Led by fifth-year head coach Tiny Thornhill, the Indians compiled an overall record of 4–3–2 with a mark of 4–2–1 in conference play, placing second in the PCC.

Stanford had been scheduled to play two games in Hawaii—against a Honolulu town team and the Hawaii Rainbows—in December, but the games were canceled due to steamship schedule changes that meant the team would miss a week and a half of classes in winter quarter.

[2] The Indians were 4–1–1 in the Pacific Coast Conference entering the Big Game against 5–0–1 California.

[11] However, the Bears scored two touchdowns in quick succession in an eight-minute stretch of the second quarter and held the Indians scoreless, winning 13–0.

The Indians had lost to the Lions in the 1934 Rose Bowl and lost in New York the previous season; this year, in what would be the final meeting of the teams, the teams played to a scoreless tie.