Notre Dame gets a chance to keep rolling today, and the setup is hard to miss: a shot at its 16th straight win, a battle for the Legends Trophy, and a Stanford team sitting at 2-3 coming to South Bend as a 39.5-point underdog.
If the Irish are going to handle this the way they should, the offense has to check four boxes. The first one is the most obvious: get out of the gate fast.
That has not always been a given in this matchup. Notre Dame did jump Stanford early last season, but the recent history has included some sluggish starts - a 7-7 first quarter in 2024, a 13-7 deficit after one in 2023, and the 2022 game that saw the Irish trailing 10-0 at halftime in what was arguably the worst loss of the Marcus Freeman era.
Notre Dame has been better in that area in 2026, and that needs to hold. If the Irish can put Stanford away early and keep adding on, they can turn this into another blowout.
That would not only send a message, it could also allow the staff to rest more starters in the second half with BYU waiting next weekend.
The other big piece is simple: let CJ Carr drive the offense. Notre Dame’s two most recent wins have come with the attack humming at 495.5 yards per game, 7.0 yards per play and 43 points per game.
The run game has also improved, averaging 209 rushing yards and 5.4 yards per carry in those victories after managing 130 yards and 3.6 yards per carry in the first three games. But the interesting part is how that ground success has come.
It’s been better when the offense has been built through Carr’s arm talent rather than trying to force everything through the run game.
Carr is the offense’s best player, and there’s a case to be made that the next 2-3 best skill players are wide receivers. Notre Dame has looked sharper when it opens aggressively through the air, like it did against Purdue and North Carolina.
That early passing softened defenses, opened up more space, and helped the run game follow. The offensive line mattered too, but the offense simply functions better when it runs through Carr’s arm talent and not just his mind.
That line play is the other major key. Notre Dame’s offensive line was excellent against North Carolina, moving defenders off the ball and creating steady running lanes.
Even when UNC knew what was coming, it still got gashed. If the Irish have truly turned a corner up front, this is the kind of game where that should show up in a big way.
Stanford’s defensive front does not bring the same talent or production as UNC’s, and another strong showing up front should set up Jonaz Walton and Nolan James Jr. for another productive day.
Then there’s the part that can get overlooked in a game with this kind of spread: the situational stuff. Notre Dame has been productive overall, but third down and the red zone have lagged.
The Irish rank 77th in third-down conversion rate at 40.4% and 37th in red zone touchdown rate at 70.8%. Those are areas that need to improve as the season goes on, and Stanford presents a clean chance to do it.
The Cardinal rank 134th in third-down defense at 50.8% and 136th in red zone touchdown defense at 67.0%.
If Notre Dame handles those four areas - the fast start, Carr-led aggression, trench dominance and cleaner situational football - this one should look the way the point spread says it should.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Has A Bigger Stanford Concern Than Stanford
Notre Dame heads into its matchup with Stanford carrying a little more uncertainty on defense than it probably wanted this late in the season. Defensive back Leonard Moore is listed as questionable after suffering a concussion in the previous game, while linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has already been ruled out because of a left thumb injury. It is the kind of injury report that puts the spotlight on depth, especially with the Irish trying to keep their defensive rotation steady.
The good news for Notre Dame is that the staff has shown a clear willingness to be cautious rather than force players back before they are ready. That approach matters now, because Stanford is less of a concern than the bigger question of how healthy the Irish can be when they need all hands available. Moore's status will be watched closely, and Viliamu-Asa's absence only adds to the need for the next group up to handle its part without much drop-off. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Now Faces A Bigger BYU Test Than Expected
BYUs first full game without LJ Martin did not look like a team searching for answers. The Cougars handled Iowa State 24-10 and got a breakout all-around performance from quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 109 yards on the ground. For Notre Dame, that matters because this is no longer shaping up as just another late-season test, but one with real College Football Playoff weight behind it.
The Irish were already preparing for a difficult matchup, and BYUs showing only raised the level of concern. Losing a key back usually forces an offense to adjust and simplify, but BYU looked sharper, more balanced and more explosive than expected without Martin. Now Notre Dame has to account for a quarterback who can hurt defenses in multiple ways, and a game that already carried stakes has become a lot more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Pivotal Week That Could Reshape The SEC Race
Week 6 is shaping up as one of those turning-point Saturdays that can alter the feel of an entire college football season, with the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and other leagues all carrying playoff implications into the weekend. Alabamas matchup with Georgia is the headliner in a slate that also includes Boise State against Fresno State and the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, a mix of games that should help separate contenders from pretenders before the calendar turns deeper into October.
For Notre Dame readers, the bigger takeaway is how quickly the national picture can shift around them, especially with standings tightening and injury concerns beginning to matter more across the sport. A few of these games carry the kind of weight that can ripple into the College Football Playoff conversation, and by the end of the weekend the Irish could have a clearer sense of which teams are truly built to survive the grind ahead. [Read more 🡒]