Stanford football teams have never been built to come from behind. They’ve always been designed to grab an early lead and hold it by controlling the clock and relying on defense.
Ahead of the 2015 season, Stanford had high hopes but flopped against Northwestern in their first game. The team trailed at half and fell behind by 10 points with just under four minutes to go. The Cardinal showed no energy throughout the game and the loss to the Wildcats ultimately cost them a spot in the playoff.
The next year, Stanford trailed Washington 23-0 at half.