Stanford – Page 25 – Syndication Server

Notre Dame at Stanford: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Now, we wait.

Did Notre Dame let up in the fourth quarter of its regular-season finale against Stanford? Maybe a tiny bit, but it had enough of a cushion that it was able to do that. While it may not have been the best look, the result of the game will speak volumes enough. The Irish now will await their College Football Playoff fate after a 45-14 win.

Tyler Buchner got a turn at quarterback in the fourth quarter and made the most of it right away with a 33-yard touchdown run. Although the Irish (11-1) had the game well in hand at that point, there still was football to play. The Cardinal (3-9) decided they had something to prove, and everyone saw that when Tanner McKee responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Yurosek. While that was slightly concerning, there hardly was cause for alarm from the Irish’s perspective.

After the Irish punted on their next possession, the Cardinal put another nice drive together and got across midfield. Just when it appeared the drive would reach the red zone, Clarence Lewis forced a fumble by Michael Wilson after a 19-yard reception, and Justin Ademilola had his second recovery of the game. It reflected the kind of season it’s been for the hosts.

The Irish began driving again, mainly thanks once again to Jack Coan. They got a boost when an offside penalty was called right before they went for it on fourth down. The break paid off when Kyren Williams eventually ran for a 12-yard touchdown, the Irish’s final score of the regular season. With their statement made, they can rest up knowing they’ve done everything they can to make their case for more meaningful football this season.

Notre Dame at Stanford: Third-Quarter Analysis

One quarter left.

Notre Dame is facing a Stanford team that has gotten slightly better as the game has gone on. The Cardinal have shown that while they might not win this game, they will not go away quietly. Even so, the Irish still have a 31-7 lead after three quarters.

The Irish’s first drive of the second half ended prematurely when Jack Coan was picked off on third down by Jonathan McGill, who returned the ball 23 yards to get into the red zone. The Cardinal took advantage of the short field when they needed only two plays for Austin Jones to run 5 yards for the first touchdown the Irish have given up in almost a month.

If that touchdown fazed the Irish, they didn’t show it. On the second play of their next drive, Coan hit Kevin Austin for a 61-yard reception that nearly resulted in the responding touchdown. It took another two plays for that to happen, but Coan pulled it off from 1 yard out on a keeper.

The game then reached a standstill as punts ended the next five drives. It may not have been interesting football, but it burned a lot of time off the clock. While it’s unlikely the Irish needed to resort to clock management to win this game, they can afford to take that approach, intentional or not, when they have a 24-point lead. Having Chris Tyree run for 33 yards on the final play of the quarter works, too.

Notre Dame at Stanford: Second-Quarter Analysis

More fun for the Irish.

Notre Dame is treating Stanford like the inferior opponent it is. In fact, the scoreboard is making the game look closer than it should be. The Irish could just go through the motions and probably still have a lead. Whether that’s the case or not, they have a 24-0 lead at halftime.

The Irish began the second quarter by continuing a drive that began in the first. Jack Coan hit Braden Lenzy for a 15-yard completion, then found George Tackas for a 2-yard touchdown. It was Tackas’ first touchdown in two years. Yep, it definitely is that kind of night.

The Cardinal’s first drive of the quarter lasted only two plays because Rylie Mills had a strip-sack of Tanner McKee, and Justin Ademilola recovered the ball after it was bobbled around on the turf a bit. The ensuing drive started at the Cardinal’s 23-yard line, but it was immediately set back by a holding call. The Irish were able to get enough yardage back to allow Jonathan Doerer to come out and kick a 36-yard field goal.

The Cardinal had another in what’s become a series of three-and-outs. Though the Irish took over at their own 25, Coan and the rest of the offense had a perfect mix of run and pass plays to move the ball further frustrate the Cardinal’s defense. Kyren Williams capped the 12-play drive that lasted over five minutes with a 1-yard touchdown run.

The Irish did suffer a setback on the next drive when Bo Bauer was ejected for targeting. Fox color analyst Brock Huard speculated whether watching one of their own be on the receiving end of a targeting might fire the Cardinal up. It looked like that would be the case when McKee threw an apparent touchdown pass to get his team on the board, but the score was nullified by an illegal block that was called at the line of scrimmage. The Cardinal were unable to recover from that, and they ended up punting once again.

The Irish had one final second-quarter possession in which they went three-and-out. The ensuing punt took a bounce into Irish territory, which prompted the Cardinal to attempt a 59-yard field goal with three seconds left. The Irish took a timeout in an attempt to freeze kicker Joshua Karty. We don’t know if that really worked, but while Karty’s kick had the distance, it was wide left, putting the perfect bow on this first half.

Notre Dame at Stanford: First-Quarter Analysis

What do you know? The Irish are winning.

Sometimes, you play or cover a game when you know the result practically is a foregone conclusion. Not to get ahead of ourselves after only one quarter, but Notre Dame-Stanford feels like one of those games. Coming in, there wasn’t one area that seemed to give the Irish cause for concern against the Cardinal. That belief still holds up as the Irish have a 7-0 lead.

The Cardinal won the coin toss and opted to receive. It didn’t matter if they got the ball first because they promptly went three-and-out. In contrast, the Irish had little trouble moving the ball as their first offensive drive began with a 33-yard reception by Kevin Austin. From there, Jack Coan and the rest of the unit continued to excel, and Coan capped the drive by throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Braden Lenzy.

The next two drives saw both teams take turns picking up a first down and then punting. The Cardinal then had another three-and-out and…yeah, that seems to be an indicator of what kind of game we have in store. The Irish, meanwhile, converted on a fourth down and then got into the red zone, which is why they’ll have the ball to begin the second quarter. Anyone think this drive won’t end in points?

2021 Notre Dame first comes in Stanford finale

It took 12 games but something happened for the first time with the 2021 Notre Dame football team,

No. 6 Notre Dame has experienced quite a bit in 2021 with last-second finishes, thrilling games, and 10 wins in 11 tries.

Something happened for the first time all year though as Notre Dame got started at Stanford:

Notre Dame didn’t receive to start the game.

In all 11 games to date Notre Dame had received the opening kickoff but Stanford won the coin toss and opted to receive.

I have no idea what the history is for the most times a team has received the opening kickoff in a season, but I can tell you that Notre Dame’s bid at doing so came to an end Saturday night at Stanford.

Now enjoy the game.

Does Michigan’s massive win over Ohio State help Notre Dame?

Alabama somehow survives at Auburn but it comes at a cost for Tide

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. Stanford: Staff predictions for regular season finale

Does Notre Dame allow a touchdown for the first time this November?

Notre Dame checks in sixth in the College Football Playoff rankings and has a path to the Playoff if they can get a little bit of help.

Of course, they have to take care of business first themselves as a trip to Stanford sits between the Irish and an 11-1 season. Stanford has one of the biggest upsets of the year when they knocked off Oregon in early October but the Cardinal haven’t won since, dropping their last five and entering their 2021 finale at 3-8.

Will Stanford pose an actual threat to Notre Dame’s 11-1 season or will they just be the latest bug on the windshield for the Irish, who have outscored opponents 117-9 in November?

Here is what the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees happening:

Know your foe, Stanford: Which Cardinals could give Notre Dame problems

Who should the Irish key in on? Find out here

The Cardinal are entering this game on a six-game losing streak, not exactly ideal as they face off against as an Irish team that is hitting their stride. This should be a fairly easy contest for Notre Dame, but that doesn’t mean the Cardinal will just roll over. Here are five Stanford player who could give Notre Dame problems.

What the experts are predicting: Notre Dame at Stanford

Everyone seems to think one thing on this game.

This weekend will be Notre Dame’s last chance to prove it belongs in the College Football Playoff. A blowout win over struggling Stanford would force the committee to really look at the Irish. Meanwhile, the Cardinal would like to have something other than their win over Oregon to hang their hats on for this season.

Let’s look at what some college football experts, including those on the Wire sites, are predicting for this game:

Notre Dame’s updated road map to College Football Playoff

What do you think should need to happen to get Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff?

Notre Dame checked in sixth this week in the College Football Playoff rankings with two teams ahead of them set to play this weekend and another pair set to play next weekend. It seems like the Irish have a great shot at making the CFP for a third time in four seasons upon hearing that, right?

To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend!”

Although those are the facts today, seemingly everything you hear appears to be hell-bent on a one-loss Big 12 champion (Oklahoma or Oklahoma State) moving past Notre Dame. The Irish will have to hope for whoever wins the Bedlam matchup this weekend to fall in next weekend’s Big 12 championship.

Here is the updated Notre Dame road map to the College Football Playoff after the week 12 CFP rankings were released with all percentages courtesy of the FiveThirtyEight college football tracker.

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Jack Coan vs. Tanner McKee

Who do you give the edge to here?

Notre Dame will enter its regular-season finale against Stanford with a tight competition at quarterback. At first glance, Jack Coan seems to check most of the boxes as he’s completed more passes, is more accurate and has thrown for both more yards and more touchdowns. He also has thrown fewer interceptions. However, it’s worth noting that his advantages here are not that big, and we could have been talking about a different story if a few plays this season had turned out another way.

The Cardinal’s Tanner McKee might not be quite as good as Coan, but he does have some advantages. He’s averaging more passing yards a game and also has been much more successful at running the ball when he’s needed to. While not the best when it comes to running, the positive net yardage and more rushing touchdowns reflect a bit of success in that area. Coan is anything but a solid runner, and any notions that that would change died a long time ago.