The Stanford Cardinal football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Stanford Cardinal football program in various categories,[1] [2] including passing , rushing , receiving , total offense , all-purpose yardage , defensive stats, and kicking . Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Cardinal represent Stanford University in the NCAA 's Pac-12 Conference .
Although Stanford began competing in intercollegiate football in 1891,[1] the school's official record book generally does not lists players from before the 1940s, as records from before this year are often incomplete and inconsistent.
These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since the 1940s, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[3] Stanford has played in a bowl game 10 times since this decision, allowing players in these years (2009 through 2017) an extra game to accumulate statistics. Similarly, the Cardinal have appeared in the Pac-12 Championship Game four times since it began in 2011.
The top nine seasons in Stanford history in both total offensive yards and points scored have all come since 1999.[2]
These lists are updated through the end of the 2020 season .
Passing [ ]
Passing yards [ ]
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Steve Stenstrom
10,911
1991 1992 1993 1994
2
Andrew Luck
9,430
2009 2010 2011
3
Kevin Hogan
9,385[4]
2012 2013 2014 2015
4
John Elway
9,349
1979 1980 1981 1982
5
Jim Plunkett
7,809
1968 1969 1970
6
John Paye
7,669
1983 1984 1985 1986
7
Todd Husak
6,834
1996 1997 1998 1999
8
Guy Benjamin
6,215
1974 1975 1976 1977
9
K. J. Costello
6,151
2017 2018 2019
10
Trent Edwards
5,443
2003 2004 2005 2006
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Steve Stenstrom
3,627
1993
2
K. J. Costello
3,540
2018
3
Andrew Luck
3,517
2011
4
Andrew Luck
3,338
2010
5
John Elway
3,242
1982
6
Steve Dils
3,153
1978
7
Todd Husak
3,092
1998
8
Jim Plunkett
2,980
1970
9
Todd Husak
2,946
1999
10
John Elway
2,889
1980
Passing touchdowns [ ]
Rushing [ ]
Rushing yards [ ]
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Stepfan Taylor
4,300
2009 2010 2011 2012
2
Darrin Nelson
4,169
1977 1978 1980 1981
3
Christian McCaffrey
3,922[11]
2014 2015 2016
4
Bryce Love
3,865[12]
2015 2016 2017 2018
5
Toby Gerhart
3,522
2006 2007 2008 2009
6
Brad Muster
3,010
1984 1985 1986 1987
7
Anthony Bookman
2,672
1994 1995 1996 1997
8
Mike Mitchell
2,550
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
9
Tyler Gaffney
2,500
2009 2010 2011 2013
10
Glyn Milburn
2,252
1990 1991 1992
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Bryce Love
2,118[12]
2017
2
Christian McCaffrey
2,019[11]
2015
3
Toby Gerhart
1,871
2009
4
Tyler Gaffney
1,709
2013
5
Christian McCaffrey
1,603[11]
2016
6
Stepfan Taylor
1,530
2012
7
Stepfan Taylor
1,330
2011
8
Tommy Vardell
1,188
1991
9
Darrin Nelson
1,161
1978
10
Stepfan Taylor
1,137
2010
Rushing touchdowns [ ]
Receiving [ ]
Receptions [ ]
Receiving yards [ ]
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Troy Walters
4,047
1996 1997 1998 1999
2
DeRonnie Pitts
3,023
1997 1998 1999 2000
3
Ken Margerum
2,517
1977 1978 1979 1980
4
Justin Armour
2,491
1991 1992 1993 1994
5
Darrin Nelson
2,469
1977 1978 1980 1981
6
Mark Bradford
2,431
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
7
Brian Manning
2,365
1993 1994 1995 1996
8
Ed McCaffrey
2,333
1986 1987 1989 1990
9
Jeff James
2,306
1984 1985 1986 1987
10
Emile Harry
2,270
1981 1982 1983 1984
Receiving touchdowns [ ]
Total offense [ ]
Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[28]
Total offense yards [ ]
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Kevin Hogan
10,634 [4]
2012 2013 2014 2015
2
Andrew Luck
10,387
2009 2010 2011
3
Steve Stenstrom
10,179
1991 1992 1993 1994
4
John Elway
9,070
1979 1980 1981 1982
5
Jim Plunkett
8,178
1968 1969 1970
6
John Paye
7,539
1983 1984 1985 1986
7
Todd Husak
6,680
1996 1997 1998 1999
8
K. J. Costello
6,241
2017 2018 2019
9
Guy Benjamin
6,043
1974 1975 1976 1977
10
Trent Edwards
5,642
2003 2004 2005 2006
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Andrew Luck
3,791
2010
2
Andrew Luck
3,667
2011
3
Steve Stenstrom
3,398
1993
4
Kevin Hogan
3,203 [4]
2015
5
Jim Plunkett
3,189
1970
6
John Elway
3,104
1982
7
Kevin Hogan
3,087
2014
8
Steve Dils
3,033
1978
9
Todd Husak
3,026
1998
10
Kevin Hogan
2,985
2013
Total touchdowns [ ]
Single game
Rank
Player
TDs
Year
Opponent
1
John Elway
6
1980
Washington State
John Elway
6
1980
Oregon State
All-purpose yardage [ ]
All-purpose yardage is the sum of all yards credited to a player who is in possession of the ball. It includes rushing, receiving, and returns, but does not include passing.[28]
Statistics are from the 2018 Stanford football record book,[2] and will be updated if necessary to reflect results from the 2018 season. The record book lists only the top six single-game performers.
Career
Rk
Player
Yards
Years
1
Darrin Nelson
7,120
1977 1978 1980 1981
2
Christian McCaffrey
6,987
2014 2015 2016
3
Glyn Milburn
6,146
1990 1991 1992
4
Troy Walters
5,515
1996 1997 1998 1999
5
Ty Montgomery
5,190
2011 2012 2013 2014
6
Stepfan Taylor
5,095
2009 2010 2011 2012
7
Brad Muster
5,095
1984 1985 1986 1987
8
Vincent White
4,662
1979 1980 1981 1982
9
Anthony Bookman
4,072
1994 1995 1996 1997
10
Toby Gerhart
3,917
2006 2007 2008 2009
Single season
Rk
Player
Yards
Year
1
Christian McCaffrey
3,864
2015
2
Christian McCaffrey
2,327
2016
3
Glyn Milburn
2,234
1992
4
Glyn Milburn
2,222
1990
5
Ty Montgomery
2,208
2013
6
Bryce Love
2,151
2017
7
Toby Gerhart
2,028
2009
8
Darrin Nelson
1,998
1981
9
Troy Walters
1,929
1999
10
Chris Owusu
1,915
2009
Defense [ ]
Interceptions [ ]
Tackles [ ]
Sacks [ ]
Single game
Rank
Player
Sacks
Year
Opponent
1
Riall Johnson
5.0
1999
Washington State
Kicking [ ]
Field goals made [ ]
Single game
Rank
Player
FGs
Year
Opponent
1
John Hopkins
5
1990
California
Nate Whitaker
5[31]
2010
Notre Dame
Field goal percentage [ ]
References [ ]
^ a b "2014 Stanford Cardinal Football History" . GoStanford.com . Retrieved 2015-02-10 .
^ a b c d "2018 Stanford Football Record Book" (PDF) . Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved September 1, 2018 .
^ "NCAA changes policy on football stats" . ESPN.com . AP. 2002-08-28. Retrieved 2014-09-11 .
^ a b c d e f g "Kevin Hogan" . ESPN.com . Retrieved 2016-01-02 .
^ a b "Stanford vs. Washington State Box Score" . ESPN.com . November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019 .
^ a b c d "Stanford vs. UCLA Box Score" . ESPN.com . December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020 .
^ a b "Arizona erases 15-point deficit to clip Stanford" . ESPN.com . 2009-10-17.
^ a b "Stanford wins Pac-12 North behind Ty Montgomery's 5 TDs" . ESPN.com . 2013-11-23.
^ "Box Score: Stanford vs. UCLA" . ESPN.com . 2018-11-24.
^ a b "Box Score: Oregon State vs. Stanford" . ESPN.com . November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018 .
^ a b c d "Christian McCaffrey" . ESPN.com . Retrieved 2017-02-02 .
^ a b c d "Bryce Love: Stats" . ESPN.com . Retrieved September 23, 2018 .
^ "Love's 301 yards helps Stanford beat Arizona State 34-24" . ESPN.com . Associated Press . September 30, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017 .
^ "No. 24 Stanford wins 7th straight Big Game, beats Cal 45-31" . ESPN.com . 2016-11-19.
^ "Bryce Love runs for 263 yards to lead Stanford past UCLA" . ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 24, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017 .
^ a b "Christian McCaffrey's huge night, Francis Owusu's catch fuel Stanford" . ESPN.com . 2015-10-15.
^ "Stanford rides Gerhart's legs past No. 8 Oregon" . ESPN.com . 2009-11-07.
^ "Christian McCaffrey breaks yardage record as No. 7 Stanford takes Pac-12" . ESPN.com . 2015-12-05.
^ Pac-12 Football Championship Game
^ "Hogan starts, No. 21 Stanford defeats Oregon State 42-24" . ESPN.com . 2015-09-25.
^ "Cameron Scarlett" . ESPN.com .
^ "Gerhart, Stanford manhandle Washington State" . ESPN.com . 2008-11-01.
^ "Big Game lives up to hype as Vereen has 3 TDs; late INT sinks Stanford" . ESPN.com . 2009-11-21.
^ "Andrew Luck puts on a clinic as No. 13 Stanford handles No. 15 Arizona" . ESPN.com . 2010-11-06.
^ "Stanford routs rival Cal 38-17 in 117th Big Game" . ESPN.com . 2014-11-22.
^ "Box Score: San Diego State vs. Stanford" . ESPN.com . August 31, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018 .
^ a b c "JJ Arcega-Whiteside" . ESPN.com . Retrieved September 23, 2018 .
^ a b "2018 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF) . National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 1, 2018 .
^ a b c d e "Jet Toner" . ESPN.com . Retrieved September 23, 2018 .
^ a b c d e f "Conrad Ukropina" . ESPN.com . Retrieved 2017-02-02 .
^ "Nate Whitaker's five FGs give Stanford winning edge over Irish" . ESPN.com . 2010-09-25.
^ "Joshua Karty" . ESPN.com .
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