Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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What Worked • Strong Run Game. Notre Dame finished with 299 rushing yards on just 35 carries for its most dominant performance of the season considering the competi- tion. The Irish got outstanding play from the line, as well as freshman running back Josh Adams (168 yards) and sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer (128 yards). Those strong efforts were not the only reason for Notre Dame's success. Notre Dame ran its power read and counter runs throughout the game with excellent results. Until late in the fourth quarter, the Irish were able to get outside with the sweep to Adams on the power read by running the play to the backside of the formation, where it had a numbers and leverage advantage. Notre Dame used several formations to get the counter game going, which kept Stanford from get- ting a read on when it was coming. Notre Dame uti- lized the quick counter with Adams, and then used him as a lead blocker on the quarterback counter to Kizer. • Slowing Down McCaffrey. Notre Dame kept Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey in check, holding him to 94 yards on 27 carries — his lowest totals since Sept. 12. The Irish used aggressive line slants and stunts to get constant penetration, and the linebackers did an excellent job flying downhill, taking on the lead blockers at the line of scrimmage. With the inside holes not opening up, McCaffrey was forced to the outside, where Notre Dame was able to use its speed to string him out and shut down his big-play opportunities. What Didn't Work • Coverage Issues. Stanford was able to use big plays through the air to move the football and ulti- mately earn the win. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan completed 17 of 21 passes for 269 yards with four scores, giving him as many touchdown passes as incompletions. The Cardinal was able to find room to throw over the middle of the field and up the seams. Notre Dame's failure to execute zone drops and to close on the ball proved costly. Fifth-year senior linebacker Joe Schmidt often failed to get enough depth on his zone drops, giving too much room on the underneath coverage. The safeties also struggled to close on deep routes. This combination proved costly on Stanford's final drive, with Hogan hitting wide receiver Devon Cajuste for a 27-yard gain between fifth-year senior safety Matthias Farley and Schmidt, setting up the game- winning field goal. — Bryan Driskell TAKING A CLOSER LOOK BY THE NUMBERS BY LOU SOMOGYI 1:48 Remaining in the first quarter when Notre Dame ran its first play from scrimmage. Stanford snapped 23 plays in the first quarter compared to five by the Irish, but a 93-yard kickoff return for a score by freshman CJ Sanders aided Notre Dame's cause. 4 Straight games Stanford has won at home against Notre Dame from 2009-15. The Cardinal became the fifth college football program to win four in a row at home against the Irish. USC did it twice, seven straight from 1970-82 and four consecutive from 2002-08. The other three joining Stanford are Michigan State with seven in a row from 1951-63, Purdue four consecutive from 1963-69 and Penn State a string of four from 1981-87. 9 Rushing touchdowns by sophomore quarter- back DESHONE KIZER this season after tem- porarily helping put Notre Dame ahead 36-35 on a two-yard run with 30 seconds left in the contest. That tied the single-season Notre Dame record for quarterbacks shared by Tony Rice (1988) and Rick Mirer (1991).