Andrew Luck Breaks Silence on Stanford’s Shocking Turnaround After Years of Struggle

So, Andrew Luck’s new gig as Stanford’s general manager kicked off with a bang—or at least a long-awaited touchdown that finally ended a pretty brutal drought for the Cardinal. Can you imagine watching an entire season where not a single running back crossed the goal line? Yep, that was 2024 for Stanford. Luckily, Luck’s alma mater didn’t just putz around: they engineered a 20-play, 85-yard drive on Hawaiian soil that set Micah Ford loose for the first rushing touchdown in over 20 games. Watching Luck celebrate decked out in a lei, fired up like a true Stanford man, you’ve got to wonder—could this be the spark to reignite the Cardinal’s storied football program? Though the debut of new head coach Frank Reich came with a narrow 23-20 loss to Hawaii, there were definite sparks, especially on the ground game where Ford shined bright. It’s a fresh chapter, full of promise and question marks—because when a Pro Bowl QB steps into management, you’re bound to expect some moves with bite. Curious to see how this evolving saga unfolds? LEARN MORE

The Andrew Luck general manager era launched Saturday for Stanford football. He watched a brutal drought involving the Cardinal end on the island.

Luck’s alma mater put together a drive that visibly fired him up: 20-plays, 85 yards that culminated in this Micah Ford touchdown against Hawaii.

"Andrew Luck fired up." — @RealLoganRyan

Micah Ford caps a 20-play, 85-yard drive for @StanfordFball pic.twitter.com/zZLH0IFxum

— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) August 24, 2025

Luck was seen celebrating inside his press suite while wearing a lei. The Ford touchdown, though, snapped this stunning drought for Stanford. Not a single Cardinal RB scored a touchdown on the rushing or receiving end in 2024.

Stanford’s land scores came via the quarterback room. Former quarterback Justin Lamson led the way with eight rushing scores. Ashton Daniels added three on his end.

Sedrick Irvin represents the last Cardinal RB to cross the end zone. And that came on Sept. 23, 2023 against Arizona. Ford’s TD broke a 20-game drought.

How did Stanford fare in debut of Andrew Luck, Frank Reich?

Stanford retook the lead during that fourth quarter sequence against the Rainbow Warriors. But the Cardinal fell 23-20 to Hawaii to kick off the season.

And Stanford lost during the college football head coaching debut of Frank Reich. Luck fired previous head coach Troy Taylor in March 2025 following reports of bullying a female staffer. The perennial Pro Bowl QB eventually tabbed Reich as Taylor’s successor in a move before spring football practices.

Reich delivered his first major move in the quarterback department. Naming Oregon State transfer Ben Gulbranson his QB1 during game week.

Gulbranson struggled in his Cardinal debut, however. Settling for just 109 yards and one interception.

Reich turned to the ground game with his list of running backs. He rolled with 43 rushing plays, totaling 177 yards and the Ford touchdown. Ford pulled off one more feat: Delivering 113 yards on the afternoon. Irvin added 16 yards on 10 carries while Cole Tabb netted 26 on just four carries.

No Cardinal wide receiver surpassed the three-reception mark. Hawaii put together a 10-play, 50-yard drive to tie things up at 20-20. Kansai Matsuzawa sealed the win off his 38-yard boot with three seconds to go.

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