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Notre Dame Football

ISD Game Predictions: Stanford

November 24, 2017
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It’s Friday again, and that means it’s game prediction time once again.  The Irish are looking to end their season on a high note with a victory over Stanford.  The Cardinal defend their turf very well when the Irish play in Palo Alto as Brian Kelly has never led Notre Dame to a win on the road against Stanford.  Can Kelly and the Irish get over the hump on Saturday?  

Mike Frank

Stanford represents the last piece of “Settling All Family Business” for the Irish this season.  Notre Dame has accomplished so much this year including beating Boston College, Michigan State, USC and Navy—four teams who have given Notre Dame fits over the years.  The Cardinal is the final piece.  Will Notre Dame rise to the occasion?  

Normally I’d say yes, but I just don’t feel like Notre Dame has played well these past 10 quarters.  For some reason Stanford and David Shaw have Notre Dame’s number.  The Irish always seem to stumble in winnable games in Palo Alto.

Rick Kimball/ISD
Brandon Wimbush

This is yet another winnable game on Saturday.  This isn’t the old stingy Stanford defense we’ve seen for the past 6-7 years.  This team can be scored upon.  

If there is one game the Irish must win this year, this is it.  Notre Dame needs to re-establish itself as the premier school to choose when recruits are considering both the football and academic aspect.  They once were that, but Stanford has started to take a lot of great players away from the Irish.  Notre Dame must win to get that designation back.  

To be honest, it would not surprise me in the least if Notre Dame lost this game, because, well, they always lose this game.  That, and KJ Costello, Stanford’s starting QB, wanted a ND offer in the worst way and the Irish passed on him, and we know how that always works out.  

However, Notre Dame should be able to run on this defense, and I think these seniors will want to beat Stanford because of how this game has gone lately.  I’m hopeful Notre Dame will be motivated in this game.  Also, Bryce Love is banged up, and I doubt he will be as good as he normally would be if healthy.  

I’m going to pick ND, against my better judgement.  I could easily pick Stanford and feel confident in my decision.  

Notre Dame:  31  Stanford:  24

Christian McCollum

Bryce Love is good, like very good, but Notre Dame is better.

The Irish don’t blow out the Cardinal, but they control the game from whistle to whistle and the victory is easier than the final score indicates.

Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush has another up-and-down game, but there’s more ups than downs as he tosses scoring passes to KJ Stepherson and Chase Claypool while running for almost 100 yards.

The Irish defense doesn’t dominate Stanford’s offense as KJ Costello and Love make more than their share of plays, but Mike Elko’s unit steps up when it needs to.

The win secures Notre Dame a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl, where it will have its first chance to win a major bowl game since 1994. 

Notre Dame:  27  Stanford:  17

Matt Freeman

Notre Dame. Stanford. All college football fans across the country know this one will be one of the most physical games of the season each year but it’s also a game where weird things happen. That’s exactly what everyone gets on the first possession. 

The Irish win the toss and defer to the second half. Notre Dame fans are confused, but you quickly see why, as Nyles Morgan blows up Bryce Love on the first play of the game to set the tone. 

On Notre Dame’s first possession, the Irish come out under center and ready to show their physicality….but wait….it’s a flea flicker! Brandon Wimbush finds a streaking Kevin Stepherson down the field for a nice 69-yard touchdown pass. 

Remind you of 2015 yet? 

The Cardinal and Irish trade punts and blows until midway through the second quarter when Wimbush gets loose. The junior quarterback takes a QB draw up the middle for a 42-yard touchdown run to get the Irish a 14-0 lead. 

Jet Toner gets Stanford on the board with a 43-yard field to cut the lead to 14-3. 

Coming out the half, Wimbush is firing darts. 17 yards. 24 yards. 10 yards. Then Josh Adams caps the drive off with a three-yard run to push the lead to 21-3. 

Notre Dame’s defense is swarming all night. Love finishes the game with 10 carries for 28 yards but leaves the game in the third quarter when he aggravated his ankle injury. 

Love isn’t even on the bench yet when Wimbush fires another bomb and this time he connects with Equanimeous St. Brown for a 65-yard scoring strike. 

Brian Kelly gives a little “bye bye” love to Stanford in the finals seconds as Justin Yoon hits his second field goal of the game with just over 40 seconds left in the game. 

Notre Dame:  41  Stanford:  17

Jamie Uyeyama

Brian Kelly is 0-3 at Stanford. In only one of those games has he had the better team and that was in 2015 when his team gave up a last second field goal to kill any chance they had at an 11-win season.

I don't see that happening this time around. Notre Dame has the better team again and this year they have a much better defensive coordinator. Stanford has some weapons on offense, but it definitely hurts that their primary weapon, running back Bryce Love, is not anywhere close to 100% with an ankle injury. Without him at his best, Stanford is going to struggle to put up enough points.

On the other side of the ball, I haven't been shy about my feelings about their defense. It's average at best. They have two great players in safety Justin Reid and nose tackle Harrison Phillips, but a lot of replacement level players sprinkled throughout the rest of the defense. 

I think the Irish offense are going to run all over Stanford in this one and it will be enough to win it pretty convincingly. 

Notre Dame:  38  Stanford:  27

 
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