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Stanford Quarterback Sidelined with Knee Injury, Backup Steps Up
19 Oct
Summary
- Stanford's starting QB Ben Gulbranson out for the rest of the game
- Backup QB Elijah Brown takes over, has experience from last season
- Coach Reich expresses confidence in Brown's ability to lead the team
On October 19th, 2025, Stanford's football team faced off against Florida State at home. The Cardinal had a three-point lead going into the second half, but they were dealt a significant blow when starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson was ruled out for the rest of the game due to a knee injury.
Head coach Frank Reich told ESPN that Gulbranson would be "down in the second half" and they would have to assess the severity of the injury. This meant that second-year quarterback Elijah Brown, a highly-regarded recruit, would now be taking over the offense.
Reich expressed confidence in Brown's ability to step up and lead the team, saying, "Elijah is a very mature young man, he's made for this moment. He's got a lot of football under his belt. We've got a lot of confidence in him." Brown, who played high school football at Mater Dei in California, was a four-star prospect and the No. 256 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle.
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This will be Brown's first significant playing time of the 2025 season, though he did see action in three games last year, completing 58.3% of his passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinal will be hoping he can continue that level of performance and help them secure their second ACC win of the season.
