Davis Warren's three second-half TDs carry Stanford past Georgia Tech 34-27

Davis Warren turned Stanford's passing game loose after halftime Saturday night, throwing three touchdowns as the Cardinal came back to beat Georgia Tech 34-27 at Stanford Stadium. The Yellow Jackets led 20-10 at the break and had scored on their first four possessions. Stanford's next three touchdowns changed the game.

The first half belonged largely to Georgia Tech's balanced offense. Alberto Mendoza hit Trelain Maddox for a nine-yard touchdown, and Maddox later scored on a 20-yard run. Aidan Birr added two field goals. Stanford's only touchdown before intermission came on Micah Ford's seven-yard run, leaving the Cardinal needing a different second-half rhythm.

Emmet Kenney's field goal began the rally. Warren then found Caden High for a 49-yard score, tying the game at 20 with 7:08 left in the third quarter. On Stanford's next touchdown drive, Warren converted fourth-and-11 with a 33-yard pass to Nico Brown in the end zone. He found High again for a seven-yard score early in the fourth, pushing the lead to 34-20. The ESPN scoring log shows Stanford scored 24 unanswered points between Georgia Tech's last first-half touchdown and the visitors' late reply.

Warren finished 22 of 36 for 396 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Brown caught five passes for 98 yards; High had four for 91 and two scores. Stanford's 482 total yards included only 86 rushing, so the comeback depended heavily on Warren's downfield passing and fourth-down execution. The Cardinal converted three of four fourth downs.

Georgia Tech did not disappear. Mendoza found Jaiven Plummer for a 23-yard touchdown with 9:11 left, trimming the margin to seven. But that was the Yellow Jackets' final score. Mendoza threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, while Justice Haynes ran for 107 yards. Georgia Tech had 431 total yards and 25 first downs, yet committed two turnovers and was penalized 12 times for 106 yards. Those setbacks mattered in a one-score finish; the ESPN box score details both.

The result gave Stanford its first ACC win of the season after two heavy conference losses. The Cardinal had advertised this as its Sept. 26 home meeting with Georgia Tech in its official stadium guide. Saturday's recovery now sends Stanford to Wake Forest with a more credible passing identity. Georgia Tech has to address a second-half defensive collapse before hosting Duke. Stanford also avoided giving the ball away, a useful contrast with Georgia Tech's two turnovers. That margin helped the Cardinal capitalize on its explosive third-quarter passing plays without needing a large rushing output or a dominant time-of-possession edge.