Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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defense honest with 32 rushing attempts, thereby opening up play-action opportunities. He didn't abandon the running game, which was a plus. Teams don't rush for 200 yards against the formi- dable Stanford fortress, but a 125- to 150-yard effort probably was required to give the Irish a chance and to not rely solely on the pass. The 33-yard quar- terback draw on third-and-10 from midfield was perfectly executed, setting up the first Notre Dame touchdown to pull even (7-7) at halftime. ADVANTAGE: Stanford NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. STANFORD PASS DEFENSE Senior quarterback Everett Golson has few peers when it comes to extending plays. That ability paid off on the game-winning touchdown pass to senior tight end Ben Koyack on fourth-and-11 from the 23, but it was one of the few times Golson broke the Cardinal containment. The horizontal passing game was limited for the most part. Stanford took away top receivers Will Fuller (three catches for 27 yards) and Corey Robinson (four for 46), instead allowing junior Chris Brown (four catches for 60 yards, high- lighted by the 17-yard middle screen touchdown) to emerge. Golson hit on several huge plays over the middle as opposed to recent weeks, but the Cardinal did a good job of limiting him to 20-of-43 passing (46.5 percent) and 5.6 yards per attempt, and forcing a red-zone interception. ADVANTAGE: Stanford SPECIAL TEAMS This was a mixed bag for the Irish. Freshman safety Drue Tranquill tipped a punt that traveled only 23 yards (the first Irish block of a punt since corner- back Robert Blanton in the 2010 home finale versus Utah), but Notre Dame also allowed a 42-yard kick return by Montgomery that helped set up a 14-10 edge by Stanford. Kicker Kyle Brindza converted a clutch 45-yard field goal for a temporary 10-7 lead, but poor snaps and holds resulted in misses from 41 and 27 yards. Irish special teams helped keep them in the game — but also helped Stanford do the same. ADVANTAGE: Even THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS The numbers were pretty much a wash with Stan- ford at 5 of 16 (31.3 percent) and Notre Dame at 6 of 18 (33.3 percent). Both teams came up huge on third-and-long draw plays. First it was the Irish on a 33-yard QB draw on third-and-10 from midfield that set up a 7-7 halftime score. Then it was Stanford on a Remound Wright 11-yard scoring run on third-and- goal for a 14-10 Cardinal advantage. The difference was Notre Dame's fourth-and-11 scoring pass from the Stanford 23 for the game- winner with only 1:01 left. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame TURNOVERS For the fifth straight year, both teams had at least two turnovers in this meeting, this time an even 2-2. Stanford went ahead 7-0 on a 12-yard drive after a Golson fumble. Notre Dame didn't convert sophomore cornerback Cole Luke's two interceptions into scores, but it did regain momentum and better field position. ADVANTAGE: Even SUMMARY With each passing week, this Fighting Irish team seems to more resemble the 12-1 edition from 2012 with its ability to obtain victory in not always pretty but in workmanlike, methodical fashion, highlighted by stellar defense and a resourceful offense that produces when most needed. Versus Syracuse the previous week, Notre Dame won despite a 5-1 turnover deficit. This week it dem- onstrated it could keep its composure while trailing in both halves. Any victory against Stanford has to be earned, and the Irish definitely did, demonstrat- ing they don't take a back seat in the physicality aspect. ✦ ON PAPER REVISITED BY LOU SOMOGYI