It wasn't the sharpest performance by the Cardinal, but they found a way to put enough plays together to win. This is a confident team right out of the gates. David Esquer and Jack Little are quoted in the story.
https://stanford.rivals.com/news/stanford-weathers-frigid-temps-and-slow-start-to-defeat-rice-6-2
https://stanford.rivals.com/news/stanford-weathers-frigid-temps-and-slow-start-to-defeat-rice-6-2