Notre Dame (9-2) completes its regular season on Saturday by visiting the Stanford Cardinal (4-7). The Fighting Irish have one final hurdle to clear before their playoff position is determined. Other teams can impact where Notre Dame ends up, but those games will be completed before kickoff. Despite a slow start, Stanford has improved throughout this season and has a 4-1 record at home. ESPN will provide television coverage for this game starting at 10:30 pm Eastern time.

Coach Frank Reich took over the Cardinal this season after Troy Taylor was fired in late March. Reich agreed to spend one season in Palo Alto while General Manager Andrew Luck searches for a permanent replacement. Their rebuilding efforts have begun to take root. Stanford’s talent level has improved, and this squad has exhibited a more cohesive and physical style of play. Their main struggles in 2025 have been on offense.

Coach Marcus Freeman’s ninth ranked Irish are coming off a 70-7 thrashing of Syracuse. The team can ill-afford to take its foot off the gas this week. There is fierce competition for the final at-large berths in the 12-team playoff chase. The lobbying efforts of competing teams and their respective conferences will reach a crescendo on Sunday. A loss or even an ugly win could drop Notre Dame outside the Top 12.

Injuries have also had an impact on the Irish. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is the latest casualty, and the news is not good. Viliamu-Asa suffered a knee injury last week and will not play again this season. Others such as wideout Jaden Greathouse, guard Billy Schrauth and defensive lineman Gabe Rubio are being held out. The same is true for safety Tae Johnson and tight end Cooper Flanagan. Freeman’s strategy is to maintain the healthiest possible roster for a playoff run. His conservatism with injuries this month is driven by last year’s devastating late season attrition. Each of the injured players noted above except Viliamu-Asa should be ready for the playoffs. Now, Notre Dame just needs to secure its place in the field.

According to Freeman, injured kicker Noah Burnette may play after an absence of several weeks. His performance in practice this week will determine whether he gets the nod over freshman Eric Schmidt. Regarding Stanford, the injury list includes edge rusher Willie Aybar, reserve tailback Tuna Altahir, and offensive guard Nick Fattig.

Notre Dame’s Offense vs Stanford’s Defense

Stanford is playing a 3-4 alignment this year. The front seven do not have outstanding size but they are high effort players. End Clay Patterson and nose tackle Braden Marceau-Olayinka are the most productive players up front. On passing downs, Tevarua Tafiti moves down from an outside linebacker spot to rush from the edge. Aybar usually flanks him, but this week it may be Hunter Barth or Ernest Cooper.

Stanford’s two inside linebackers are effective run stoppers. Matt Rose is the team’s leading tackler by a wide margin with 97 stops. His running mate, Jahsiah Galvin, is solid. The sum of these parts is a front seven that has been very effective against the run.

Safety Jay Green leads the Cardinal secondary. He is a sure tackler and a difference maker on the field. Cornerback Collin Wright is the team’s best cover man. Che Ojarikre is the other corner. He is targeted frequently by opposing teams and has struggled mightily. While Ojarikre’s vulnerabilities are in pass coverage, he is strong in run support. Reserve Brandon Nicholson has the opposite traits – better in coverage but a poor run defender.

This Cardinal defense is similar in style to Pittsburgh, although their personnel are not as athletic and formidable. Notre Dame can attack them successfully with power running and play action passes. The deep ball should be available, especially if the route is run away from Green’s side of the field.

Stanford’s Offense vs Notre Dame’s Defense

Freshman Elijah Brown has replaced senior Ben Gulbranson at quarterback and provided marginal improvement at the position. Neither has performed effectively against pressure and the Irish will apply plenty of that. The Cardinal offensive line is the weakest unit on the team. Young players have been pressed into service, and this group remains a work in progress. Run blocking has been particularly awful. Stanford has run for a dreadful 2.6 yards per carry and just 84 yards per game. Neither quarterback is an elusive runner or scrambler.

Left tackle Niki Prongos and right guard Simione Pale are the best players up front for the Cardinal. The others are young or marginally talented upperclassmen. Although the blocking is slightly better on pass plays, Stanford has surrendered a whopping 39 sacks this season.

Despite their struggles running the ball, tailback Micah Ford has been a bright spot. As you might expect, most of his 643 yards have come after contact. At 220 pounds, he can break tackles with raw power but will not sprint past most defenders. Ford had a notable performance last week with 150 yards against rival Cal. Cole Tabb is the backup at the position when Ford needs a breather.

Wideout CJ Williams, a former Irish recruit, is Stanford’s leading receiver with 58 receptions. Williams previously played for USC and Wisconsin. Senior tight end Sam Roush is next with 45 catches. Both he and Williams are possession type targets rather than deep threats. A pair of diminutive receivers, Caden High and Bryce Farrell, bring speed to the aerial attack. Both are 5’10” and about 175 pounds soaking wet.

Notre Dame must respect Ford’s ability to gain yards even when there is little room to run. If the Irish can create third and long situations, they can create havoc in the pocket for Brown.

Special Teams

Notre Dame hopes to achieve clarity regarding its kicking game before the regular season ends. The question is will Burnette or Schmidt provide answer on Saturday. Other special team units are generally solid except for an occasional, disturbing lapse in kickoff coverage.

Cardinal kicker Emmet Kenney is 14 of 19 on field goal attempts this season. He missed two of three last week and has limited range overall. Punter Aidan Flintoff averages 43 yards. Roughly 40% of his punts have been returned for an average of ten yards. High and Liam Thorpe are the primary return men for the Cardinal. Neither has made noteworthy gains in this role.

Summary

Notre Dame has a talent advantage in all three areas of the game. To win convincingly, the Irish must be able to run the ball against a gritty Cardinal defense. Stanford will almost certainly key on Jeremiyah Love. In that event, Carr’s accuracy with the pass will determine how many points the visitors score. Notre Dame will not abandon the run, though. Stanford has numbers in terms of defensive depth but the quality drops significantly from the starters on down. Even if the Cardinal hold Love and Jadarian Price in check early, both could enjoy a productive second half.

Last week, Stanford’s offense appeared to break through against Cal with its 31-10 victory. A closer review revealed that Green and Darrius Davis returned fumbles for touchdowns in that game. Rose also recovered a fumble at the Cal 20 to set up another score. Stanford led 14-10 at the half despite gaining only 71 yards and scoring no points on offense. Ford’s big second half helped secure the win.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

• Can Stanford’s struggling offensive line handle the Irish defensive front?
• Will the aggressive Notre Dame secondary continue to generate turnovers?
• Can the Irish duplicate the intensity level they demonstrated last week?
• Will Carr take advantage if Stanford overplays the run?
• Can Notre Dame run the ball against the Cardinal front seven?
• Will Love or Ford run for more yards and scores?
• Can Notre Dame’s special teams make a significant contribution?
• Will the Irish defense give up another last second touchdown?

Prediction

The various playoff scenarios necessitate another inspired effort by Notre Dame. A sloppy win by an unexpectedly small margin may harm their chances in the final vote. Assistance in the form of surprise losses by other contenders should not be relied upon. Although it is unlikely the Irish will falter in this regular season finale, Stanford will not simply roll over. Realistically, however, the Cardinal does not possess the offensive firepower to cause significant headaches. We’ve heard this said before, but the only team that can beat Notre Dame on Saturday is Notre Dame. Uncharacteristic penalties and turnovers often happen when least expected. The Irish are on the road during a holiday week and will play in an unfamiliar time slot. Will this be enough to knock them off their game? Probably not.

NOTRE DAME 41  STANFORD 10

This is a reprint of John’s preview article lost in a site technical issue