GAME THREAD | Stanford at Notre Dame

STANFORD (1-4) at NOTRE DAME (3-2) 

Notre Dame Stadium | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBC | Notre Dame -16.5| O/U: 53.0

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MOMENTUM 

A three-game winning streak looked like a tough task a few weeks ago, but Notre Dame has momentum and returns home for the first time since September 17th. Marcus Freeman made it clear he wanted Notre Dame to be a program defined by its play in trenches and the Irish have responded over the last three games. 

Notre Dame is not only running the ball, but running it when the opposition knows it’s coming. Stanford might be 1-4, but the Cardinal offense can put up points and stresses the defense on a number of levels with its RPO game. Stanford has run Wake Forest delayed mesh at times this season, which adds an entirely new element for defenses to defend. 

The good news is Stanford is allowing over 200 yards on the ground a game and that should give Notre Dame a chance to pull away. The Irish have yet to truly blow a team out and it’s important to do so as Notre Dame has several young players that need game experience. If Notre Dame’s run game comes to play, Stanford might be in for a long night. 

Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame LB Prince Kollie
Kollie has generated buzz for his sack against BYU and earned strong praise from Al Golden for the way he's practiced this week. Look for him to play a bigger role and for his snaps to continue to increase going forward.

Stanford WR Michael Wilson
Stanford's top receiver is averaging 20.7 yards per catch. Him and Bryce Tremaine are both good at bringing down contested catches and if the Cardinal are going to have a shot in this game, they'll need Wilson to make a lot of plays.

Notre Dame DT Howard Cross
Notre Dame missed Cross a lot last week against BYU and he's expected to be healthy enough to play against Stanford. How much will he play, though? That's to be determined. He's a key piece for the Irish run defense.

Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly
A preseason All Pac-12 pick, Kelly has had a disappointing start to the season and is coming off of an injury. He's the one player with elite potential in their back seven.

Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas
Thomas had a breakout performance against BYU and now we get to see if he can build on it. This would be the game to do it with Stanford ranked as one of the worst pass defenses in the country. 

Quotes of the Week

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman: 
"We want to be an offense that can run the ball. There is no running game without an offensive line opening up holes and really executing. It all starts up front with what we've been able to do in terms of moving guys, making sure our guys are on blocks and the fundamentals are continuously improving and the consistency of who is in there. It's been really good to see. 

"What does that do? It gains confidence and momentum in your running game. The running backs are able to hit those holes. They've been doing a good job. It's not to say the running backs success is all on the offensive line, but it's a big part because of the o-line. 

"It creates issues for the defense. Are you going to put an extra hat in the box in terms of creating some mismatches in the pass game. It's a beautiful portrait. It starts up front protecting your quarterback, being able to run the ball with success in the run game and it creates some mismatches or open holes in the pass game. Everything has to work together. Everything has to be on point for us to have success." 

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees:
“We want to be able to dictate the game and the terms, control the tempo and the pace of it. Obviously, we’ve run the ball pretty well the last couple weeks, which is credit to that. Playing that style can be a little arduous, but it’s something that when you’re up in games in the second half, that’s the style of game that’s kind of dictated by it. We’d love to have those stats and time of possession. I think it helps the program—I think it’s a team identity. The defense gets stops quickly: they get a safety, they get an interception. I think there’s a lot of credit that goes both ways.” 

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden:
"The marriage of front and coverage has been good. There's a collective mentality. The kids are doing a great job playing together. Before I was on the IR last week, we talked about how we've got this swath of plays that we're doing really good and then we give up that explosive. We've just got to learn how to eliminate that and it starts with me. They're playing really good together for long periods of time and then we're giving up an explosive. 

“I'd like to take some calls back. Me, personally, that led to some explosives. I put Mickey in a terrible position last week. It's just a bad call. Really, any other call, let's say they complete it, we get 'em on the ground for 15 and we move on.

“So that was a bad call. A good call by BYU against that look and they obviously made us pay. We've got to eliminate the explosives. If we can do that, we'll be sticky, we'll be tough."

Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas:
"It's just the mindset of mine. I feel like, the guys in the room, any ball in the air is ours, or nobody catches it. At the end of the day, it's not a 50-50 ball, it's our ball. It has our logo on it, so it's ours."

Notre Dame OL Blake Fisher:
“I try not to listen to the hype, truthfully. I think the moment you start letting those outside thoughts come in and those outside opinions, you get humbled. For me, it's about always improving. I want to be the best player I can be.”

For Your Nerves 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7' Inflatable Santa