Notre Dame Wins Second-Straight Legends Trophy, Beats Stanford 49-7
Notre Dame came off the bye week with fresh legs and minds and secured its second straight Legends Trophy with a 49-7 win over Stanford in South Bend.
“Enjoy earning that Legends Trophy … which is a reflection of team glory,” head coach Marcus Freeman said. “That trophy represents a bunch of individuals who committ to something bigger than themselves.”
It hasn’t been a seamless transition for Riley Leonard in South Bend, but Saturday’s game might have been his best yet. In a sign that everything was going Leonard’s way, look no further than his 11-yard pass to his center. Pat Coogan caught a deflected pass, bulldozing his way for a first down, setting up the Irish in the red zone with a chance to take control of the game.
“Every game is different, you have to take advantage of what is in front of you,” Freeman said. “There might be a game where someone catches 10 passes and there might be a game as it was tonight where you have nine different guys catch the ball, including (offensive) linemen.”
Jeremiyah Love got in on the action with a two-yard run to convert a fourth down in the red zone. Leonard dazzled through the air, hitting Mitchell with a strike in the end zone, putting the Irish up 14 heading into halftime.
After Stanford’s opening drive, its offense stalled, and the second half wasn’t any different. Quarterback Ashton Daniels found himself in no man’s land and, in a last-ditch effort, tried to flip the ball to his running back. Unfortunately for Daniels, his pitch was tipped by Joshua Burnham and recovered, setting up Notre Dame in prime position.
The Irish capitalized on the turnover as Jadarian Price slashed his way down the field for a 16-yard touchdown run, giving Notre Dame a commanding 28-7 lead.
Notre Dame’s balanced attack continued, with Leonard hitting KK Smith on an out route on the right side. Love added to the backfield’s big day with an explosive run down the left sideline for a 39-yard score, blowing the game open, 35-7. The sophomore running back has reached the end zone in all six games to open the 2024 season.
To add on to his big day, Leonard threw a rainbow spiral that found a wide open Beaux Collins for a 53-yard gain. The signal caller finished off the drive rolling out to his left to find Eli Reardon in the flat for a touchdown.
Following a lengthy lightning delay, backup quarterback Steve Angeli received cleanup duty but that didn’t stop the Irish offense. Running back Aneyas Williams diced up the middle for a 19-yard touchdown.
The Irish started off their first drive wasting no time getting aggressive, with Leonard targeting Collins on three straight plays through the air. Collins had a costly drop that would’ve gained big yardage but made up for the mistake with a first-down conversion on the following play. A holding penalty on Anthony Knapp stalled the opening drive.
Stanford stepped onto the field and didn’t seem intimidated by the South Bend atmosphere, a common theme with Notre Dame’s opponents this season. The Cardinal drove down the field with ease, with quarterback Ashton Daniels scrambling 27 yards up the middle. Backup quarterback Justin Lamson was then inserted into the game to push the ball into the end zone for seven.
“I was really proud of how we responded after that first series … terrible first series,” Freeman said. “From the second series on they played lights out.”
It appeared that offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock made an effort to put together a balanced offensive attack Saturday, and that was evident on Notre Dame’s second drive. Leonard hit Jaden Greathouse with a 19-yard strike up the middle, followed by a quick pass to Kris Mitchell to move the chains again. Mixed with some tough running from Price, the Irish found themselves in prime Leonard position — the red zone. Leonard galloped up the middle, crossing the goal line for his eighth rushing touchdown of the year, tying the game at seven.
Notre Dame’s defense woke up after getting pushed around on Stanford’s first drive, thanks to Howard Cross III. Cross came up with two sacks on the drive, the second on a critical fourth-down stop.
“I challenged those two seniors, Ryllie (Mills) and Howard (Cross), I wanted them to be great because they are great football players,” Freeman said. “Those two specifically stood out to me on the field … they dominated the game.”
Coming off the bye week, it seemed like Leonard was playing with a different swagger, and against the Cardinal, he was doing it all. Three straight scrambles from the senior signal-caller, one of which saw Leonard break two defenders’ ankles, set up the Irish deep in Stanford territory. He then showed off his dual-threat ability, finding Jayden Thomas on a 15-yard slant for a touchdown, putting the Irish up 14-7.
The Cardinal didn’t go away quietly, and Collins played a role in that. Following a 16-yard catch and run, the receiver had the ball wrestled away by Jshawn Frausto-Ramos, stalling the Irish momentum.
The Irish defense continued to bail out the offense, pulling together another fourth-down stop at midfield after Xavier Watts pressured Daniels
Notre Dame is back in action Oct. 19 against Georgia Tech, kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.