Noah Cahill
Notre Dame jumped three spots in the AP Poll, up to No. 11, without playing any football last weekend. The Irish sat back as the college football world was shaken by several upsets, headlined by Vanderbilt’s victory over No. 1-ranked Alabama. After getting some much-needed recovery time amidst the growing health concerns on both sides of the ball, the Irish will look to avoid a similar outcome in South Bend on Saturday approaching their 38th all-time matchup with rivals Stanford.
The Cardinal have sputtered out the gate at 2-3, losing their last two games to Clemson and Virginia Tech by a combined score of 71-21. Their defense has been torn apart early, surrendering 358.6 yards per game and 17 touchdowns through its first five. They have fared a bit better on the other side of the ball, utilizing the legs of quarterback Ashton Daniels and funneling passing game work to star receiver Elic Ayomanor, who has hauled in 24 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns this season.
The Irish defense got even thinner against Louisville when sophomore vyper Boubacar Traore suffered a torn ACL in the first half. With that said, they should have more than enough to handle this Cardinal offense, especially with the expected return of sophomore cornerback Christian Gray. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard and the passing attack showed encouraging signs against Louisville and will have a prime opportunity to take another step forward against a Stanford secondary that contributes to the 115th-ranked passing efficiency defense in the country.
I see a routine victory for a Notre Dame team that will come out sharp and prepared from the opening kickoff. It won’t be overlooking this game, especially after what happened in 2021.
Stanford 14, Notre Dame 42
Matthew Crow
We’ve now seen the Irish take down two top-20 opponents this season, but they’ll be looking to follow up this big victory much better than they did the first time around. Last week’s bye came at an opportune time for Notre Dame, who received some help in the national polls and got the chance to heal up after a string of hard-fought games. While the Irish carry a significant amount of momentum and positive energy on their side following three straight wins, Stanford’s season has been heading in the exact opposite direction. The Cardinal opened the season well and picked up an impressive road win against Syracuse but have been blown out by Clemson and Virginia Tech over the last two weeks to fall to 2-3.
Most of their struggles have come on the offensive side, as they scored just 21 points across those two games and failed to make much happen on the ground or through the air. That plays into the hands of Notre Dame, who should give Stanford fits defensively all afternoon. It should also take some pressure off of the Irish offense, who will be looking to recapture the magic it found while rattling off 21 unanswered points in the first quarter against Louisville behind a steady diet of runs and an efficient quick passing game from Riley Leonard. Sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse had his best effort of the season in Notre Dame’s last outing. Another strong performance from Greathouse, along with big outings from graduate wideout Beaux Collins — who was unusually quiet against Louisville — and a healthier senior tight end Mitchell Evans should help Leonard get over the 200 passing yards mark for the first time in an Irish jersey.
Last time Stanford visited South Bend in 2022, they came away with a shocking upset victory in a game that took place immediately after Notre Dame knocked off a ranked opponent. The circumstances may be similar on Saturday, but I see this Irish team coming out of the gates hot and improving to 5-1 behind dominant defense and timely offense.
Stanford 13, Notre Dame 31
Annika Herko
Last week went about as well as it possibly could go for a team not actually playing. The Irish moved up three spots, and top-ranked teams ahead of the Irish fell to opponents they really had no business losing to. All of a sudden losing to Northern Illinois in Week Two looks less bad. With SEC favorites Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri all with one loss, it makes Notre Dame’s path into the College Football Playoff a bit more clear.
If, and only if, it wins out.
Stanford has been struggling in its first season in the ACC, as expected. The Cardinal are 2-3 with wins over Cal Poly and Syracuse. Notre Dame is Stanford’s first of two ranked opponents this season. They will play Louisville in a few weeks. The Cardinal is 105th in the nation in the passing game, and even with several injured players on defense, Notre Dame should be able to take care of business.
Stanford 17, Notre Dame 35
Madeline Ladd
The 38th meeting between Notre Dame and Stanford carries a bit of extra intrigue this year, as the Cardinal arrive in South Bend as new members of the ACC. Despite this, Stanford still isn’t great. However, we sadly do remember what happened the last time the Cardinal made a trip to Notre Dame Stadium.
This year, Stanford has struggled, coming off consecutive blowout losses to Virginia Tech and Clemson. With an underwhelming defense ranked 72nd overall and an abysmal 121st in passing yards allowed, this weekend could provide Riley Leonard an opportunity to get the passing game on track.
The offensive line will need to step up and give Leonard time to make smart, efficient throws — something it has continually struggled with. Stanford’s offense doesn’t pose a major threat, though, as it is ranked 72nd in rushing and 105th in passing. But, the return of mobile quarterback Ashton Daniels could give Notre Dame’s defense something to worry about — especially with injuries to key linemen like Boubacar Traore and graduate student Jordan Botelho.
With the CFP still in sight, the Irish can’t afford to let Stanford hang around. No fumbles on kickoffs, no dumb penalties and no playing down to the competition. Most importantly, they need to improve their dreadful third-down conversion rate, as they are currently ranked near the bottom of Division One. Marcus Freeman has a strong record after a bye week (3-0). Let’s make it four.
Stanford 10, Notre Dame 38
Tyler Reidy
The last two weeks have punched Stanford in the mouth, and it’s not getting any easier this week. The Cardinal still have little to no certainty at the quarterback position, and that’s no spot to be in against an elite defense like Notre Dame’s. What I’m interested to see, though, is how the Irish handle this game mentally. It’s become known that Marcus Freeman’s teams are prone to struggle on the heels of success. Last week, while on the bye, Notre Dame saw chaos break out around college football and moved back into the national top 12. Will the Irish use that blood in the water to play even hungrier or lose their sense of urgency now that they’re back in playoff position?
I lean toward the latter here with respect to Stanford’s win at Syracuse a few weeks back. The Cardinal can keep it close — heck, they beat the Irish in South Bend just two years ago. But if Notre Dame can avoid untimely turnovers and chunk plays allowed on defense, the two items that made for an uncomfortable first half in Palo Alto last year, this game won’t be close. Expect an efficient afternoon from Riley Leonard as the Irish handle business.
Stanford 10, Notre Dame 34
