in the passing game when the coaches feel comfortable for me to do that."

Lamson said the JMA Dome provides "an electric atmosphere" for Syracuse games and he told his teammates to "be ready for some noise, especially on third down."

Said Taylor: "It's definitely a home-field advantage when you have that kind of environment. We've prepped and we'll see if we're ready for it."

Getting ready for the noise in a domed ACC stadium certainly rates as a blessing for the Cardinal, considering the limbo in which Stanford and Cal resided barely more than a year ago.