Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/87062
✦ TOP STORYLINES: NOTRE DAME VS. STANFORD BY LOU SOMOGYI TIGHT (END) FIT There have been few teams in college football the past several years that have put a greater value on the tight end in their game plan than Notre Dame and Stanford. Last year, the Cardinal tight end trio of Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo combined to snare 86 receptions for 1,356 yards and 20 touchdowns. Each caught at least 25 passes, but especially amazing was their combined 15.8 yards per catch, a figure usually seen more amongst game-breaking wideouts. First-round pick Fleener — who caught two touchdown passes against Notre Dame last year (the latter for 55 yards) — has graduated, but Ertz and Toilolo remain vital figures. During Stanford's 4-1 start, Ertz paced the team in receptions with 21 for a robust 15.0 yards per catch and two scores. Simi- lar to Notre Dame senior All-America tight end Tyler Eifert, the 6-6, 252-pound Ertz is not your conventional in-line tight end, and he will even line up as a slot receiver. Meanwhile, the 6-8, 265-pound Toilolo, who opened the scoring with a three-yard grab in Stanford's 28-14 victory against Notre Dame last season, is one of the na- tion's premier red-zone targets. At the same time, his 21.4-yard average on his 13 catches (including two touchdowns) provides evidence that he also can be a vertical threat. In addition to Ertz and Toilolo, the Car- dinal frequently aligns 6-4, 248-pound fullback/tight end Ryan Hewett into their jumbo-sized personnel groupings. Maximizing the tight end position in 2012 is crucial to Stanford's success for several reasons: 1. Stanford possesses average speed and no game-breaking threats at the skill posi- tions, especially with the graduation of In Stanford's first five games this season, redshirt junior tight end Zach Ertz reeled in 21 receptions for 316 yards (15.0 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. ✦ PAGE 7 wideouts Griff Whelan and Chris Owusu. Thus it must play to its strength with its power packages that feature multiple tight ends. Sophomore wide receiver Ty Mont- gomery (6-2, 212) is second to Ertz on the team in catches with 18 — but he averages only 9.3 yards per grab, and he had sev- eral drops in the 17-13 loss at Washington Sept. 27. (Montgomery is doubtful for this Saturday's game due to a knee injury he suffered last week.) 2. Minus three-year starting quarterback Andrew Luck, the Cardinal is experiencing a similar learning curve with new starter Josh Nunes that Notre Dame has been with Everett Golson, meaning a more button- downed attack to aid the redshirt junior sig- nal-caller's development. He busted loose (360 yards and two scores through the air) in the 54-48 overtime victory versus Ari- zona Oct. 6, but playing on the road against the nation's No. 2 scoring defense (Notre Dame) might be even more challenging than the Thursday night loss at Washington. 3. Senior running back Stepfan Taylor remains the bread-and-butter centerpiece after back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing campaigns. He has averaged 23.8 carries for 111.0 yards during the 4-1 start — and no one else on the roster had more than 16 attempts during that time (Nunes' 16 rushes total 40 yards). Taylor's 20 carries against Notre Dame last year netted 118 yards. The Irish linebacker corps, led by Manti Te'o, will be supremely tested because of the combination of stopping Taylor while also likely having a heavy responsibil- ity in coverage against Ertz, Toilolo and maybe even Hewitt (who caught three passes against Notre Dame last year) as a safety valve. The Irish were able to run for 376 yards PHOTO COURTESY STANFORD against Miami in part because the Hur- ricanes' defense concentrated on shifting