Notre Dame football rolls over Stanford, finishes 11-1 regular season
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team went into Stanford Stadium and pummeled the Cardinal, as they finished out their regular season with an 11-1 record.
After watching Ohio State lose their second game of the season, and Alabama barely beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl, it was time for the Notre Dame football team to make a statement in primetime. Going west to take on Stanford, the Irish were big-time favorites against the Cardinal, and it was clear from the get-go why.
Notre Dame came out firing, as Jack Coan had a magnificent first half, tossing two touchdowns and going 18-of-23 with 198 yards passing. Coan has been outstanding during this recent Notre Dame run, and e was crucial in the team getting out to a 24-0 halftime lead.
His touchdown tosses went to Braden Lenzy, which capped the first drive of the game, and then tight end George Takacs, who scored his first touchdowns since 2019.
The run game was non-existent in the first half, but it did not matter, as Michael Mayer hauled in five catches for over 60 yards, and Coan was basically doing whatever he wanted with the football. The defense, coming off a 55-0 win against Georgia Tech, was once again dominant, as Stanford really struggled to get anything going through the first two frames.
Notre Dame football blows out Stanford
In the second half, it was more of the same, and while the Irish did allow a touchdown in the third quarter, breaking their shutout streak, it was due to a Coan interception that gave the Cardinal the ball in plus territory. The touchdown did nothing to give Stanford momentum, as the Irish came right back and scored on a four-play drive that was highlighted by a 61-yard pitch and catch from Coan to Kevin Austin Jr.
The teams traded punts the rest of the third quarter, but in the fourth, Tyler Buchner made his presence felt, rushing for a 33-yard touchdown. The true freshman is having such an incredible season, and having him come in to replace Coan in spurts gives the offense another dynamic.
Notre Dame would tack on another touchdown via Kyren Williams’ second score, completing the blowout, 45-14.
With the win, the Irish move to 11-1 on the regular season, capping their year by putting themselves in real consideration for a College Football Playoff appearance. There are still some conference title games to go, including an SEC tilt between Georgia and Alabama, while Michigan will have to take on Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game.
When all is said and done, the Irish did enough to be one of the final four teams standing.