Marcus Freeman didn’t have to search hard for positives after Notre Dame rolled Stanford 58-7, because the numbers told the story for him.
The Irish came out firing and never let go. Less than two minutes into the game, they had the lead for good, and by the end of the afternoon they had piled up 598 yards of offense before a couple of kneel-downs trimmed that total from 604. Notre Dame finished with 26 first downs, split evenly between the run and the pass, and was as balanced as it was explosive: 361 rushing yards at 7.7 per carry, 237 passing yards, a 70 percent completion rate, five rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns.
The splash plays came in waves. Jonaz Walton ripped off a 97-yard run and later added a 40-yard burst.
CJ Carr connected with Aneyas Williams on a 70-yard touchdown strike. Notre Dame converted 8 of 13 third downs and controlled the ball for 37:10, leaving Stanford chasing the game from the start.
The defense was just as suffocating. Stanford managed only nine first downs, 58 rushing yards, 144 passing yards and 202 total yards.
The Cardinal were held to 2 of 11 on third down, reached the red zone just once, and turned the ball over three times - two interceptions and a fumble recovery. On a per-play basis, Stanford averaged only 4.6 yards.
That kind of performance was exactly the response Notre Dame needed after an 11-point win at North Carolina, and it comes with a bigger stage ahead. The Irish, now 6-0, head to Brigham Young next week for a No. 2 versus No. 8 showdown with the Cougars.
Freeman said the win showed growth, but he still found room to press on the details.
"Any time you win the turnover margin, 3-0, it tells you that you're an improving team. We continue to take care of the football offensively. It's so important…The execution on both sides of the ball…we open up the game with a sack, strip fumble, and the offense goes and scores on that first drive…
"But there also are areas we've got to work on. I think about the penalties today that we can't have.
We can't have pre-snap, we can't have post-snap, we can't have roughing-the-passer. Those are a lot of areas we have to improve on.
"I believe we executed at a high level today, but there's a lot this group has to do to continue to improve."
Still, Freeman also wanted his team to pause and appreciate what it had just done.
"Next week they'll get the opportunity to play a top 10 team and they'll be ready," said Freeman of his squad. "But my job is to remind them to enjoy the fruits of your labor. If you don't enjoy this and you're just looking to the next one, it's miserable, miserable.
"If you don't find a way to enjoy a victory on a Saturday, man, it's not going to be a lot of fun playing the game or coaching the game. So I remind myself, as I tell them, to enjoy the victory. Then we'll wake up tomorrow, man, eyes toward the next opponent."
In Other News...
Notre Dame Defense Faces One Big Question Entering BYU Trip
Notre Dames defense could look a little different for its trip to BYU, with the injury report offering a mix of concern and relief heading into the matchup. Cornerback Leonard Moore is listed as questionable, while linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has been cleared after being taken off the report, a useful development for a unit that has had to manage its depth carefully in recent weeks.
Jason Onyes status is also worth watching after he was upgraded to questionable following a left ankle injury that kept him out for more than five games. Brauntae Johnson, meanwhile, remains on a longer recovery path after foot surgery and is expected back around November, leaving Notre Dame to sort through just how much of its defensive backfield and front it can count on in a tricky road spot. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Faces A Road Test Marcus Freeman Still Has To Pass
Notre Dames trip to Provo comes with the kind of spotlight that has a way of exposing the same old questions. The Irish have not won a true road game against a top-10 opponent since 2012, and under Marcus Freeman they have gone 2-4 in true road games against ranked teams. Now they head to face undefeated BYU, ranked eighth, in a setting that should feel every bit as unforgiving as the stakes attached to it.
For Freeman, this is more than another ranked matchup on the schedule. It is a chance to show that Notre Dame can carry its talent, poise and playoff hopes into a hostile road environment and actually finish the job. The Irish have been good enough at home and strong enough overall to stay in the national picture, but until they solve a test like this one, the lingering doubt about their ceiling will keep hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Undefeated Start Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Notre Dame
The No. 2 Fighting Irish are headed into a Week 7 matchup that should say plenty about where both programs really stand, with undefeated BYU bringing its perfect start into South Bend for a top-10 clash. Notre Dame has looked like a legitimate heavyweight by the advanced numbers, and CJ Carr has already pushed himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation as the offense continues to gain national attention.
BYU, ranked No. 8, has earned this moment by staying unbeaten and steady through the first part of the season, but this trip will demand answers in every phase against a Notre Dame team built to test weaknesses. The betting market expects a tight one, which only adds to the stakes in a game that could reshape the picture for both teams in the second half of the season. [Read more 🡒]