| Year: | 1978 |
| Team: | Stanford Cardinals |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Short Conf: | Pac-10 |
| Coachrank: | 16 |
| Aprank: | 17 |
| Record: | 8–4 |
| Conf Record: | 4–3 |
| Head Coach: | Bill Walsh |
| Hc Year: | 2nd |
| Stadium: | Stanford Stadium |
| Champion: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion |
| Bowl: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | W 25–22 vs. Georgia |
The 1978 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Bill Walsh, the Cardinals were 7–4 in the regular season (4–3 in Pac-10, tied for fourth) and played their home games on campus at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Their four losses were by a combined total of sixteen points.[1]
In the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl on New Year's Eve, Stanford rallied from a 22-point deficit in the second half to defeat #11 Georgia 25–22.[2] [3] and finished with an 8–4 record and a top twenty ranking.[4]
Less than two weeks later, Walsh departed for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers,[5] and receivers coach Rod Dowhower was promoted.[6] Walsh won three Super Bowls in ten seasons with the Niners, took three years off, and returned to Stanford as head coach in 1992.
See main article: 1978 All-Pacific-10 Conference football team. Two sophomores were named to the All-Pac-10 team, halfback Darrin Nelson and wide receiver Ken Margerum, along with senior linebacker Gordy Ceresino.
Two Cardinals were selected in the 1979 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Steve Dils | Quarterback | 97 | Minnesota Vikings | |
| Phil Francis | Running back | 166 | San Francisco 49ers | |