Getting to Know Notre Dame Ahead of Showdown at Stanford

Stanford will be wrapping up their year with arguably their toughest matchup of the season

Notre Dame offensive lineman Sullivan Absher (75) and offensive lineman Joe Otting (64) celebrate after a touchdown scored by running back Jeremiyah Love (4) in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This weekend, the Stanford Cardinal will end their 2025 season with a rivalry game against Notre Dame. It will be the final game of Stanford’s season, and they will get to stay in Palo Alto for it, as well as be under the lights for a 7:30PM kick on national TV. Stanford also announced their new head coach prior to Saturday's game, which will certainly be the talk of the broadcast.

The Cardinal are coming off of a rivalry win in the Big Game, where they took down Cal, 31-10. It was by far Stanford’s best performance of the year, and they truly showed how their defense can compete at an extremely high level.

With that being said, Stanford sits at 4-7, and barring an upset win and an academic score high enough to compete in a bowl game, the Cardinal’s season will be over when the final whistle blows on Saturday night.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, is one of the best teams in the nation. Despite two early losses, the Fighting Irish have won nine in a row, including a dominant 70-7 showing against Syracuse just last week, where both sides of the ball looked elite.

Pair that with a number nine ranking and their College Football Playoff hopes on the line this weekend, and Notre Dame should be ready to compete on Saturday.

Let’s get to know the Fighting Irish before Saturday’s matchup.

Notre Dame’s quarterback is true freshman CJ Carr, who has had a great first season. Carr has put up 2,536 yards this season, along with 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, but their offense all revolves around the run game.

The Irish’s star is Jeremiyah Love, who has 1,306 yards with 17 touchdowns this year. He is widely regarded as the nation’s best running back, and is a top competitor in the Heisman race this season.

Notre Dame’s receivers consist of Malachi Fields and Jordan Faison, who have combined for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Jaden Greathouse was projected to be their star receiver, but a hamstring injury has kept him on the sidelines almost all year.

Tae Johnson leads the Irish defensive firepower, as the safety has 48 tackles and four interceptions on the year. Cornerback Leonard Moore has four himself, and Adon Shuler helps the safety room.

Stanford has to make sure to use their momentum to their advantage, prevent a takeover in the run game, and hope Elijah Brown can continue to be consistent under center. If so, even though it may be a long shot, the Cardinal do certainly have a chance in this one.