Running back Cole Tabb ran for a career-high 118 yards and a touchdown, helping Stanford come away with an upset 20-13 victory over visiting Florida State in Atlantic Coast Conference action on Saturday night.
The Cardinal (3-4, 2-2) overcame first-half injuries to starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson and starting running back Micah Ford, who both sustained lower-body injuries and did not return.
Florida State also lost starting QB Tommy Castellanos to an injury in the closing minutes. Backup Kevin Sperry led the Seminoles to the 2-yard line for an untimed final down after a pass interference penalty.
A shovel pass to Gavin Sawchuk was ruled just short of the goal line after replay review, ending a wild affair in controversial fashion.
This loss was the fourth in a row for the Seminoles (3-4, 0-4) and their ninth straight ACC loss dating back to last season.
While Stanford had just 133 yards of offense in the second half, backups Elijah Brown and Tabb rose to the occasion for one major second-half drive.
Clinging to a 13-10 lead, the Cardinal put together a 13-play, 94-yard scoring drive to restore their two-score advantage. Brown hit CJ Williams for a 28-yard pass to convert a third-and-9, and Tabb finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
In his first action of the season, Brown completed 6 of 12 passes for 71 yards. Sam Roush led Stanford with 63 yards on six catches.
Castellanos completed 14 of 28 passes for 242 yards before he was knocked out of the game. Micahi Danzy had 106 yards on three catches while Duce Robinson added 98 yards on four catches.
The Seminoles got a 33-yard field goal from Jake Weinberg to cut the deficit to 20-13 with 9:22 left. They then crossed midfield on each of their final three possessions, but the first two ended as turnovers on downs and time ran out on the final drive.
Stanford opened the scoring on a 32-yard field goal from Emmet Kenney after forcing a Florida State punt.
After a missed field goal on the ensuing possession, the Seminoles tied the game with a 39-yard field goal from Weinberg 26 seconds into the second quarter.
The Cardinal took the lead right back, marching on an 11-play, 75-yard drive and reaching the end zone on a 7-yard pass from Gulbranson to Williams. They then made it 13-3 on another Kenney field goal with 2:53 left in the half.
Florida State reached the end zone with 40 seconds left in the half on a remarkably athletic leap over the pylon by Castellanos for an 8-yard TD run.
