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Stanford football is in panic mode. The Cardinal lost their fourth game of the season this past weekend, falling 58-7 to No. 2 Notre Dame. With Stanford sitting at 2-4 on the season, each game is magnified and wins are a must if the program hopes to make its first appearance in a bowl game since 2018.

But this week could help matters. Stanford faces off against Elon, an FCS program, for the first time. Elon has not won a championship of any kind since 1981. The Cardinal obviously need to win this game. While they enter the game as the overwhelming favorites, the Cardinal still need to play their best brand of football.

Here are three keys to a Stanford victory.

Stop Elon's Rushing Attack

Elon is the perfect embodiment of a one-dimensional offense. Elon has used three different quarterbacks this season, with each one producing different results. The trio has combined for eight passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Its running game is a different story.

Running back Kamerin McDowell-Moore has registered 916 yards and six touchdowns on 137 carries through seven games. In the last three weeks alone he has combined for 561 rushing yards, registering 273 in a loss to New Hampshire on Oct. 3. Elon will look to run the ball a lot, but if Stanford can contain McDowell-Moore, it will be hard to see a world where this is a close game.

Attack the Defense Early

Elon's defense is fast, physical and filled with playmakers. Stanford needs to exploit it early and force it to adjust. Stanford quarterback Davis Warren has played fairly well this season, registering 1,351 passing yards, six passing touchdowns and two interceptions, and has done a good job overall of protecting the football.

This is a game where he can throw a lot and be the difference maker, and force Elon to stretch the field.

Elon's leading tackler is linebacker Brodie Carroll, who finished with over 100 tackles last season and was a top player in the CAA. He is the type of player who can cause trouble. Carroll will be involved in every play, but if the Cardinal can tire him out early, it will keep him from being a major factor later on.

Clean Football

Stanford should absolutely win this game, especially if it don't give away the football. The offense needs to stay on the field for as long as it can and prevent Elon from having a chance to get anything going.

Turnovers are a killer for any team, and the Cardinal have had issues with them in past seasons. In this game, a turnover-free outing will go a long way in them getting the job done and improving to 3-4 on the year.

Stanford only has five total turnovers this season — two fumbles and three interceptions (Warren with two and Charlie Mirer with one) — averaging 0.8 turnovers per game. The Cardinal are still on pace to improve from last season, when they turned the ball over 12 times.

After a rough game last week against Notre Dame, they need to play clean football this week to make this the easy win it's expected to be. 

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