Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Game Preview: Stanford hit on then Irish sophomore quarterStrength Vs. Strength Notre Dame's pass blocking has been the immovable object, it's greatest strength of the 2013 season. Entering the Nov. 23 game against BYU, Notre Dame ranked third in the country in fewest sacks yielded (seven) — and no other team surrendered fewer sacks in as many pass attempts (320). Stanford's pass rush has been the irresistible force, ranking among the nation's elite. The Cardinal's 32 sacks — 12 by fifth-year senior outside linebacker Trent Murphy — ranked fourth in the country. Two years ago an early back Tommy Rees shook him up and eventually shelved him for the entire second half during the 28-14 Stanford victory. It's a classic matchup for the laws of physics: immovable object versus irresistible force. To take some of the burden off Rees, Notre Dame's running game cannot afford to be pedestrian and must at least provide a quality complement to the aerial attack. Once Stanford forces a team to throw when it has to, and not when it wants to, then it usually is in its element. ✦ Predictions Tom Loy: Stanford 34, Notre Dame 23 Stanford is one of the most complete teams in the country and as physical as anyone. The Cardinal offense will provide the Notre Dame defense all it can handle, and the Cardinal defense will give quarterback Tommy Rees and the rest of the Fighting Irish plenty of fits. Look for the Irish to try to establish a passing attack early, and the success of that will determine the end result. Dan Murphy: Stanford 27, Notre Dame 13 Notre Dame's rushing attack has been a weak point on offense all season. They'll struggle to establish a consistent ground game against the stingy Cardinal defense, which means Notre Dame's defense could be in for a long and bruising day. Stanford controlled the Irish in a two-touchdown defeat the last time it visited Palo Alto, and this time around doesn't feel much different. Andrew Owens: Stanford 34, Notre Dame 20 The date Nov. 30 has been circled on the Irish calendar for quite some time now, with Notre Dame and Stanford meeting for the first time since the classic overtime clash a year ago. Although the Cardinal has displayed some vulnerability this season, its physical approach will be too much for a Notre Dame squad (especially without Louis Nix) that has relied on a finesse offense throughout the season. Lou Somogyi: Stanford 24, Notre Dame 17 The Cardinal offense does not possess the firepower of most of the other top-10 teams, thereby making this a winnable game for Notre Dame if it plays relatively clean and actually generates some turnovers, or big plays on defense and special teams. The loss of Louis Nix III to a season-ending injury, however, will increase the degree of difficulty. With the way this season has been, don't be surprised by the unexpected.