Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 27, 2021 33 GAME PREVIEW: STANFORD BY TYLER HORKA W hen the third set of College Football Playoff rankings were announced Nov. 16, ESPN show host Rece Davis took at stab at what he thinks the most impres- sive win has been this season: Oregon's upset of Ohio State in Columbus Sept. 11. So, if what one of the most reputable names in college football media said is viable and holds some merit, then that means Stanford — yes, Stanford — has a win over the team that has the best win of the year. There might not be anything more emblematic of the craziness that has oc- curred in college football this season than that. The Cardinal lost six games in a row after knocking off the then-No. 3 Ducks Oct. 2. Oregon has been one of the best teams in the sport all year. The Ducks were in a position to qualify for the CFP as of the beginning of Week 12. And yet, one of head coach David Shaw's worst Stanford teams of his 11- year tenure took them down. To expect another upset of a highly ranked team when Stanford hosts Notre Dame Nov. 27, though, might be asking too much. Way too much. Shaw's stretch of superiority at Stan- ford appears to be a thing of the past. His teams reached double digits in wins in Palo Alto in five of his first six seasons (2011-16), but the Cardinal have not reached that mark in any of the last five. They were eliminated from bowl conten- tion this season with a 35-14 loss to Or- egon State Nov. 13. That was preceded by arguably the lowest point in a season full of lows: a 52-7 home loss to Utah Nov. 5. This just isn't anything reminiscent of the once-dominant days of the Shaw era. But that doesn't mean the Cardinal have given up. "We're not just about improvement," Shaw said. "We're trying to win." QUEST FOR IMPROVEMENT Stanford played the Utah and Oregon State games without starting quarter- back Tanner McKee, who was out with an undisclosed injury. Freshman Ari Patu played in his place against Oregon State, and that went about as well as anyone would expect: 7-of-14, 51 yards, one touchdown, one interception. Offense has been an issue even with McKee, a sophomore, behind center. The Cardinal ranked No. 120 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense through Week 11. For reference Notre Dame fans could connect with, the Navy offense that the Irish held to 184 total yards was one of the 10 — just 10 — offenses with a worse yards per game average than that of Stanford (311.6) at that point in the season. Mc Ke e 's n u m b e rs a re n 't aw f u l . Through eight games he threw for 1,916 yards, completed 64.8 percent of his passes and tossed 14 touchdowns with five interceptions. It's the Stanford rush- ing offense that has been downright abysmal this season. The Cardinal ranked No. 124 in the FBS in rushing yards through Week 11. Pur- due and Mississippi State were the only Power Five programs with a worse figure than Stanford's 94.5 rushing yards per game average at that time. Junior running back Austin Jones showed promise as a sophomore with 126 carries for 550 yards and nine touch- downs. This year has been a significant downturn for Jones, though. He has a team-high 88 carries for 315 yards and zero touchdowns. He has at least got- ten involved in the passing game with 29 catches for 254 yards and a score. Junior Nathaniel Peat has been a bit better in the running game but not by much. He has carried the ball 70 times Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME AT STANFORD Date: Nov. 27, 2021 Site: Stanford Stadium Kickoff: 8 p.m. Television: FOX Radio: This game can be heard on Notre Dame IMG affiliates. Series Facts: This is the 35th all-time meeting between Stanford and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish hold an all-time series lead of 21-13. The Irish won the last meeting 45-24 in Palo Alto on Nov. 30, 2019. Head coaches: Stanford — David Shaw (93-44, 11th season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (112-40, 12th season). Noting Stanford: The Cardinal has won 29 games against ranked opponents during the Shaw era … Shaw's 93 wins are the 10th-most in Pac-12 history … Stanford has defeated multiple top-15 opponents in five of Shaw's 11 seasons; the Cardinal already beat then-No. 3 Oregon this year … Stanford is the only school in the country to play 12 Power Five opponents in the 2021 regular season … Stanford has had four different starting quarterbacks this season, marking the first time in program history that has happened … Ari Patu was Stanford's first true freshman to start at quarterback since John Paye in 1983 … Twenty Cardinal players have made their first career starts this season … Stanford is the only FBS school to have two current players who are sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers — Jake Lynch (son of John Lynch) and E.J. Smith (son of Emmitt Smith) … Stanford has a total of 12 players whose fathers played in the NFL … Stanford Stadium is celebrating its 100th year in 2021; it is the eighth-oldest FBS facility. Running On Fumes The Cardinal has struggled mightily to both generate a ground game and stop opposing ball carriers during a dismal 3-8 season Sophomore quarterback Tanner McKee has had to pick up the slack for the Cardinal's 120th- ranked ground attack (94.5 yards per game), throwing for 1,916 yards and 14 touchdowns through Week 11. PHOTO BY BOB DREBIN/ISIPHOTOS.COM