Stanford Football's Turnaround is Beginning on the Ground

Sep 13, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (left) gestures with tight end Sam Roush (86) after carrying the ball for a first down against the Boston College Eagles during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Over the last couple of years, Stanford has struggled. Every single year it feels like the same story, and four straight 3-9 seasons has become the storyline on The Farm. It has left fans reminiscing back on the times of Christian McCaffrey, Bryce Love, and the star players that won Stanford Rose Bowls.

Cardinal fans have been waiting every single day for who could be the Cardinal’s next great player, and it looks like they may have found him, with running back Micah Ford beginning to emerge for the Cardinal in the early part of the 2025 campaign.

As a freshman, Ford established himself as the starter, despite a poor running back room. He got 55 carries, going for 309 yards throughout the season, but couldn’t find himself in the endzone, outside of two pass attempts that ended in touchdowns.

His best game of the season last year surprisingly came against Clemson, a phenomenal defensive team. He had 122 yards, and overall a big game to help lift spirits after a tough loss to the Tigers.

Going into 2025, fans knew he had potential after some great showings, but none truly expected Ford to be one of the better running backs in the entire nation.

This season, Ford has been on a tear. He began the opening game against Hawaii with 113 yards and the only offensive touchdown for the Cardinal all game. Although Stanford lost, he was a key piece in the game, and truly got the offense moving.

In the second game against BYU, he had an off day, going for just 21 yards, but followed in the third contest with an incredible game. In the home opener against Boston College, Ford had 157 yards, a touchdown, and a breakout run for 75 yards. He now has 291 yards this season, and is on pace for 1,200 to end the season.

Those 291 yards on the ground have him tied for 19th in rushing yards across the landscape of college football. He ranks second in the ACC, trailing NC State’s Hollywood Smothers, who ranks 7th overall with 380 yards this season.

Ford has been one of the best rushers in the nation, and the hope is that he will continue his dominance for the rest of the season. With much of Stanford’s roster getting more polished every single week, an amazing rusher like Ford could be such an important player for the Cardinal this season.

If Ford continues to be this dominant at his age, he has potential to go down as one of the greats on The Farm, and could help Stanford win a number of games this season as well as in the future.