Micah Ford's Four-Touchdown Day Earns ACC Running Back of the Week

Micah Ford is getting some love after his big performance over the weekend. After Stanford football beat Elon 34-7 over the weekend, Ford earned ACC Running Back of the Week honors after a big-time performance. 

Ford carried the ball 19 times for 179 yards and four touchdowns (including an 81-yard touchdown run), while averaging a whopping 9.4 yards per carry.

He also caught five passes for 52 yards, putting his versatility on full display. Ford's four touchdowns tied a Stanford record, and put him at eight for the season, the highest total of any season in his career. It is the second game this season in which he has run for three or more touchdowns.

He has 529 rushing yards on 114 carries this season, and if he continues to string together games like that, he could be on pace for a 1,000-yard season. Ford is flying under the radar when it comes to being an NFL prospect, but this could be the season where that changes.

This is Ford's second weekly award win of the season. His 231 yards from scrimmage against Elon are the most by a Stanford running back since 2017, while his four touchdowns tie the program record in a single game set by Christian McCaffrey in 2015. It is the 10th time in program history that a player has rushed for four touchdowns.

Ford is tied with Duke's Nate Sheppard for most rushing touchdowns in the ACC and is tied for second in rush attempts and sixth in rushing yards. The Cardinal's running game has been inconsistent this season, but Ford's big game could be what turns the tables in that department.

Ford is a former three-star recruit out of Toms River High School in New Jersey, and received interest from several other high-profile programs including Maryland, Syracuse, Wake Forest and West Virginia. 

Leading his high school to back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023, Ford totaled 4,570 rushing yards and 54 rushing touchdowns over the course of his prep career. He played quarterback too, registering 2,434 career passing yards and 37 touchdown passes. 

Ford put himself on the map as a senior, rushing for 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns on 197 carries and passing for 869 yards and 15 touchdowns. His versatility helped earn him the award for best high school football player in the state of New Jersey for 2022 and 2023.

Ford and Stanford have a short week, set to face NC State at Stanford Stadium on Friday, Oct. 23.

With Stanford sitting at 3-4 on the season with only one conference win, a victory over a 3-3 NC State team is vital in preserving Stanford's chances at making a bowl game for the first time since 2018. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. local time with the live game broadcast airing on ESPN.