In its first and only trip outside the West Coast this season, the No. 16 Stanford football team travels to South Bend, Ind., this week for its annual game with rival Notre Dame. The Cardinal (3-0, 1-0 Pac-10) has not won at Notre Dame since 1992 and has lost seven straight games at Notre Dame Stadium, but recent history favors it–Stanford won the last meeting between the two teams, last season’s finale in Stanford Stadium.
The Fighting Irish (1-2) enter Saturday’s game desperate for a win to salvage its first season under new head coach Brian Kelly. After winning its first game of the season against Purdue, Notre Dame has dropped its last two games. It lost to Michigan by four points before losing last week to Michigan State, this time by three points.
For Stanford, a team ready to justify its highest national ranking at this point in a season since 1972, this game provides the first big test of the season. The Cardinal also is looking to start 4-0 for the first time since 1986 and keep up its momentum heading into its two biggest games of the season: Oct. 2 at No. 5 Oregon and Oct. 9 at home against No. 20 Southern California.
Through its first three games, Stanford looks like a team capable of winning its first Pac-10 title since the 1999 season. After flattening cupcake Sacramento State, the Card went on the road and dismantled UCLA 35-0 before coming home and routing Wake Forest 68-24.
The Cardinal can thank quarterback Andrew Luck more than any other player for its hot start to the season. The redshirt sophomore’s performance thus far doesn’t just have Stanford fans dreaming of the Rose Bowl; he has shot to the top of ESPN’s NFL draft board and has emerged on Heisman watch lists around the country. His numbers certainly have been gaudy. He has thrown for 674 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 64.3 percent of his passes and throwing no interceptions, and has a passer rating of 192.3. He also has shown a lot of athleticism, and while he isn’t a true dual-threat quarterback, he can create offense with his legs, rushing for 140 yards through Stanford’s first three games.
Luck has emerged as an extremely capable and effective offensive leader as well. In last weekend’s game against Wake Forest, Luck was at the helm for eight Cardinal drives, and all eight went for touchdowns.
The Stanford running attack hasn’t slowed down at all either, even though it is employing a rotation of backs. Led by the sophomore duo of Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney, the unit is ranked 14th in the country, rolling up 242 yards per game. The Cardinal offensive line has shown why it is praised as one of the country’s best, opening up big holes for Taylor and redshirt freshman Usua Amanam and pushing the pile forward for Gaffney’s power runs. Both the running and passing games should have a good day against a Notre Dame defense that is ranked 102nd in the country.
Notre Dame’s offensive attack is no pushover, however. The passing offense, led by first-year starter Dayne Crist, ranks eighth in the nation in yards per game. Crist has thrown for 851 yards and seven touchdowns while surrendering two interceptions. He will provide a solid test for a Stanford defense that is currently No. 1 in the nation in pass defense.
Indeed, it is Stanford’s defensive performance that most will be keeping an eye on. Entering this season, Luck and the offense were expected to power the team, but the defense seems much improved from last season, especially after shutting down UCLA and holding Wake Forest to 10 points before the starters were removed. Overall, the defense is ranked sixth, and while this ranking might slip as the Card moves into the teeth of its Pac-10 schedule, it should provide enough strength to hold back the Fighting Irish. Junior safety Michael Thomas, who has emerged as the leader of a much-improved Stanford secondary, will be an especially important player to watch.
On the injury front, Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh continued to be tight-lipped on the status of several key players with injuries, including senior receiver Ryan Whalen, the leader of the Cardinal receiving corps. As of now, Whalen is not listed on the depth chart. He went off the field against Wake Forest with what seemed to be a fairly serious injury, did not practice this week and was seen on campus in an arm sling. Scout.com reported rumors that he suffered a dislocated elbow and will be out at least four to six weeks.
Senior running back Jeremy Stewart, who sustained an ankle injury three weeks ago against Sacramento State, is listed on this week’s depth chart, though Harbaugh refused to give any indication over whether or not he would play.
Stanford will kick off against the Fighting Irish at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday in South Bend, Ind. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.