Notre Dame football vs Stanford: Irish players to watch
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team takes on Stanford in Week 7, and here are some key Irish players to watch in the rivalry game.
On Saturday night, the Notre Dame football team will welcome the Stanford Cardinal to Notre Dame Stadium in a primetime rivalry matchup. For the Irish, they are finally trending in the right direction, as they have won three straight following a terrible 0-2 start to the 2022 season.
Now, they look to take on a Stanford team that is trending the other way, in a game that the Golden Domers are huge favorites in. To win, the Irish will need some key players to step up, and we look at three of them here.
Notre Dame football vs Stanford: Irish players to watch
Drew Pyne
Since the Cal game, Drew Pyne has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and his rise has led to the Irish getting back on the national scene. Pyne is completing better than 72 percent of his passes, has nine touchdowns against only two interceptions, and is running Tommy Rees’s offense to perfection.
Saturday night, Pyne needs to continue to do what he does best, and that is to protect the football and rely on his playmakers at running back, and tight end. This past weekend, we got to see some production from the wide receiver spot as well, so Pyne has more than a few options to choose from.
Jayden Thomas
Speaking of production from the wide receiver spot, true sophomore Jayden Thomas had his breakout performance in primetime against BYU this past weekend. The big-bodied wideout showed the world what the coaches have been seeing over the past few months, making acrobatic catches, and becoming a real weapon on the outside.
If Lorenzo Styles Jr. continues to develop, and Tobias Merriweather continues to get meaningful snaps, this trio could end up being one of the best in the country. Pyne is going to take his shots on the outside, and against Stanford, you could see Thomas having another big game.
Benjamin Morrison
The Notre Dame football team is young in the secondary, as guys like Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison are starting to get more and more playing time. With a quarterback like McKee, picking on a true freshman like Morrison may be in the game plan for the Cardinal, so the young cornerback needs to be playing at a high level throughout this contest.
The young players on this roster have stepped up in recent weeks, and Morrison is a player who could be a future star in this Irish secondary. The Cardinal are going to try and throw the ball early and often on Saturday night, establishing that part of their offense, and Morrison could be their main target.