Mercy, what a start and not in a good way. Don’t know if it was too much wine with the turkey or what but the first roughly 25 minutes or so were about as flat as a team trying to give any reason to get elevated in the CFP rankings could look.
A blocked punt while trailing 17-7, capped by a quick touchdown from Ian Book to Tommy Tremble bailed out an offensive line who was unable to help punch it in from the one before false starting.
The touchdown pass to Tremble was an incredible throw by Book, one he made while moving away.
The then 41 yard touchdown pass from Book to Chase Claypool put the Irish ahead for the first time today. Claypool took a while to find his feet at Notre Dame but is an absolute beast of a playmaker who is going to be missed next season.
5 First Half Thoughts:
Stanford might be young and bad at 4-7 but this game clearly means something to them. They came out guns a blazing while the Irish needed 25 minutes to get warmed up it appeared.
If it ain’t Lenzy, it ain’t working in the running game. I know the offensive line is beat up and regulars are and have been out for sometime but even on a sloppy track I expected a lot more out of the run game early today.
Notre Dame’s pass defense entered today as the third most efficient unit in the nation but don’t tell that to Stanford. Have been impressed largely by Davis Mills, specifically his willingness to stay in the pocket, deliver a strike while knowing a huge hit was coming on the second Cardinal touchdown of the day.
Defensive line took this game over the last few Stanford possessions. Tell me how they play the rest of the way and I’ll tell you if Notre Dame wins and/or covers.
Notre Dame has had better special teams the majority of this season than its opponents. The blocked punt was huge in waking up the Irish but that’s something that has felt like a rarity during the Brian Kelly era and deserves praise again early today.
Enjoy the second half.