Notre Dame vs Stanford Game Predictions
The 18th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-3) look to end the 2023 regular season with a win as they head west to take on the Stanford Cardinal (3-8). It's a rivalry game for Notre Dame, and the Irish are also looking to take back the Legend's Trophy.
Where: Stanford Stadium (Stanford, Calif.)
When: Saturday - November 25th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Network: Pac 12 Network
Line: Notre Dame -25.5, O/U: 49.5
Irish Breakdown has analyzed the game all week and now it's time to make our predictions.
BRYAN DRISKELL, PUBLISHER
Prediction: Notre Dame 42, Stanford 10
Prior to last season's debacle the Irish had dominated this series in recent seasons. Notre Dame beat Stanford in 2018, 2019 and 2021, and none of those games were close. Notre Dame won each game by at least 21 points and scored at least 38 points in each game.
I would also argue that each of those Stanford teams were better than this year's version. This was especially true of the 2018 team that Notre Dame beat 38-17, and the 2019 team that Notre Dame beat 45-24. In fact, Notre Dame beat Stanford 45-14 and 45-24 in the last two games played on the Cardinal's home field.
Notre Dame has scored 58, 48 and 45 points in three of its last four games, and Stanford doesn't have a defense that can sniff what Clemson put on the field. I fully expect the Notre Dame offense to come out hot, riding the legs of Audric Estime early. That will get the Cardinal to load the box and that is when Sam Hartman and the pass game gets rolling.
The Irish defense should dominate this matchup against a struggling Stanford offense.
VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST
Prediction: Notre Dame 48, Stanford 3
Well here we go with the final regular season game of the year. Hard to believe it came so quickly but game 12 is here. The reality is Notre Dame should smoke Stanford and this game should not be close in any way. You add in the fact that the Irish laid an egg last season against the Fighting Trees and you have a perfect recipe for a blowout.
The problem is Notre Dame is 2-2 in true road games and barely squeaked out one of those wins against Duke. Notre Dame has a legitimate issue when they take this circus on the road. This is something that the staff is truly going to have to look at moving forward if they want to continue to take this program in the right direction.
They do not have a whole off season to get ready for the Cardinal so how does this one play out? Notre Dame is a better team in all areas, and it is not close. The defense will dominate this Stanford offense that ranks no better than 92nd in rush offense, total offense, and scoring offense. Their best attribute is their passing game that ranks 57th but that matches up against Notre Dame's 3rd ranked pass defense. I like the matchup!
If you flip the script to the other side of the ball it is an even bigger disparity. Stanford's defense is one of the four worst defenses in the country statistically. The offense has not traveled well this year and this is their last chance to prove they can play on the road with some sort of consistency. To be honest they do not even need to bring their A game to dominate this game. I am not getting my hopes up on an explosive offensive performance but I really liked the game plan I saw last week at Notre Dame Stadium and I think they will build on that Saturday. Let's put it this way, Steve Angeli will get himself some meaningful reps with the ones early in the fourth quarter. That should tell you what you need to know about this game.
RYAN ROBERTS, RECRUITING DIRECTOR
Prediction: Notre Dame 52, Stanford 9
Notre Dame should still have that bad taste in their mouth from that embarrassing 16-14 loss to Stanford last season. I expect a big time performance on the Irish, who come into the game with a lot of energy and a little bit of a mean streak. A bad Stanford team isn’t going to sneak up on the Irish.
There is no doubt in this one. Notre Dame comes throwing the ball around early and Audric Estime puts the hammer down going into the second half. The young guys get a lot of playing time in the second half to cap off a dominant regular season finale.
SEAN STIRES, STAFF WRITER
Prediction: Notre Dame 42, Stanford 13
f this game was at home, I would have 100% confidence in the 25+ points Notre Dame is giving in this game. The Fighting Irish have chewed up and spit out teams of this caliber in their home games. They outscored the five home opponents not named Ohio State by a combined 248-34. But this game isn’t at home. It’s in California where every Irish regular season has ended for two and a half decades.
The other side of that is Notre Dame’s two road losses have come against two of the top four defenses the Irish have played this season and Stanford’s defense is not that. The Cardinal rank No. 127 in total defense and pass efficiency defense and No. 52 in rush defense. They’ve given up at least 42 points six times this season, including a season high 62 against Oregon State two weeks ago.
Winning this game won’t make anyone feel warm and fuzzy about a season that started with high expectations, but it would at least end things on a high note heading toward a bowl game.
ANDREW MCDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Stanford 13
The Fighting Irish wrap up a 9-3 regular season in a de facto home game at Stanford Stadium by cruising to a 38-13 win and avenging last season's defeat. Key to that effort is RB Audric Estime, who will be highly motivated in this one, both from being snubbed as a Doak Walker semifinalist and also because his red zone fumble last season ended Notre Dame's best attempt at a comeback in last season's loss to Stanford. With Estime gashing a Cardinal defense that ranks 76th in the nation surrendering 4.26 yards/carry, Sam Hartman and a Notre Dame passing attack that roared back to life last weekend will have plenty of space to work.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinal do have some talent in spots, most notably WR Elic Ayomanor, but they are overly reliant on QB Ashton Daniels, who leads them in both passing and rushing. I expect to see a gameplan similar to how Notre Dame defended Duke's Riley Leonard, in which the Irish use defensive line movement to dictate the give/pull key to Daniels and then focus on keeping him in the pocket when pass rushing. Stanford just doesn't have anyone else in the running game who can threaten Notre Dame, as the Cardinal's second leading rusher, Justin Lamson, is averaging only 2.29 YPC on 110 rushes this season.
Ultimately, as long as Notre Dame plays a clean, focused game this one won't be close, and the final margin will be dictated by how much Marcus Freeman decides to empty the bench. I think Stanford made a great hire in the offseason with Troy Taylor, but the Cardinal are still a few years away, and playing across the country half the season in the ACC isn't going to help matters.
STAFF RESULTS
Bryan - 39-12
Andrew - 38-13
Sean - 38-13
Ryan - 34-17
Vince - 32-12
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