Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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0 Points allowed by Notre Dame in the third quar- ter through five games. Since 2010 under head coach Brian Kelly, the Irish have allowed 2.64 points per third quarter, second best in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). 5 Plays by Notre Dame that gained at least 20 yards, highlighted by senior quarterback Everett Golson's game-winning 23-yard touchdown toss on fourth down to senior tight end Ben Koyack with 1:01 remaining. The longest was a 33-yard run by Golson. Entering the game, Stanford had yielded only four total plays of 20 or more yards, which was the second fewest in the FBS. BY THE NUMBERS BY LOU SOMOGYI What Worked • Nowhere to run. Stanford has always been Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly's acid test for his team to gauge its toughness and physicality. Limiting the Cardinal to 47 rushing yards — its lowest total in seven years — provides compelling evidence that Notre Dame's defense can remain among the nation's finest. There may have been some preseason conster- nation about how 235-pound sophomore Jaylon Smith would adjust playing on the inside after making his mark mainly on the perimeter, or how 6-0½, 235-pound senior Joe Schmidt would hold up against a downhill running team like the Cardi- nal. However, with the defensive line controlling the line of scrimmage, both inside linebackers excelled overall, as did the collective defense. • Attacking the middle. Most of Notre Dame's top plays were down the middle. In the first quar- ter, senior quarterback Everett Golson threaded the needle on an 18-yard pass to junior slot re- ceiver C.J. Prosise on a crossing route that had not been seen much this season. The first Irish touchdown was set up on a well- executed 33-yard QB draw with Golson on third- and-10, followed by the 17-yard score to junior wideout Chris Brown on a middle screen. The lon- gest Irish pass of the day was a 26-yard toss over the middle to senior slot receiver Amir Carlisle at the start of the second half. • Tying Up Ty. Next to Golson, the top playmaker on the field probably was Stanford's multi-purpose threat Ty Montgomery, whose 42-yard kick return helped set up a 14-10 Cardinal lead in the fourth quarter. But offensively, his four catches netted a paltry 12 yards, and his five carries (some from the wildcat formation) amassed only 14 yards. • Brian VanGorder's mixology. For the second week in a row, the opposing head coach singled out the first-year Irish defensive coordinator's acu- men to mix and disguise a defense that can con- fuse an offense and produce turnovers, yet still be run with discipline and no tentativeness. What Didn't Work • Red-zone defense. Entering the game, Stanford had scored only eight touchdowns on 19 red-zone opportunities — and came away with zero points seven times. Against the Irish, though, it scored seven on both trips inside the Notre Dame 20 on 10- and 11-yard runs in which the ball carriers were barely threatened. • Running game. This is no disgrace because Stanford's defense is so stout and sound. It held the running back trio of senior Cam McDaniel and sophomores Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant to 69 yards on 24 carries (2.9 yards per rush). A jet sweep to Prosise did pick up 26 yards, and a QB draw by Everett Golson gained 33. Notre Dame's willingness to not abandon the run did open up the passing game just enough. — Lou Somogyi TAKING A CLOSER LOOK