Micah Ford scores four touchdowns as Stanford beats Elon, 34-7

Micah Ford ran for four touchdowns, including an 81-yard score early in the fourth quarter, as Stanford beat Elon 34-7 on Saturday. Ford tied the Cardinal's single-game record for rushing touchdowns and finished with 179 yards on 19 carries.

The homecoming win moved Stanford to 3-4 after consecutive losses to Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Elon, an FCS program, fell to 4-4 after going scoreless through the first three quarters.

Ford also caught five passes for 52 yards. His 231 yards from scrimmage gave quarterback Davis Warren a productive option both underneath and between the tackles before the long run ended Stanford's scoring.

Stanford Athletics published these official highlights from its homecoming win:

Ford turns a slow start into a lead

Neither team scored in the first quarter. Stanford's opening drive ended with a missed 35-yard field goal, and Elon later missed from 54.

The Cardinal broke through on their next possession. Warren's 32-yard completion to JonAnthony Hall helped move Stanford close, and Ford scored from a yard out on the first play of the second quarter. His seven-yard touchdown run with 4:36 left in the half finished an 80-yard drive and made it 14-0.

That margin survived another Elon field-goal attempt. Luke Barnes missed from 46 yards with 46 seconds remaining before halftime. Stanford carried its two-touchdown lead into the break without having forced a turnover.

Two short fields help Stanford pull away

Liam Thorpe's punt returns gave the Cardinal favorable starting positions in the third quarter. A 17-yard return placed the ball at midfield. Ford ran on the next three snaps before Warren found Sedrick Irvin for a 27-yard touchdown with 5:57 remaining.

Thorpe then returned another punt 33 yards to the Elon 45. Stanford used nine plays to reach the end zone, with Ford recovering control of a bobbled direct snap and scoring from five yards out. The lead grew to 28-0.

Ford needed only one carry on the next Stanford possession. His 81-yard touchdown run with 14:30 left in the fourth pushed the score to 34-0 after the missed extra point.

Elon's Kamerin McDowell-Moore supplied the Phoenix's response. He broke a 53-yard run and later scored from 18 yards out on the same drive. McDowell-Moore finished with 164 rushing yards on 21 carries, but Elon's passing game produced only 52 yards on eight completions in 27 attempts by TJ Crews IV.

Warren completed 27 of 39 passes for 279 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Hall led Stanford with 70 receiving yards, and the Cardinal finished with a 515-272 advantage in total offense. Stanford hosts NC State on Friday, October 23.