Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM DECEMBER 2023 23 3 Consecutive wins for Notre Dame at Stanford Stadium — 45-24 in 2019, 45-14 in 2021 and 56-23 in 2023. This marks the third time the Fight- ing Irish have won a program-best three in a row against the Cardinal in Palo Alto, Calif. They also did it from 2003-07 and 1989-93. 4 Turnovers — 2 lost fumbles and 2 intercep- tions — for Notre Dame against a Stanford team that managed just 7 takeaways in its first 11 games. 4 Rushing touchdowns for junior tailback Audric Estimé against Stanford. That represents a career high for Estimé and is the most for an Irish player since quarterback Brandon Wimbush had 4 in a 49-20 win at Boston College on Sept. 16, 2017. No Irish player has rushed for 5 touchdowns in a game since 1911. Art Smith holds the single-game record with 7 rushing touchdowns versus Loyola Chicago on Oct. 28, 1911. The only other player with more than 4 is Bill Downs, who had 6 against DePauw on Nov. 4, 1905. 18 Rushing touchdowns this season for Es- timé, after he scored 4 against the Cardi- nal. That eclipses the previous Irish single-season standard of 17 set by Vagas Ferguson in 1979 and equaled by Allen Pinkett in 1984. 20-17-1 Record for Notre Dame in games played on the West Coast since 1988, when it began playing there at least once a year. The first time the Irish made the trip to California was the 1925 Rose Bowl when Knute Rockne's Four Horsemen earned the pro- gram's first national title with a victory over Pop Warner's Stanford team. Since then, the Irish are 37-33-5 all time on the West Coast. 56 Points scored by Notre Dame are its most in a game at Stanford since a 57-7 victory on Nov. 29, 2003. 60 -Yard return of a blocked field goal by graduate student defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste capped Notre Dame's scoring early in the fourth quarter. It was Notre Dame's first touchdown return off a blocked field goal since cornerback Terrail Lambert took one back 76 yards in a 39-17 victory at Air Force on Nov. 11, 2006. 238 Yards rushing on 25 carries for Estimé against the Cardinal. It is the 17th 200- yard rushing game by an Irish player, and the first since Dexter Williams ran for 202 against Florida State on Nov. 10, 2018. It is also the fourth-best single-game output in program history, behind only Julius Jones' 262 at Pitt in 2003, Vagas Fergu- son's 255 at Georgia Tech in 1978 and Phil Carter's 254 at Michigan State in 1980. 381 Yards rushing for Notre Dame against Stanford are the most by a Fighting Irish team in a road game since a 515-yard effort in the 49-20 triumph at Boston College on Sept. 16, 2017. 1,341 Yards rushing for Estimé this season, after his 238-yard effort against Stanford. That ranks fifth on Notre Dame's single-season yards rushing list, behind only Reg- gie Brooks (1,343 in 1992), Allen Pinkett (1,394 in 1983), Josh Adams (1,430 in 2017) and Vagas Ferguson (1,437 in 1979). 2,321 Career yards rushing for Estimé after his big night against the Cardinal. That ranks 11th on Notre Dame's all- time list, just 20 yards behind No. 10 George Gipp (2,341 from 1917-20). BY THE NUMBERS BY STEVE DOWNEY 159.5 Passer rating for graduate student quarterback SAM HARTMAN this season, following an 8-of-14 ef- fort for 140 yards with 2 touch- downs and 1 interception against Stanford. That is the second-best single-season passer rating for an Irish signal-caller, behind only the 161.4 achieved by both Bob Wil- liams in 1949 and Jimmy Clausen in 2009. PHOTO BY JIM HOLTAN