Stanford Beats NC State 31-28; Davis Warren Throws 4 TDs

Stanford beats NC State 31-28 as Davis Warren throws for 303 yards and four touchdowns

By Trend Desk · Sat, Oct 24, 2026, 2:55 AM ET · 3 min read

Illustration of a quarterback releasing a deep pass at night in a large stadium, with a red-toned crowd blurred in the stands

Illustration (AI-generated)

Stanford’s offense finally broke out. Davis Warren threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, and the Cardinal held off NC State 31-28 on Friday night, Oct. 23, at Stanford Stadium, sealing the win by recovering an onside kick in the final 1:23.

Stanford improved to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, its fourth win in five home games, the Associated Press reported. NC State fell to 3-4 and 1-3.

How Stanford won

Warren threw touchdown passes on Stanford’s first two drives, to Nico Brown and Sedrick Irvin, for a 14-0 lead. The AP said the Cardinal piled up 234 yards in the first quarter, their most in an opening quarter since 2017.

NC State answered. CJ Bailey hit Deandre Desinor for a 58-yard touchdown, and Will Wilson scored on a 2-yard run to tie it 14-14. Warren then drove Stanford 90 yards in the last two minutes of the half and found Caden High for a 26-yard score with 25 seconds left, making it 21-14 at the break.

The third quarter turned on a flag. NC State had a touchdown on its opening drive wiped out by an offensive pass interference call on Victor Snow and ended up punting. Stanford then went 90 yards, helped by a 43-yard Warren pass to Micah Ford with a 15-yard personal foul on King Mack tacked on, and Warren capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brown on fourth-and-4 for a 28-14 lead.

Wilson scored again on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut it to seven. Stanford added a field goal to go back up by two scores, and Bailey’s second touchdown pass with 1:23 left only got NC State within three. Stanford recovered the onside kick to end it.

Top performers

Player	Team	Line
Davis Warren	Stanford	303 passing yards, 4 TDs
Micah Ford	Stanford	150 rushing yards
Caden High	Stanford	9 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD
Nico Brown	Stanford	2 TD catches
CJ Bailey	NC State	256 passing yards, 2 TDs
Will Wilson	NC State	2 rushing TDs

Stats as reported by the Associated Press.

What it means for Stanford football

The breakout came after a rough stretch. According to the AP, Stanford had been held to seven points or fewer in four of its previous five games against FBS opponents, and it is 0-3 on the road, outscored by an average of 44.3 points in those games. At home, it has been a different team.

What it means for NC State football

247Sports called it one of the most embarrassing losses of coach Dave Doeren’s tenure, noting that the Wolfpack defense gave up 477 total yards and missed a lot of tackles. The AP noted it was only NC State’s second game on the West Coast in 66 seasons and that the team practiced late at night at home before the trip to adjust to the time change, which “proved to be little help.”

What’s next

NC State: hosts California on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Stanford: plays at Louisville on Saturday, Oct. 31.

FAQ

Who won NC State vs. Stanford?

Stanford won 31-28 on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.

How did Davis Warren play?

He threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Nico Brown.

What are the teams’ records now?

Stanford is 4-4 (2-3 ACC), and NC State is 3-4 (1-3 ACC).