Cavalier Corner Digital

senior linebacker Shayne Skov's 85 tackles, the Cardinal makes every yard a battle for opposing offenses. Versus Oregon, Skov recorded nine tackles, two stops for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Junior linebacker A.J. Tarpley has also been a playmaker on defense, with 73 tackles (five for loss), one interception, one sack and one forced fumble in 11 games. Advantage: Stanford Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Stanford Pass Defense Senior quarterback Tommy Rees came to the rescue in the fourth quarter and overtime of last year's victory after Everett Golson left the game with a concussion. Rees completed all four of his throws for 43 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown to TJ Jones. He also engineered the game-tying drive at the end of regulation when Kyle Brindza converted a 22-yard field goal attempt. In Rees' only start against the Cardinal — a 28-14 loss at Stanford in 2011 — he was eventually benched in favor of Andrew Hendrix after fumbling once and completing just 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards with an interception. This year, however, he is in search of his first signature victory as the Notre Dame starting quarterback in what will be his final opportunity. Notre Dame's 40th-ranked passing offense (254.1 yards per contest) goes up against one of Stanford's few vulnerable areas: its 103rd-ranked passing defense (259.0 yards allowed per game). Utah sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson (23 of 34 for 234 yards with two touchdowns) and USC redshirt sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler (25 of 37 for 288 yards with a touchdown) were both very efficient in the two Stanford losses this season. A similar performance by Rees could signal an Irish upset. Advantage: Even Special Teams Notre Dame's disastrous kickoff coverage (118th with an average of 25.1 yards per return) has threatened to cost the Irish all season. This might be the game. Montgomery has already returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averages 31.2 yards per opportunity. Junior kicker Jordan Williamson has been dependable for the Cardinal (13 of 15 on attempts inside 50 yards through 10 games), but it is difficult to find a kicker as clutch as Irish junior Kyle Brindza. In a close game, he could be the difference-maker. Advantage: Even Fifth-year senior linebacker Shayne Skov leads Stanford with 85 tackles, and he also had nine stops for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. photo courtesy stanford Coaching David Shaw is in his third season leading Stanford and has never lost more than two games in a season. Notre Dame would be the first team to defeat the Cardinal in consecutive seasons since he took over for Jim Harbaugh. Irish head coach Brian Kelly has often discussed his desire for the program to match Stanford's physical approach. He is 1-2 against Stanford heading into the regular-season finale. Advantage: Even ✦ Page 5 Intangibles In terms of bowl opportunities, this game is meaningless for Notre Dame, but a victory over Stanford could signal that the Irish program is strong heading into 2014 despite what many view as a disappointing regular season. The Irish need a win in Palo Alto, Calif., to avoid dropping a second game this November, a month in which Notre Dame has thrived under Kelly. Advantage: Even Predictions Tom Loy: Stanford 34, Notre Dame 23 Stanford is one of the most complete teams in the country and as physical as anyone. The Cardinal offense will provide the Notre Dame defense all it can handle, and the Cardinal defense will give quarterback Tommy Rees and the rest of the Fighting Irish plenty of fits. Look for the Irish to try to establish a passing attack early, and the success of that will determine the end result. Dan Murphy: Stanford 27, Notre Dame 13 Notre Dame's rushing attack has been a weak point on offense all season. They'll struggle to establish a consistent ground game against the stingy Cardinal defense, which means Notre Dame's defense could be in for a long and bruising day. Stanford controlled the Irish in a two-touchdown defeat the last time it visited Palo Alto, and this time around doesn't feel much different. Andrew Owens: Stanford 28, Notre Dame 20 The date Nov. 30 has been circled on the Irish calendar for quite some time now, with Notre Dame and Stanford meeting for the first time since the classic overtime clash a year ago. Although the Cardinal has displayed some vulnerability this season, its physical approach will be too much for a Notre Dame squad (especially without Louis Nix III) that has relied on a finesse offense throughout the season. Lou Somogyi: Stanford 24, Notre Dame 17 The Cardinal offense does not possess the firepower of most of the other top-10 teams, thereby making this a winnable game for Notre Dame if it plays relatively clean and actually generates some turnovers, or big plays on defense and special teams. The loss of Louis Nix III to a season-ending injury, however, will increase the degree of difficulty. With the way this season has been, don't be surprised by the unexpected.

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