Stanford football made a change at QB with a minute left in the first quarter, moving from Ashton Daniels to the surprising return of freshman Elijah Brown, who was expected to miss six to eight weeks after being injured in Week 2 against Cal Poly.

The first quarter didn’t go particularly well for Stanford, which had two drives (87, 38) lasting one and two plays, 0:21 in, thanks to some defensive breakdowns that led to TD passes of 87, 45 and 38 Mustangs fell behind. In the first quarter alone, SMU had accumulated 205 yards through the air, which led to Brown being assigned at QB.

His first drive back was certainly eventful, too, with a defensive pass interference call that gave Stanford a first down, then he was sacked from behind for a loss of six. An unnecessary harshness penalty was then imposed, which gave the cardinal a first.

The ensuing play initially consisted of a sack and a fumble, but was changed to an intentional grounding after review. Brown connected with tight end Sam Roush for two balls, including a first down, after the call was overturned.

The drive ended with an interception on a pass intended for Emmett Mosley V, but it had a little too much zip. Deuce Harmon was credited with the choice. Now we can see what Brown has at QB, presumably for the rest of the game.