Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/608448
OFFENSE: DESHONE KIZER Notre Dame's dynamic offensive performance was certainly not a one- man show, but in the end the sopho- more quarterback proved to be the top man for the Irish offense. Fresh- man running back Josh Adams had a career-high 168 yards, and junior wide receiver Will Fuller had another big game (136 receiving yards), but Kizer 's go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter put the Irish up 36-35 with 30 seconds remaining. The lead did not last, but Kizer 's toughness, downfield passing and running helped the Irish rack up 533 yards of total offense — the most against the Stanford defense since the 2012 season. Kizer finished the game with 234 passing yards, 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the defeat. DEFENSE: JAYLON SMITH Smith did a little bit of everything for the Irish defense — he flew down- hill and took on Stanford's power blockers, he played sideline to side- line in the run game and when put in coverage he shut down the Stanford tight ends. Smith finished the game with a career-high 15 tackles, including one for loss. His strong play was a reason the Irish were able to hold Stanford to just 176 yards in the second half. SPECIAL TEAMS: CJ SANDERS Stanford took the ball right down the field on the first possession of the game, scoring a touchdown on an 11- play, 75-yard drive. The freshman kick returner immediately took away that momentum with a 93-yard kick return for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. Sanders finished the contest with 190 return yards and notched his sec- ond return touchdown of the season (his first came on a punt return versus UMass Sept. 26). TOP PLAYERS OF THE GAME BY BRYAN DRISKELL Freshman CJ Sanders amassed 190 return yards, including a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown — the first for a Notre Dame player since George Atkinson III versus USC in 2011. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA