Despite another underwhelming start, No. 11 Notre Dame (5-1) put it all together on Saturday against longtime rival Stanford (2-4). Following a much-needed bye week, the Irish rallied after trailing early to defeat the Cardinal 49-7 in South Bend. Improving to 4-0 after bye weeks under head coach Marcus Freeman, the Fighting Irish retained the Legends Trophy, which the two teams have played for since 1989. The win also improved Notre Dame’s record in the all-time series against Stanford to 24-14.
A second loss to an unranked opponent would have likely crushed the Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes. Instead, the Irish put together one of their most complete performances of the season. After failing on their first offensive drive of the game, the Irish defense gave up big plays to Stanford’s offense. The Cardinal’s initial drive resulted in a touchdown from backup quarterback Justin Lamson who scored on a second straight keeper to put Stanford up 7-0 to cap a 63-yard, nine-play drive. While it was not the start Notre Dame wanted, the Irish shook off the sluggishness. They shut down the Cardinal the rest of the way, scoring 49 unanswered points. Down 7-0 early, the Irish answered the Cardinal’s opening-drive score. Inside the 10, Riley Leonard capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive scoring his eighth rushing touchdown of the year to tie the game. Notre Dame never looked back.
“You have to prepare for your opponent’s best and you have to be at your best when you want to win a rivalry game. It’s so important,” Freeman said at his post-game press conference. “I was really proud of them and the way they responded after that first series. It was a terrible first series. From the second series on, they played lights out.”
Notre Dame Offense Finds Rhythm Behind Leonard’s Arm and Legs
Extending drives on the ground, the Irish utilized an effective passing game against Stanford. Leonard, known for his running prowess, saw the field well from the pocket and spread the ball around. Keeping drives alive with his legs, Leonard polished off two more drives in the first half with precision passing. Pushing tempo for much of the game, Leonard found Jayden Thomas on an RPO to put the Irish up 14-7. The beautiful bullet from 15 yards out marked the first touchdown catch of the season for Thomas.
Right before halftime, Leonard struck again. After going for it on fourth-and-one in the red zone, Notre Dame found the end zone. This time Leonard hit transfer wide receiver Kris Mitchell from five yards out for the touchdown to give the Irish a 21-7 halftime advantage.
In the third quarter, Leonard connected downfield with KK Smith for a 25-yard pass. That key play led to a Jeremiyah Love 39-yard touchdown run. Leonard also had a nice deep ball to Beaux Collins for 53 yards. It was Leonard’s longest completion of the season. Collins led all Irish receivers for the game, hauling in four receptions for 85 yards (21.2 average). Leonard later hit tight end Eli Raridon for a touchdown, putting the Irish up 42-7. It was Leonard’s first game throwing three touchdown passes since 2022 when Duke faced Wake Forest.
“That was a reflection of what that defense gave us and also what we felt Riley could execute well,” Freeman said of Leonard’s three touchdown passes. “You have to look at what you think your guys can do well. It was really good decision making and he put the ball right where it needed to be. And the guys made great catches.”
Joshua Burnham is Back
Defensive end Joshua Burnham, who had missed two games due to injury, provided the spark the Irish needed to start the second half and continue the momentum. On Stanford’s first possession of the second half, Burnham picked off an option pitch from Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels in the backfield, giving the Irish the ball in the red zone. Capitalizing on the turnover, running back Jadarian Price made a clean cut off the left side and scampered into the end zone to put the Irish up 28-7. Burnham played in all 13 games a season ago, making one start on the defensive line. He recorded 18 tackles last year, 10 solo, and had a sack.
Notre Dame’s defense was stingy all game. The unit posted eight tackles for loss and recorded four quarterback sacks. The Irish defense also stopped Stanford three times on fourth down and held Daniels to 8-for-13 for 74 yards.
Weather Woes Couldn’t Douse The Irish
At the end of the third quarter, the game was suspended for more than one hour due to a weather delay because of lightning in the area. The delay did little to slow the Irish offense. After scoring 21 points in the third quarter, the Irish added another touchdown in the final frame. Freshman running Aneyas Williams scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 19-yard run that put the Irish up 49-7. In mop-up duty, Steve Angeli replaced Leonard for the final quarter.
Final Thoughts
While the overall output fell short of the 66 points Notre Dame put up against Purdue, Saturday’s performance was Notre Dame’s most complete game of the season. Leonard clearly played his best game of the season. He finished the day going 16-of-22 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He even completed a batted pass to center Pat Coogan. Leonard added 31 yards on the ground on six carries.
Notre Dame is riding high after trouncing Stanford on Saturday. The Irish’s next challenge comes on the road as they face Georgia Tech (5-2) in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets, fresh off a win over North Carolina on Saturday, will look to spoil the Irish’s momentum. Notre Dame took a leap forward in the dominating win over Stanford, even resembling a Top 10 team. A win next week over Georgia Tech would further bolster their case as they make a run toward the CFP.
“We’re getting closer,” Freeman said at his post-game press conference. “I told the team before the game, ‘The little things are becoming the big things.’ It’s not just about winning but improving as much as we can. But I have a feeling this group is getting closer and closer to reaching our full potential. Today was a big step in that. We’ve got to continue to make sure we are taking steps forward.”
