page_title: Stanford Cardinal football
section_title: Rod Dowhower era (1979)
hierarchical_section_title: Stanford Cardinal football / History / Rod Dowhower era (1979)
caption_attribution_description: English: Former American football player John Elway speaking to United States troops while preparing to throw a football.
context_page_description: The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford has a highly successful football tradition. The team is currently known as the Cardinal, adopted prior to the 1982 season. Stanford was known as the "Indians" from 1930 to January 1972, and the "Cardinals" from 1972 through 1981. A student vote in December 1975 to change the nickname to "Robber Barons" was not approved by administrators.
  Stanford has fielded football teams every year since 1892 with a few exceptions. Like a number of other teams from the era concerned with violence in the sport, the school dropped football in favor of rugby from 1906 to 1917. The school also did not field a team in 1918 or in 1943, 1944, and 1945.
  The school participated in the first-ever Rose Bowl against Michigan in 1902, in which they were routed 49-0. Its annual Big Game against California is the oldest and most storied rivalry in the Pac-12 and western United States. The Cardinal also compete for the Legends Trophy against independent rival Notre Dame.
context_section_description: In 1979, Rod Dowhower was promoted from wide receivers coach to Stanford's head coach. In his lone season, Stanford compiled a record of 5–5–1.
  Future NFL hall of famer John Elway enrolled at Stanford in 1979. Elway became one of Stanford's most iconic and successful players; however, the team struggled during his tenure.
caption: John Elway played quarterback at Stanford from 1979-1982
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