Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: STANFORD held to fewer than 90 rushing yards and three more were held to fewer than 120 yards. In its two losses, Stanford gave up 225 yards (Northwestern) and 231 yards (Oregon), and 155 yards and 180 yards in wins over USC and UCLA. Advantage: Even NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. STANFORD PASS DEFENSE The Irish aerial attack remains one of the most efficient in the country. Through 10 games, it ranked 16th nationally in passer rating (159.3) and 19th in completion percentage (65.4). Kizer has completed at least 62.5 percent of his passes in all but one game this season, and his current pace of 66.2 percent would rank as the second best single‑season mark in Notre Dame history. Although the Irish are an efficient pass offense, they are far from a ball control pass attack. Notre Dame likes to stretch the field and look for home run opportunities in the pass game. Kizer's down‑field passing touch combines perfectly with the big‑play speed of junior wide receiver Will Fuller, who was averaging 19.9 yards per catch through Nov. 14. Stanford ranked 54th nationally in pass defense (214.1 yards allowed per game) and 42nd in pass ef‑ ficiency defense (119.4 rating), but has had its issues in that area this season. The Cardinal has benefited from playing three opponents that rank 95th or lower in passing offense, and by facing an Arizona and Washington offense that were without their starting quarterbacks. Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Stanford has an inconsistent special teams unit, but the emergence of McCaffrey as a return man has been noteworthy. The Cardinal ranked 110th nation‑ ally in punt returns and 63rd in kickoff coverage, but the punt coverage unit was 26th in the land. Through Nov. 14, McCaffrey ranked sixth in the country in kick returns with a 28.9‑yard average on his 23 attempts. Every time the opposition kicks off, he is a threat to rip off a huge gain. That puts Notre Dame's 75th ranked kick return defense on the spot. Stanford senior kicker Conrad Ukropina (14 of 16 on field goals) and Notre Dame freshman kicker Justin Yoon (10 of 12) are two of the most accurate place kickers in the country. Both rank in the top 25 for field goal percentage. Advantage: Stanford COACHING Notre Dame and Stanford have two talented coaching staffs, and the close games played in each of the last three seasons put that on full display. The Irish and Cardinal are talented and explosive offen‑ sive football teams trying to do enough on defense to win games each week. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is 2‑2 against Stanford since David Shaw took over prior to the 2011 season. The home team has won each of the four contests, something Notre Dame will look to change. In order for that to happen, the Irish coaching staff will need to carry the day. Advantage: Even INTANGIBLES During the first three years of Shaw's tenure, Stan‑ ford went 20‑1 at home, with its only loss being to No. 4 Oregon in 2011. Over the last two seasons, it is just 8‑3 at home. Notre Dame has not beaten the Cardinal in Stanford Stadium since 2007 and has averaged just 17 points in its last two trips. Notre Dame has not been quite as good on the road this season as it is at home. The Irish are av‑ eraging almost 10 more points per game at home (40.0 per game) than they do on the road (30.5 per game). What Notre Dame has working in its favor is that the Irish are playing for an opportunity to be included in the College Football Playoff, which is not possible without a win over Stanford. The Irish are also the more experienced football team, especially on defense. Advantage: Even