Notre Dame vs. Stanford Rivalry History
Written by Drew Eger
Notre Dame and Stanford have been a consistent rivalry for the last 24 years, only missing 2020 because of COVID. The Irish lead the all-time series 22-13. Notre Dame has dominated the last 3 years winning by scores of 38-17, 45-24, and 45-14. Stanford had Notre Dame’s number before that, winning 7 out of the last 9 match-ups from 2009-2017. Now, let’s take a look back at some of the most notable match-ups in this rivalry’s history.
1925 - Notre Dame 27, Stanford 10 - In the first match-up of this rivalry, Notre Dame and Stanford met in the Rose Bowl. In this game, Stanford turned the ball over 8 different times and Notre Dame capitalized on those mistakes. This game also marked the end for the Irish’s Four Horsemen: Jim Crowley, Elmer Layden, Don Miller, and Harry Stuhldreher.
1990 - #1 Notre Dame 31, Stanford 36 - Stanford took down #1 Notre Dame in Notre Dame Stadium two years after the Irish got their 11th National Championship. Notre Dame looked like they were on their way to another national championship, but Stanford spoiled that hope by going into South Bend and upsetting the first ranked Irish.
2003 - Notre Dame 57, Stanford 7 - This game was the largest margin of victory for Notre Dame in the rivalry’s history. Notre Dame started the game off hot in Palo Alto with a 34-0 lead going into halftime. Stanford scored their only touchdown of the game early into the 3rd quarter. Notre Dame had their highest scoring quarter in the 3rd putting up 23.
2012 - #7 Notre Dame 20, #17 Stanford 13 - This game is known as the best game in the rivalry. A game that went into overtime at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish made the famous goal line stand in overtime stopping Stephon Taylor 4 times on the goal line. Manti Te'o helped lead the stop at the goal line and helped lead the Irish to the national championship.
2018 - #8 Notre Dame 38, #7 Stanford 17 - The highest ranked match-up in this rivalry featured a one sided game in South Bend. One of the only games played where both teams were ranked, the Irish dominated for all 4 quarters. Ian Book threw for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns in Notre Dame’s 21-point win.
For the 36th time, Notre Dame (3-2) and Stanford (1-4) will meet in South Bend, IN at Notre Dame Stadium. They will face off at 7:30 PM EST under the lights on NBC. The Irish have won 3 straight games and look to win the 4th in a row Saturday night. The Irish are 17-point favorites and look to continue their offensive domination they have displayed the past 2 games. If you like reading these, check out other articles on the Irish Tribune.
Go Irish, Beat Stanford
The Irish Tribune
Photo from USA Today
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