Notre Dame’s offense has a chance to walk into Saturday and leave with real momentum.
Stanford is coming off a 57-3 loss to Wake Forest, and the Cardinal defense has been on the ropes. That gives the Irish a clear opening to keep building before the schedule tightens up, with BYU looming next on the road in Provo, Utah.
CJ Carr is at the center of it all. The junior quarterback has become the first Notre Dame quarterback in 30 years to throw at least three touchdown passes and add a rushing score in back-to-back games. He has not yet reached 300 passing yards in a game, but with Stanford sitting 137th nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 299.8 and 129th in passing touchdowns allowed with 12, this looks like the kind of afternoon where that streak could end.
The Irish run game also has a chance to keep pushing forward. After showing signs of life against Purdue, Notre Dame broke through on the ground against North Carolina with season highs of 241 rushing yards and 45 carries.
Stanford’s front has been vulnerable too, ranking 110th in yards per carry allowed and 134th in rushing touchdowns allowed. The Cardinal could also be without linebacker Matt Rose, their top player on that side of the ball.
That matters even more with BYU waiting. The Cougars have been stout defensively, ranking 17th nationally in points per game allowed and 21st in yards per game allowed, while giving up only seven touchdowns through four games. So this matchup with Stanford is more than just a chance to win big; it’s a final tune-up for Mike Denbrock’s offense before a much tougher test.
A couple of individual matchups should tell a lot about how this plays out.
On the edge, sophomore left tackle Will Black gets another tough assignment against Stanford defensive end Omar Staples. Black, now heading into his sixth career start, has been steady and keeps trending upward.
Staples, a 6-3, 270-pound defender, leads Stanford in total pressures and hits plus sacks on the quarterback. It’s a spot Black should be able to handle, but he’ll still have to protect Carr’s blind side.
In the slot, Notre Dame’s Jaden Greathouse draws Darrius Davis, and that matchup could tilt heavily in the Irish’s favor. Davis has allowed an 80% reception rate when targeted, along with 237 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Greathouse, meanwhile, is starting to heat up after catching his first touchdown since the national title game against Ohio State. With Jordan Faison and Micah Gilbert already getting going, Greathouse looks like the next receiver ready to make noise in the red zone.
The player to watch is freshman running back Jonaz Walton. The 5-9, 200-pound Georgia native led Notre Dame with 120 rushing yards against North Carolina and has been making his presence felt in key spots over the last few weeks. Against one of the nation’s weakest rush defenses, Walton has a real chance to post another big day in the battle for the Legend’s Trophy.
In Other News...
CJ Carrs Draft Outlook Could Decide Notre Dames Next Season
Rob Rangs latest Fox Sports mock draft put a spotlight on Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, projecting him to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 30 overall. In that scenario, Carr would come off the board as the fifth quarterback selected, trailing Arch Manning, Trinidad Chambliss, Dante Moore and Drew Mestemaker, a grouping that frames his place in the early draft conversation and hints at where evaluators think he fits among the positions rising names.
For Notre Dame, the projection matters because it raises a familiar question every program hopes to face with an appealing young quarterback: leave early or come back and keep building. If Carr were to stick around another season instead of declaring, it would shape the Irishs outlook in a major way, giving the staff and fans a clearer path to more continuity at the position while also keeping the draft speculation hanging over his future. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Has Something To Prove Against Stanford
Notre Dames defense comes into the Stanford game with a clear chance to steady itself after a rough showing against North Carolina, and Chris Ashs group knows the spotlight will be on it from the opening drive. The matchup is appealing on paper, too, because the Cardinal offense has struggled, giving the Irish a chance to reset the tone up front and show the kind of consistency that has been missing lately.
There should be opportunities for Notre Dames defensive line to make an impact, and one of the more interesting individual battles is Boubacar Traore against Kahlil House. The bigger question hanging over the Irish, though, is whether Leonard Moore will be available at cornerback, a detail that could shape how much pressure the defense can safely bring while trying to put together the kind of performance it has been looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has A Chance To Keep Rolling Before Things Get Tough
Notre Dame heads into its matchup with Stanford riding a surge that has the program firmly in control of the rivalry and still stacking wins as the schedule winds toward tougher tests ahead. The Fighting Irish have looked balanced on offense under quarterback CJ Carr, while Stanford has had trouble keeping opponents in check on defense, which is a big reason this one has drawn so much one-sided confidence from analysts.
For Notre Dame, the bigger question is not whether it can handle Stanford but whether it can keep sharpening the same formula before the real pressure ramps up. A decisive result would extend the winning streak and preserve momentum, yet this is also the kind of game where the Irish will want to stay focused, clean, and healthy with more demanding opponents waiting down the road. [Read more 🡒]