From 2009-2017, a span of nine games, Stanford was a national juggernaut and they dominated the series with the Irish winning seven and losing two. Since then the Cardinal program has fallen on difficult times. and the Irish have won four of the last five. In an effort to rejuvenate their program last season they brought in a new head coach in Troy Taylor. The Cardinal showed little progress in his year one going 3-9. They now sit at 2-3 this season, having fallen at home to Virginia Tech last week, 31-7. Two weeks ago, the Cardinal lost at Clemson, 40-14.
In last season’s match-up with the Irish, Audric Estime rushed for 238 yards and four TDs as the Irish defeated the Cardinal in Palo Alto, 56-23.
Dual-threat quarterback Ashton Daniels missed last week’s game but may well return to the lineup this week. This season, Daniels is completing 59% of his passes, with five TDs and six interceptions. He is also Stanford’s leading rusher, with 250 yards on 50 carries, though he has yet to score a rushing touchdown. If Daniels cannot play, backup Justin Lamson also favors running the ball, and has had a role in red zone situations. Last week against Virginia Tech, Lamson carried 19 times for 36 yards and completed 13 of 24 passes for 103 yards, with no TDs and one interception. The Hokies sacked him five times.
Stanford possesses one of the better pass catchers in the country in sophomore Elic Ayomanor, who had over 1,000 yards and six TDs last year. So far this season, he has 24 catches for 317 yards and three TDs.
In the ground game, aside from their running quarterbacks, Stanford has mostly featured two freshman running backs, Micah Ford and Chris Davis Jr. Ford is a bigger back and leads the team in carries with 41, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, he suffered a lower leg injury late in the game against Virginia Tech, and his status is uncertain. Davis has 26 carries and averages 7.2 yards per carry. No Cardinal running back has scored a rushing touchdown this season, with backup QB Lamson having Stanford’s only two rushing TDs.
The Cardinal offense averages 338.1 yards per game (181.6 passing, 157.0 rushing), ranking them 107th nationally. They are scoring 23.0 points per game, 104th in the nation.
Defensively, Stanford struggled mightily last season, giving up 37.2 points per game, one of the worst in the country. This season, that number has improved, but it remains subpar at 27.2 ppg (91st). Veteran linebacker Tristan Sinclair is back for another year and leads the Cardinal in tackles. Stanford has been better against the run (88.2 ypg) than the pass (270.4 ypg) and ranks 72nd in total defense. They have sacked the quarterback just seven times.
Coming off high-scoring success as the head coach at Sacramento State, Troy Taylor has a reputation as an innovative offensive mind. Don’t be surprised if he pulls out a trick or two against the Irish, and wildcat is in Stanford’s arsenal. However, his team is young, and despite some signs of roster improvement, the program still has a long way to go. Notre Dame’s developing offense, particularly the passing game, has a chance to shine this week, and as long as ND’s defense minimizes explosive plays, the Irish have the opportunity for a dominant performance. That task will be made easier if QB Ashton Daniels , a much more accurate passer than his backup Justin Lamson, is unable to go.
The Irish are 22.5-point favorites, and the over/under is set at 47.5.
The Fighting Irish Preview Pick: Notre Dame 38, Stanford 13.