Nico Brown's Two Touchdowns Helped Stanford Hold Off NC State

Nico Brown caught four passes in Stanford's 31-28 win over NC State on Friday night. Two went for touchdowns, and both helped the Cardinal maintain control of a game that ultimately came down to the final minutes.

Brown opened the scoring before NC State's offense took the field. Stanford received the opening kickoff and marched 84 yards in 11 plays, with Davis Warren connecting with Brown for an 8-yard touchdown. The Cardinal extended their lead to 14-0 later in the first quarter when Warren found Sedrick Irvin Jr. for a 17-yard score.

Brown also helped Stanford regain momentum before halftime. Starting at their own 10-yard line with 1:54 remaining, the Cardinal needed just seven plays to cover 90 yards. Warren connected with Brown for a 24-yard gain during the drive before finding Caden High for a 26-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left. Stanford entered halftime leading 21-14.

His second touchdown proved just as important.

NC State received the second-half kickoff but had a touchdown called back because of an offensive pass interference penalty before eventually punting. Stanford responded with a 90-yard drive featuring a 43-yard play by Micah Ford and a 15-yard penalty on NC State's King Mack.

Facing fourth-and-4 near the goal line, Warren found Brown for a 5-yard touchdown to extend Stanford's lead to 28-14. It was the Cardinal's final touchdown of the game, and they needed every point. NC State scored twice in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to three before Stanford held on for the win.

Brown finished with four catches on six targets for 43 yards. While the yardage was modest, his scoring production stood out. He entered Friday with one touchdown through his first five appearances, scoring against Georgia Tech on Sept. 26. His two scores against NC State brought his season total to three.

The performance also offered a reminder of what Brown can bring to Stanford's passing game. At Yale last season, he caught 71 passes for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. He now shares the receiving workload with Caden High, who led Stanford with nine catches for 103 yards against NC State.

Warren completed 22 of 37 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception. Brown accounted for two of those scores, making his contributions particularly valuable in a game Stanford nearly let slip away.

The victory moved Stanford to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play. The Cardinal will look to build on the win when they visit Louisville on Oct. 31.