Fresh off its first of two bye weeks this season, No. 11 Notre Dame (4-1) returns to action on Saturday. Seeking to continue the momentum of a three-game winning streak after an inexplicable loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2, the Fighting Irish play host in South Bend to the Stanford Cardinal (2-3), a new member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Saturday’s rivalry game between Notre Dame and Stanford is the 38th meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame owns a 23-14 record in the series, including a 56-23 rout in the final regular season game of the 2023 season. Since 1989, Notre Dame and Stanford have faced off for the Legends Trophy.
Heading into the second half of the season, Notre Dame is positioned to make a push for the expanded College Football Playoff. Although it is a small sample size, Notre Dame has been a force in games following a bye week in the two seasons under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Irish are a perfect 3-0 in these situations, often delivering decisive victories. In 2022, the Irish defeated No. 16 BYU 28-20. In 2023, Notre Dame recorded a 58-7 home win over Pittsburgh and a 45-7 victory at home against Wake Forest.
An Extra Week of Preparation for Notre Dame
Last seen, the Irish defeated No. 15 Louisville 31-24 in Week 5. It marked the ninth win over a ranked team (second this season) in the Freeman era. Only Frank Leahy earned more ranked victories (10) in his first three years as Irish head coach.
“I was really proud of the way the coaches and players handled the highs of lows of what a college football game tends to represent,” Freeman said of the Louisville game at his weekly press conference on Monday. “We really looked at and evaluated how to eliminate the lows. That’s the challenge. The lows are turnovers, negative yardage plays on offense. On defense, to eliminate some of the big plays, stopping the run. We attacked a lot of these issues during the bye week.
As for facing Stanford on Saturday, Freeman said in his opening statement, “It’s a rivalry game, playing for the Legends Trophy. It’s an important rivalry for our program. Two years ago, they came in here and they beat us. Last year, in the second quarter we were down. We really have to prepare. Another challenging opponent to prepare for.”
Banged Up Stanford Team Seeks a Rebound
Coming off consecutive losses, Stanford is desperate for a win. The team has improved from last season but remains a work in progress. The Cardinal lost 31-17 to Virginia Tech on Oct. 5 and 40-14 to No. 10 Clemson the previous week. Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels went down with an injury in a win against Syracuse. He dressed for the game against Virginia Tech but did not play, giving way to Justin Lamson to make the start. On the year, Daniels has completed 68-of-115 pass attempts for 633 yards (59.1 percent). He has thrown five touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, Daniels has rushed for 252 yards.
According to Stanford head coach, Troy Taylor (3-9 in his first year at the helm in 2023), Daniels is expected to return against Notre Dame.
“He’ll be fine, he’s ready to play,” Taylor said on Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “Both he and Justin are available and ready to play, so we’re happy. Ashton was available last week, but he wasn’t able to practice. We’ll see how he does (at practice), but we think he’s going to be fine.”
Other Offensive Weapons For Stanford
Stanford’s running game has shown some life this season. True freshman Micah Ford is playing an integral role. Ford, however, was hurt in the Virginia Tech game, leaving his status uncertain for Saturday. Ford had a breakout performance against Clemson, gaining 122 yards (8.1 average) on 15 carries. For the season, Ford has rushed for 230 yards on 47 carries, good for a 4.9 average. He has yet to find the end zone.
“Having Micah available will be important,” Taylor said this week. “He’s really come along as a player and if you get him back, we have him most of the game, so hopefully he’s able to play. But I like our group. Cole Tabb is a guy that we’ll eventually get back this year as well, and we’re really excited about him. And then Ryan Butler is a guy that’s been dealing with a little injury that should be available as well.”
Stanford’s offense also features one of the standout wide receivers in the country Elic Ayomanor. Ayomanor has hauled in 24 receptions this season for 317 yards and three touchdowns. In a breakout season last year, Ayomanor recorded 62 catches for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns.
Ground Game Powers the Irish Offense
The Irish are methodically finding a rhythm on offense. While dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard has been a terror on opponents rushing the ball, he appears to be securing his sea legs in the pocket. He has proven in recent weeks that he can throw the ball down the field, which brings a new aspect to the offense that was lackluster in the first two games of the season. For the season, Leonard has completed 82-of-126 pass attempts for 750 yards (65.1 percent). He has thrown three touchdowns to two interceptions.
Leonard leads all Irish rushers on the season. His 374 yards on 59 carries (6.3 average) and seven touchdowns outpaces running back Jeremiyah Love. On 57 carries, Love has rushed for 373 yards (6.5 average) and five touchdowns. Jadarian Price is next. Price has accumulated 211 yards on 29 carries (7.3) average with two touchdowns.
Speaking at a post-practice press conference on Tuesday, Love commented on being the second-leading rusher on the team behind the quarterback.
“It wasn’t expected, but I don’t think anything of it,” Love said. “Whatever helps the team win is all I’m really thinking about. Hey, if I’m second in rushing yards and touchdowns and we’re winning, as long as it’s working. You expect Riley to contribute to the run game. We embrace it.”
Defense of the Legends Trophy
The Fighting Irish have a two-fold mission on Saturday: retain the Legends Trophy and bolster their CFP resume. Notre Dame has been unbeatable following bye weeks under Freeman. While Notre Dame and Stanford can both be expected to bring top efforts, Stanford is struggling. Taylor will undoubtedly have his team prepared for the rivalry clash. However, stopping Notre Dame’s dynamic rushing trio of Leonard, Love, and Price, should prove a daunting task for a team in search of a marquee win. If Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock can dial up some explosive passing plays to accompany the rock-solid run game, Stanford could be in for a long afternoon. While the Irish have been known to overlook inferior opponents, there is no excuse for it in a rivalry game following a bye week. And Notre Dame can ill afford another stunning upset at home.
