Stanford football (2-3, 1-3 ACC) heads to South Bend, Ind. this weekend for their annual rivalry matchup against No. 3 Notre Dame (5-0). This year marks the 40th meeting between these two teams, and the 25th time the Legends Trophy will be up for grabs. Stanford is looking to gain some momentum coming off a tough 57-3 loss at Wake Forest (4-1, 2-1 ACC) last weekend.
Notre Dame comes in undefeated and ranked third in the latest AP poll. Quarterback C.J. Carr is touted as one of the nation’s top college quarterbacks with 13 touchdowns, a 71% completion percentage, and a quarterback rating (QBR) of 90.4 so far this season. Their relatively balanced offensive attack is complemented by what some consider to be the top defense in the nation, holding their opponents to a measly 216.4 yards per game on average, the lowest in the FBS.
On the flip side, Stanford is looking to turn their season around. After senior quarterback Davis Warren had a career game against Georgia Tech, he threw his first interception against Wake Forest and finished the game with a below-average QBR of 40.9. Getting the offense going again after scoring just three points last week will be key if the Cardinal are to pull off the upset.
Wide receiver Zion Robinson says the Cardinal are optimistic going into this weekend. “We’ve gotten more connected, figured out what we need to do better from last weekend, and we’re ready to roll,” he said. Robinson has consistently come up in big moments, including a key 61-yard reception against Georgia Tech (1-3, 0-1 ACC) and a 48-yard reception against Hawaii (1-4, 0-3 MW) to open the season.
As a true freshman, Robinson said his connection with Warren extends off the field as well. “That’s my big bro,” he said on Wednesday after practice, praising what Warren “preaches off and on the field … He’s been a great person to learn from in both ways.” Robinson is optimistic that he and Warren can capitalize on Notre Dame’s man-to-man coverage scheme this Saturday, saying that “when opportunity comes, you got to make the most of it.”
Stanford’s two primary running backs, senior Sedrick Irvin and junior Micah Ford, have struggled throughout the season to get past the line of scrimmage, resulting in only 444 rushing yards this season to 1239 yards in the air. When asked how they were looking to get the run game going this weekend, offensive coordinator Terry Heffernan said they’ve left “no stone unturned.” He elaborated that they’ve been “challenging [the] ball carriers to create more with the ball, our blockers to sustain.”
Third down performance has also been a point of emphasis during practice this week. A key to improving the Cardinal’s 34.3 percent third down conversion rate is avoiding them in the first place. “We’ve got to be better on first down,” Heffernan noted, saying that “that was really our focus on our Tuesday practice.”
Stanford is no stranger to upsetting Notre Dame. The last time was in 2022, when an 11-game FBS losing streak was snapped with a gritty 16-14 win in South Bend. Heffernan was Stanford’s offensive line coach at the time, and holds an overall 2-1 career record against the Fighting Irish. “It really is a fun place to play,” he said.
With Stanford entering as 38-point underdogs, maybe head coach Tavita Pritchard can channel some 2007 upset magic for the Cardinal.
Kick-off is set for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.