Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/216396
Game Preview: Stanford On Paper By Andrew Owens Stanford Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense Stanford's rushing attack is its bread and butter. Look no further than the 26-20 win over Oregon earlier in November (it was 26-0 at one point) for evidence of the Cardinal's elite rushing unit. In the victory that temporarily moved Stanford into first place in the Pac-12 North, the Cardinal rushed for 274 yards and possessed the ball for 42:34 compared to Oregon's 17:26. Senior running back Tyler Gaffney (45 carries against the Ducks) highlights the nation's 29thranked rushing attack through 10 games. The Cardinal, which has rushed at a clip of 205.5 yards per game, depends on Gaffney to spark the unit. During the Cardinal's 8-2 start, Gaffney rushed for 1,201 yards and 15 touchdowns behind an excellent offensive line that is led by senior left guard David Yankey. The Irish will look to implement the blueprint from the 20-13 overtime victory a year ago in which they held the Cardinal to 147 yards, a pedestrian total for Stanford's vaunted rushing game. Erstwhile starting running back Stepfan Taylor barely eclipsed the 100-yard mark, but did so only at a clip of 3.6 yards per carry. The signature moment of that contest came in overtime when the Irish goal-line defense denied Taylor from scoring on four consecutive plays to clinch the victory. This season, Notre Dame's rushing defense has dipped to 63rd (159.6 yards allowed per contest) through 10 games and is a shell of its 2012 self. To beat Stanford, the Irish need to conjure a performance reminiscent of last year's meeting. Advantage: Stanford Stanford Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense Senior left guard and All-America candidate David Yankey is part of an overpowering Stanford offensive line that averages 305 pounds per starter. photo courtesy stanford Junior quarterback Kevin Hogan led Stanford to 13 consecutive wins to begin his tenure as a starter, dating back to the week after the Cardinal's loss at Notre Dame in 2012. Overall, he dropped to 16-2 as the starting signal-caller after the 20-17 loss to USC Nov. 16. The performance marked a rarity for Hogan: two fourth-quarter interceptions that sealed Stanford's fate in a loss that dropped the team out of the driver's seat in the Pac-12 North. More often than not, however, Hogan is the ideal engineer for the Stanford offense, mixing a blend of superb game management with the ability to complete difficult throws when needed. At 6-2 and 6-4, respectively, junior wide receivers