The 12th-ranked No tre Dame Fighting Irish begin a two-game stretch of playing in NFL stadiums this weekend when they travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to take on the 5-2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Here is how the Jackets have fared so far this season: vs Florida State (in Ireland) (24-21, W) vs Georgia State (35-12, W) at Syracuse (31-28, L) vs VMI (59-7, W) at Louisville (31-19, L) vs Duke (24-14, W) at North Carolina (41-34, W) Georgia Tech is amidst a cultural shift in the football program that can be credited to Head Coach Brent Key. Key was an offensive guard for Tech from 1997-2000 and was named First Team All-ACC his senior year. Following his playing days, he immediately found an interest in coaching. Key served as a Graduate Assistant for two years with Tech before joining the University of Central Florida staff. At UCF, Key served as an assistant head coach from 2012-2015. Key finally received the call from Atlanta to rejoin the Yellow Jacket staff before the 2019 season, where he remained in an assistant head coaching role. In 2022, Georgia Tech fired Head Coach Geoff Collins after five games. Key was named the interim Head Coach to finish the ‘22 season but was promoted to the official Head Coach before last season. As head coach at Georgia Tech, he has led the Yellow Jackets to a 16-12 record. Last year during Key’s first full year as the head coach, Georgia Tech finished 7-6 with a Gasparilla Bowl win against his former school, UCF. That was the first time that Tech finished with seven or more wins in a season since 2018. While things have gone better than expected so far this season, the offense and the entire Georgia Tech fanbase are awaiting injury news regarding starting quarterback Haynes King, who appeared to hurt his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter of last week’s win at Chapel Hill. He did not return after the injury and Coach Key listed King as day-to-day on Monday. If King is unable to play Saturday, this would be a huge loss for the Jackets as they seem to fall apart offensively when he is not healthy. Tech had a comfortable ten-point lead before King’s injury and it disappeared very quickly. The Yellow Jackets were saved when star running ba ck Jamal Haynes took a 68-yard run to the endzone  wit h 16 seconds remaining to secure the win. As an offensive unit, Georgia Tech has been above average. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 440.6 yards (32nd among FBS teams) and 32.9 points (tied-41st among FBS teams) per game with a balanced approach.  Georgia Tech has found major success in the red zone over halfway through this season. They have scored on 26 of 27 (96.3%) red zone opportunities, which ranks seventh among FBS teams. Additionally, 21 of the 26 scores are touchdowns. Notre Dame does feature a top-20 red zone defense so this could be a key to success for Saturday. Part of the reason Georgia Tech has found this red zone success is because they do not turn the ball over. The Jackets have committed just two turnovers all year, an interception by King and a fumble. Credit should be given to King’s development from a year ago when he threw 16 interceptions (led ACC) in his first full season as a starting quarterback. Regardless of who plays Saturday, the Irish defense will be hungry to force turnovers.  Additionally, the Jackets have been elite on fourth down attempts, converting 10 of 13 chances (76.9%), which ranks 14th among FBS teams. Expect Key’s offense to be aggressive on Saturday. Georgia Tech’s passing offense has been solid so far this season. Redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King has been very efficient as a passer. The former Texas A&M transfer led the ACC in passing touchdowns (27) last year while throwing for almost 2,900 yards. As previously mentioned, he had 16 interceptions, but this year he has been clean with the ball.  King has completed 136 of 191 (71.2%) pass attempts which places him as the most accurate passer in the ACC and top-ten nationally. His 152.94 passing efficiency ranks 34th among FBS passers while his 19.43 completions per game ranks 43rd. He is averaging 224 passing yards per game, a career-high, while throwing eight touchdowns and just the one interception that was previously mentioned. King also plays a large role in the running game so his potential absence could be even more costly.  However, backup quarterback Zach Pyron is a capable runner, although he is more of a short-yardage, power rusher. The redshirt sophomore has three games of starting quarterback experience, all of which occurred in his 2022 true freshman season. During the three-game stretch, Pyron threw 49/82 for 565 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. Pyron completed his only pass attempt last week for a seven-yard gain. Like King, Pyron is capable of being a dual-threat quarterback but Notre Dame’s defense would be a massive test for the less-experienced signal caller. Georgia Tech’s leading receiver is redshirt junior Malik Rutherford. The 5-9, 170-pound option had a solid season last year when he finished with 46 receptions for 502 yards and four touchdowns. He is experiencing a breakout campaign this year as he has already totaled 40 catches (Second in the ACC) for 509 yards (Fourth in the ACC) and two touchdowns. Rutherford has four games with seven or more receptions and two games with over 100 receiving yards this season. Also, his 5.7 receptions per game is tied-36th among all FBS offensive players. The Yellow Jackets second-leading receiver is sophomore Eric Singleton Jr. As a true freshman last season, Singleton led Georgia Tech in receptions (48), receiving yards (714), and receiving touchdowns (6) while being named a First-Team Freshman All-American by FWAA, ESPN, The Athletic, ON3, and 247 Sports. The 5-11, 190-pound weapon is currently second on the Jackets in receptions (30) and receiving yards (399), while adding three touchdowns, two receiving and one rushing. He has had five games this season with at least four receptions and 40 yards. Behind Rutherford and Singleton, Georgia Tech has received solid pass production from receivers Avery Boyd and Chase Lane and running back Jamal Haynes. Boyd, a senior, is enjoying his best career season with 14 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Lane, also a senior, is on pace for his best career season as well with 13 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. Lane has been healthy and on the field but has not seen any targets in the past two games. Finally, versatile running back Jamal Haynes is a capable pass-catcher but he is not heavily utilized in the pass game. He has recorded 15 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown as a receiving option this season. Since Key’s arrival to Atlanta, Georgia Tech has featured a dominant rushing offense. Last season, the Jackets led the ACC in total rushing thanks to talented rushers and an elite offensive line. They returned just as skilled as last year, currently averaging 204.4 rushing yards per game as a team which is 25th in the country. The Jackets leading rusher is elite redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes. Last season was a whirlwind for Haynes as he made the transition from receiver to back, a move that has paid dividends. The back became Tech’s first 1,000-yard rusher in six seasons last year as he earned Third Team All-ACC honors. This season, Haynes has rushed for 536 yards and seven touchdowns on 96 carries. Haynes’ seven rushing and eight total touchdowns both rank tied-18th among FBS players. He has exploded the past two weeks rushing for over 125 yards in each game against Duke and UNC. Similar to Notre Dame, Georgia Tech receives rushing production from their quarterback. Starter Haynes King rushed for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago on 120 attempts. This season, King has carried the ball 62 times for 353 yards and six touchdowns. The Jackets' second-leading rusher had 107 yards and two touchdowns with his legs last week against UNC before exiting with an injury. If King is unable to go Saturday, this leaves Tech without, essentially, their leading passer and number two rusher.  As mentioned before, backup quarterback Pyron is not afraid to tuck the ball and run, however, he is more of a power back. Pyron has 17 rushes for 60 yards and four touchdowns this season.  The final rushing threat to highlight in this Georgia Tech offense is sophomore running back Chad Alexander. The 5-9, 185-pound back has appeared in five games and totaled 202 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries this year. Alexander had his best rushing performances the past two weeks, with over 50 yards in each game against Duke and UNC.  The last piece of the puzzle that is the Georgia Tech offense is the line. This group allowed the fewest sacks in the ACC a year ago and has only allowed one sack this season. A ridiculous stat considering the Jackets have already played over 50% of their games. They are also only allowing 4.14 tackles for loss per game which ranks 24th.  Key players on this elite unit include Keylan Rutledge, Joe Fusile, and Jordan Williams. Rutledge, the starting right guard, is a junior transfer from Middle Tennessee who was named First Team All-Conference USA last year. At the left guard is walk-on turned captain Joe Fusile. The redshirt junior was named honorable mention All-ACC while being the Jackets' highest-rated run blocker a year ago. Next to Rutledge at the right tackle position is senior Jordan Williams, a 6’6 315-pound beast that thrives in pass protection. The Irish defensive line will have their hands full going against, potentially, the best offensive line they will face all season.  Notre Dame’s defense is battle-tested and will be ready for whomever the Yellow Jackets throw in at quarterback. The potential loss of Haynes King would be costly but this Georgia Tech squad led by Coach Key will not quit. The top-20 Irish defense will have to find a way to get past this elite offensive line to give Notre Dame a chance to win. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame basketball fans are riding the excitement of what's to come for Notre Dame basketball after Coach Micah Shrewsberry landed three top-100 players in five short days. Not only did they land 5-star Small Forward Jalen Haralson, the highest-ranked commitment in school history, but they also landed 4-star Center Tommy Ahneman, 4-star SF Ryder Frost, and 4-star Power Forward Brady Koehler. Photo via Brady Koehler, Instagram (@brady__koehler) Koehler, a 6'8" PF from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, is ranked by 247Sports as the 19th-best PF in the country and the 6th-best player in Indiana. Koehler had 20 offers from several notable schools including Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Iowa, and Virginia. Koehler averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks while shooting 38% from behind the arc as a junior. It comes as no surprise why Coach Shrewsberry was eager to land the talented PF. I was able to get an interview with Brady Koehler after he announced his decision to commit to the Irish. We talked about his recruitment, his relationship with the coaches, why he chose Notre Dame, and more. For many recruits, the recruitment process can be a stressful time. For Brady, the process was a fun one but at times he also felt some of the pressure that happens for a young man trying to find his way through recruitment. "Recruitment was pretty fun, although it did get really stressful at some points, I loved getting to know the different staffs and programs at different schools." So what was it like for Brady during his visits to Notre Dame? For him, it was always a great time where he enjoyed all that Notre Dame has to offer. "Every visit I ever took to Notre Dame was great. I took multiple unofficial visits and then the official sealed the deal. I love the staff, campus, players, everything about the school." Every recruit has their own favorite experiences when visiting a school they are potentially eyeing a commitment to, but what stood out for Brady during his visits to Notre Dame? "My favorite part was hanging with the freshman. They have 4 freshmen so it was a great group to hang out with and bond with on the visits. Especially when I went to go shoot with them after dinner on my official visit." There are many reasons a recruit may choose to commit to a school. It could be familiarity with the area, close to home, or academics, among other reasons, but why did Brady pick Notre Dame? For him, it was about having that feeling that he belonged there. "I chose Notre Dame because I felt like that’s where I belonged. I have an amazing relationship with everyone on staff, even the coaches who didn’t recruit me. I love the campus, it has great academics, and the players seem like a great group to be around. I felt like Notre Dame is just the full package. Also, a major factor in my decision to play at Notre Dame is my Catholic faith. I went to Catholic grade school and I'm currently enrolled in a Catholic High School so staying in the Catholic environment at Notre Dame means a lot to me." For any recruit to commit to any school, there has to be a real relationship built starting with the coaches. So what's Brady's relationship like with the coaches at Notre Dame? "I have a great relationship with all of the coaches. Ghost and Shrews have been recruiting me for over a year so my bond with them has grown so much to where I don’t even see them as just coaches but as friends too." So for Notre Dame fans wondering what exactly the basketball program will be getting from a player like Brady? "Notre Dame is getting a hard worker who can score from three levels and will do anything it takes to win. I'm a smart player who's always looking to make the right decisions in scoring and passing. I can guard 3-4 positions while playing the weak side and helping on defense with an ability to block shots." As you can see Brady is a very talented, hard-working young man who loves Notre Dame and wants to do whatever he can to help them win. The future really is bright for Notre Dame men's basketball and Brady will be a contributing factor for the future success of the Irish. We at The Irish Tribune would like to wish Brady good luck on his new journey to Notre Dame. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Head Coach Marcus Freeman announced during his Monday press conference that the team will be without All-American cornerback, Benjamin Morrison, for the rest of the season with a hip injury. Morrison is the newest name on a long list of injuries for this Notre Dame squad. Photo by The Irish Tribune Morrison, a team captain, has been a staple of this Notre Dame defense for the last three seasons. In those seasons, Morrison has made a name for himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the country. In his first two seasons, Morrison recorded nine takeaways and has been a lockdown corner against some of the country's best wide receivers. In his experience defending former Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., he only allowed two combined receptions. This season, Morrison has yet to give up a touchdown and has successfully defended more than half of the passes that come his way. Morrison has been the leader of a stifling secondary that has been able to hold opposing quarterbacks to an under 50% completion percentage. Morrison is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, as he is regarded by many to be one of the best cornerbacks in the country. This means Notre Dame has likely seen the last of Morrison in a Notre Dame uniform. Notre Dame's secondary depth will now be tested in a major way. This unit has already lost Jaden Mickey when HC Marcus Freeman announced his intention to redshirt for the remainder of the season before entering the portal. Now, with Morrison out, Notre Dame will look to the true freshman, Leonard Moore, to step up. This secondary will have a huge hole to fill with the loss of Morrison, but this unit has shown an ability to make plays and adapt, like the Louisville game where Christian Gray was inactive and Morrison missed several possessions. It will now be up to Freeman and defensive coordinator Al Golden to prepare the secondary for their new responsibilities and to put them into the best position to succeed. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish officially kicked off their season this weekend in a road trip to upstate New York. Notre Dame was able to secure two solid road wins against formidable foes, St. Lawrence and Clarkson University. Let’s recap the New York weekend sweep: Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame at St. Lawrence (4-1, Win) The Irish kicked off their season with a convincing win at Appleton Arena in Canton, New York, home of the St. Lawrence Saints. St. Lawrence entered the matchup 2-0 with home wins against RIT and Canisius.  Junior transfer goaltender Owen Say earned the starting nod on Friday night for the Irish and he did not disappoint. Say finished the contest with 32 saves, including 18 in the third period. The Saints’ lone goal came on a power play about nine minutes into the first frame, but Say was a brick wall after that.  The Irish opened the scoring about seven minutes into the game when forward Blake Biondi netted a backhander while on his knees  for his first goal of the season. Defensemen Michael Mastrodomenico and Ryan Helliwell were credited with assists on the goal.   Following the Saints' game-tying power-play goal in the first, no one was able to find the net for nearly 20 minutes. With about eight minutes left in the second period, forward Cole Knuble put the Irish back on top with an unassisted goal  that was produced by great defense from the forward.  Notre Dame never looked back after taking the lead about midway through the game. With under three minutes left in the second, forward Danny Nelson found the back of the net  on the power play off of a rebounded shot by defenseman Paul Fischer. Fischer and forward Justin Janicke were awarded assists on this power-play goal. Finally, the Irish scored their fourth and final goal of the night with under four minutes to play. Knuble notched his second goal  of the night off a sweet assist from Janicke.  In a fairly competitive game, Owen Say earned them this win. The Irish outshot the Saints 38 to 33 while playing a clean game, only committing three penalties for six minutes. Center Danny Nelson was elite in the faceoff circle, winning 65% of his chances. Knuble struggled at the dot, only winning four of 15 chances but this can be overlooked if he continues scoring key goals. The Irish carried this momentum to Saturday night when they visited Clarkson University. Gamedays are better with a lab! - https://www.hideawaylabs.com/ Notre Dame at Clarkson (5-2, Win) The Irish escaped Potsdam, New York with a win thanks to a huge third period featuring four goals. The Clarkson Golden Knights, 2-1-0 before Saturday's matchup, had the advantage early after taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. However, despite maintaining a solid offensive attack the Irish were able to find their way and outscore the Golden Knights 5-0 after the first.  Freshman goalie Nick Kempf had a couple of key mistakes in the first period that cost the Irish any chance at gaining early momentum. The second Golden Knights goal came off a rebound by Kempf in a chaotic situation. After that Kempf had a clean game featuring 23 straight saves, which was a part of 30 total saves made during his Irish debut. Cole Knuble got the Irish scoring going  when he tallied his third goal of this season on a power-play top-shelf wrist shot that was assisted by Janicke (3) and Fischer (2). This late second-period goal gave the Irish all the strength they needed heading into the third. Just 1:12 into the third period, Mastrodomenico netted his first goal  of the season off a nice assist from Knuble (1) to tie the game 2-2. Forward Ian Murphy was also credited with an assist, marking the transfer’s first point of the year.  Seven minutes later, forward Hunter Strand scored the eventual game-winning goal  on another successful powerplay chance. The senior’s first goal of the season came off assists from forward Maddox Fleming (1) and defenseman Axel Kumlin (1).   About midway through the third and just two minutes after Strand’s goal, Nelson added insurance when he found the back of the net for his second of the season. This score that put the Irish up by two came off an assist by forward Brennan Ali (1).  Finally, Janicke (1-3-4) was awarded a score after a blocked shot off his leg ended up in the Golden Knights’ empty net  in one of the crazier goals in recent memory. A third-period offensive outburst like the one the Irish experienced on Saturday night is not sustainable to winning games, especially against more talented Big Ten opponents. However, the Irish will not apologize for escaping New York with two solid wins against competent competition.  The Irish dominated faceoffs on Saturday, winning over 62% of their chances. They will need to turn these faceoff wins into more offensive opportunities as they were outshot 32 to 27 despite winning-handedly. It was also another clean game in the penalty box, only allowing three penalties, two of which were offset due to roughing minors by both teams. Notre Dame hockey will be back in action on Friday and Saturday when they host the University of Alaska at Compton Family Ice Arena. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame faces one of its toughest challenges of the season today against a high-ranked Louisville team. Notre Dame will wear its controversial green jerseys for its annual "Irish Wear Green" game, controversial in the sense that there is a divide between fans on whether or not Notre Dame does better, worse, or the same in green uniforms. Our staff make their official predictions for the game. Photo by Notre Dame Athletics Clayton Stohler - First & Gold Podcast Score Prediction: 27-13 Notre Dame As is well documented, Notre Dame’s offense hasn’t fully clicked yet. Against Louisville, they’ll be granted yet another opportunity to do so. While talented among the front four, their secondary is vulnerable. They lack the length and size that typically works against this receiving corp. Riley Leonard will have to perform to his standard, the receivers will have to be all hands on deck. The offensive line must protect Leonard, and Notre Dame will have to be creative in the run game. Jeremiyah Love is a fundamental piece in all of this. He will carry the ball more in this game than he will in the games before, and that will follow. The threat of Leonard and Love on the ground will potentially exploit Louisville’s secondary, and its eye discipline. He’d never say it publicly, but it’s difficult to imagine Al Golden hasn’t had this game circled since his unit’s disappointing performance last year. Notre Dame will throw Brohm’s run game off balance, forcing mistakes. Mike Stacey - Writer Score Prediction: 34-17 Notre Dame Does anyone have a magic 8 ball? But seriously, I am not confident with this pick. I hope that Notre Dame will be up for this game and well prepared unlike how they were for NIU and to an extent last week. I think the crowd and implications of this game will bring the best out of the Irish, Again, I hope. If that happens, I expect Notre Dame's defense to be its normal dominant self and the Irish passing game to finally take a step forward. Even though Leonard has struggled greatly in that department, he did make some progress through the air last week. If he can build off that and make Louisville respect the passing game, it will open the offense right up and give our running game the chance to be truly dominant. Look for a few deep shots early to keep Ville honest followed by an offense that resembles what we were hoping it would be all off-season. Noah Wehby - Writer Score Prediction: 20-17 Notre Dame Notre Dame’s offensive struggles continue again this week, but their defense gives Louisville just as many problems. It could be a windy day in South Bend, so don’t expect either passing offense to be particularly impressive. The trio of Leonard, Love, and Price get it done on the ground to keep the offense moving. Notre Dame is going to need a turnover to set up an easy-scoring drive. Louisville has been great at taking care of the football this season, but an Irish interception in Louisville territory will be just what the offense needs. Liam Farrell - Senior Football Writer Score Prediction: 27-17 Louisville The Notre Dame offense simply hasn’t shown enough in the passing department to scare a legitimate Top 25 team. The injuries on the Fighting Irish offensive line will come to light in this game against a formidable front seven and a stacked box. Leonard will not build off his performance in the 2nd half against Miami OH, but rather have a turnover-riddled game similar to Sam Hartman’s performance last year. Al Golden will do all he can, but the Notre Dame defense will tire out by the end of the game due to the offense’s poor performance. Louisville will win a couple of 50-50 balls and ultimately derail Notre Dame’s playoff hopes in back-to-back years. Brenden Duffy - Senior Staff Writer Score Prediction: 24-20 Notre Dame This prediction is banking on Riley Leonard building off last week’s “promising” performance. Louisville’s biggest weakness, at least defensively, is their secondary. This will be an opportunity for Leonard to build confidence as a passer. Notre Dame probably won’t be able to run with as much ease as in recent weeks due to UL’s impressive front four. I completely trust the Notre Dame defense to limit UL’s offense to at least 28 points. The Irish offense will need to show up big time to give ND a fighting chance. Bruce Straughan - Recruiting Writer Score Prediction: 24-17 Notre Dame Notre Dame’s Defense will continue to hold its own against Louisville who’s averaging 47 points a game. The Irish defense will hold them under 20 points for the game. The offense will continue to struggle in the passing game early but will catch fire as the game goes on. It will be a big day on the ground for the Irish. Max Uretsky - Recruiting Analyst Score Prediction: 19-17 Notre Dame This will be Notre Dame's toughest test to date. Louisville has a very balanced offense and Tyler Shough is not afraid to let it fly. Thankfully Notre Dame sports one of the best secondaries in the country. My concern is there have been moments this season where the Irish defensive line has been pushed around in the run game and the Cardinals average six yards a carry. Most of that has come against weaker competition and their only Power Four opponent, Georgia Tech, held them to 71 yards on 24 carries. As it is almost every week, this game will ride on the back of the defense and I'll say they get just enough stops for ND to squeak by to secure a win heading into the bye. Luciano Antonini - Founder & Lead Director Score Prediction: 28-17 Notre Dame I originally was going to pick Louisville to win 23-17, but I had a change of heart and belief. I still think there's a very realistic chance Notre Dame and Riley Leonard fumble the bag and drop a game to the Cardinals, but I think this will be more of a Clemson 2022 ESK game. I think this only happens if Marcus Freeman embraces the strong run-game roots of the team and makes that the point of emphasis, not trying to make Riley air it out. Notre Dame poses the risk of being stuffed at the line if Louisville continuously stacks the box, forcing Leonard to be a quarterback and throw, which will cause a lot of problems in my opinion. If Notre Dame can find a way to make a statement on the ground, the defense will do its job. Rain is also a possible factor. As I write this, I'm starting to talk my way out of my prediction with the factors of green jerseys and Louisville running 8-man blitzes, but I think Notre Dame only wins this if Riley Leonard can truly air it out accurately or Notre Dame plays the way it did vs Clemson in 2022. 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Notre Dame plays their most complete game of the year as the Fighting Irish defeated the Stanford Cardinal 49-7. Photo By Notre Dame Athletics SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense came out of their bye week looking their best, defeating Stanford 49-7 . Leonard had his best passing performance going 16/22 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 31 yards and a rushing touchdown. In the first half, the Irish dominated the Cardinal on every possession. On two scoreless possessions, Anthonie Knapp was flagged for a questionable holding penalty, and Beaux Collins fumbled after a quick catch. Much of the Fighting Irish's offensive success can be attributed to the wide receivers. While Leonard gained pocket poise and confidence throwing the football, the wide receivers were able to create separation. Both Jayden Thomas and Kris Mitchell scored on identical RPO plays. In the rushing department, Leonard led the way once again for Notre Dame, but the one-two tandem of Price and Love both contributed in different ways. Price received most of the early touches to rebuild confidence after being benched for a fumble against Louisville. Price added a touchdown today for the Fighting Irish and ended with 49 yards. Love didn't make an impact running the ball in the first half as he didn't have many carries as Price, yet in the second half, the St. Louis product displayed his elite level speed. Love broke a 39-yard touchdown run that seemed to be the final blow in this contest. Even when Love wasn't having similar success on the ground, he was a key contributor in the QB-run blocking department and even added an explosive performance in the screen passing game. Love finished with 53 yards. While the offense impressed, the story of today's game was the performance of the Notre Dame defense. Before the game, head coach Marcus Freeman urged a fast start from his team out of the bye week. However, after no points from the Fighting Irish offense, the Notre Dame defense got driven down the field by Stanford's effective quarterback run game. The Cardinal eventually punched in a touchdown, that very well could've been marked short, as the Irish trailed at home for the third straight game. The Notre Dame defense eventually bent into shape as Howard Cross and Rylie Mills got solid pressure on Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels. The linebackers initially struggled to shed blocks and fill running lanes, but their play improved drastically as the game progressed. Drayk Bowen and Jack Kiser elevated their play, finishing with seven and four tackles, respectively. Defensive end Josh Burnham also made an immediate impact in his return to the field, as he made an unbelievable play on a speed option. Burnham forced the pitch, intercepted it mid-air, and returned it 15 yards. Defensive coordinator Al Golden once again outdid himself as his defense continues to appear among the best unit in all of college football. As the Irish attempt to navigate through the second half of this season unscathed, they put together their most complete performance of the season. There's still plenty to work on for both sides of the ball, but no one within the program could be upset with their play against the Cardinal. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Stanford Cardinal travel 2,200+ miles to South Bend, Indiana this weekend to face the now No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 37th battle for the “Legends Trophy.” Notre Dame is looking for its 4th straight win this season, along with the chance to notch the program’s 5th win in the last 6 matchups with Stanford. Despite it being October in South Bend, the Irish won’t benefit from their cold-weather advantage this time around, as conditions are projected to be at a nearly perfect 68º, sunny, and clear. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Stanford: Like several teams on Notre Dame’s 2024 schedule, Stanford is in the midst of their own rebuild. David Shaw led the Cardinal to success from 2011-2018 until the program hit a rough patch in 2019. After back-to-back 4-win seasons followed by back-to-back 3-win seasons, Stanford and Shaw parted ways, and current head coach Troy Taylor assumed the top spot in 2023. Despite the coaching change, rebuilds take time, and Taylor went 3-9 in his first season, including a 23-56 loss at home to Freeman and the Irish. 2024 has been a mixed bag thus far for Taylor and the Cardinal. They started the season with a tough but confidence-building 27-34 loss against TCU followed by a solid 41-7 drubbing of Cal Poly at home. They hit their highpoint against Syracuse, kicking off their freshly minted ACC career with a 26-24 upset win on the road before the wheels came off. Stanford then traveled to No. 17 Clemson where they were beaten handily 14-40 before losing their 2nd straight game, this time at home against unranked Virginia Tech, 7-31. Stanford was outscored 71-21 in these two games, and dropped to 13th out of 17 teams in the ACC. If you remove Stanford’s dominant win over Cal Poly, their struggles are even more evident. Outside that game, the Cardinal passing attack hasn’t eclipsed 61% in passing accuracy or more than 180 yards once, along with 7 interceptions through only 5 games. While much of their production and threat comes on the ground, that success has been dwindling as of late. Stanford has failed to rush for a single touchdown in any of their last 3 games, forcing them to throw the ball more than they’d typically like. The Cardinal featured a run-first offense with 2 junior dual-threat QBs, Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson, who both led the team in rushing last season. Daniels leads the offense on the ground once again in 2024, posting team highs of 50 carries and 250 yards, while backup QB Justin Lamson is responsible for the only 2 rushing touchdowns Stanford has scored all year. Taylor’s squad was tied for the 7th most returning production for 2024, totaling 17 players, including one of the most elite receiving targets in the nation, Elic Ayomanor. Elic returns after a 1,000+ yard - 6 TD season in 2023, and has already put up 3 touchdowns for 317 yards in 2024. Although Stanford leans heavily in favor of their run game, Ayomanor has enough talent to take advantage of any mistake and will be the biggest threat to Notre Dame’s secondary. Stanford’s defense has given up roughly 400 yards in each of their games against power-4 opponents, but managed to hold Syracuse to only 26 yards on the ground, flexing their primary strength on the D-line. Interestingly, the only teams that have beaten Stanford this year have rushed the ball at least 30 times, and it just so happens that the only game Notre Dame has lost this season (NIU - incase you forgot) was the only time they’ve rushed less than 30 times (28). If the Irish just keep the ball on the ground, it seems that persistence can turn Stanford’s biggest defensive strength into a liability. One of the biggest criticisms of Notre Dame’s offense has been their one-dimensional identity, woefully underperforming through the air but seemingly over-performing on the ground with a mobile QB. Stanford is in a pretty similar situation offensively, posing little to no threat through the air while relying on a rushing attack led by a dual threat QB. Unfortunately, they’re doing so with less overall talent than the Irish, and to less success. The dual-threat has been solid, but is too heavily relied upon instead of complimenting a true rushing threat, making their one dimensional offense even more narrow in scope than Notre Dame’s. Ashton Daniels was out against Virginia Tech after suffering an injury against Clemson, but is expected to be back in time for the trip to South Bend. He’s crucial to any shot Stanford has at staying competitive, much less posing a legitimate threat to steal the game. Notre Dame: The Irish are in a strange spot as they enter this one. Freeman led his team to a comfortable win over the Cardinal in 2023, but Irish fans haven't forgotten the shocking 14-16 home loss to Stanford in Freeman’s first season as head coach. Adding to that, expectations for the program’s 2024 season have not been met across the board, and there's a level of general uneasiness within the fanbase. Both teams enter this matchup in very different positions, and they each have a very different reason for needing this win. Stanford is looking to prevent a slide and avoid their 3rd straight loss, while the Irish can no longer afford to drop a game or fumble the favorable hand they now have in the wake of week 6’s chaos. Notre Dame’s game with Louisville was a much needed win over a ranked opponent, but it was a bit of a mixed bag. The first half was eventful, with the Irish scoring 24 of their 31 total points, but the second half was anemic. The Irish offense only mustered a single scoring drive, coming in the 4th quarter, and gave the Cardinals a chance to steal the game after failing to put it completely out of reach. There’s really only two avenues for Notre Dame to lose this one. Complacency Depletion We’ve already seen the Irish get over-confident, overlook a less talented team, and get complacent, so completely ruling out another let-down loss is unfortunately, just not possible anymore. Despite the fireworks from week 6, Notre Dame should be able to avoid following in those footsteps, as they were one of the first top-10 teams in the country to already give up that “let down” game. There’s a possibility the Irish stumble again, but the chances of it happening against anyone other than USC in the season finale seems slim. This team’s real Achilles Heel is depletion. The injury bug has bitten the Irish incredibly hard thus far, and we’re only on the cusp of the season’s halfway point. As of right now, the Irish have 12 players out for the season, 4 of which were starters when they went down. As for Notre Dame’s current injuries heading into the Stanford game, there’s some slightly better news: Injuries Heading Into Stanford Sophomore OL Sam Pendleton Concussion - Cleared to Play V. Stanford Hurt V. Louisville Missed Part of Louisville Game Junior DL Joshua Burnham Left Ankle - Probable V. Stanford Hurt V. NIU Missed Purdue and Miami OH Sophomore WR Jordan Faison Ankle - Probable for Stanford Hurt V. TAMU - Reinjured V. Louisville Missed NIU and Purdue Sophomore CB Christian Gray Right Shoulder - Probable V. Stanford Hurt V. Miami OH Missed Louisville in Gametime Decision Sophomore TE Cooper Flanagan Left Ankle Sprain - Questionable V. Stanford Hurt V. Miami OH Missed Louisville Senior DL Gabriel Rubio Left Foot - Questionable V. Stanford Hurt in Preseason Camp Hasn’t Played Yet in 2024 - Will likely make an appearance before the end of the regular season Junior OL Billy Schrauth Right Ankle - Questionable V. Stanford Hurt V. Purdue Missed Miami OH and Louisville Freshman Safety Tae Johnson Left Foot - Out V. Stanford Hurt in Preseason Camp Hasn’t Played Yet in 2024 - Will likely make an appearance before the end of the regular season The Irish will have to rely on a bevy of back-ups and shared time if they’re going to survive all the season ending injuries, and must get the rest of these players with a realistic chance to return as soon as possible. The Irish are now in a situation where they cant afford for a single player to get injured at multiple positions. IF Freeman and his squad drop this game, it likely won't be due to complacency, but instead because of compounding injuries and inexperienced starters. Notre Dame’s defensive key to dominating this game will be getting to get to the QB. Stanford’s offensive line has given up 15 sacks in their first 5 games, and Notre Dame’s defense is the best they’ve seen yet. If the Irish can apply pressure, they can neutralize Stanford’s QB run threat, and force the Cardinal to pass, which they’re just plainly not good at. This then forces Ayomanor to have to out-talent the likes of Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts, and Al Golden will take that matchup every time. On offense, Denbrock will have to answer the same question that’s been asked of them all season. Will they hammer away on the ground to break Stanford’s back, or will they go the riskier route and finally outperform their meager success through the air and let Leonard really toss it around. Despite Leonard progressively getting better in the passing game, each time the Irish faced this situation, they’ve turned to their ground attack to lead the way to a win. Prediction: Once again, the stakes for this game are much bigger than its billing. A second loss of any kind would likely kill Notre Dame’s CFP hopes, especially to another unranked opponent. The Irish are favored across the board in this one, and Vegas gives them a 90+% chance of winning, so barring another NIU cataclysm, the Irish should once again take care of business. That doesn't mean it’ll be all rainbows and butterflies like Purdue, but things should be a bit cleaner and a bit easier than the Louisville matchup. Having a BYE week and extra time to recover and repair typically provides a weighted advantage, but with that said, 2024 has been a legitimate crapshoot and Notre Dame has already given us the most shocking upset loss in at least the last 30 years. It;s entirely possible we see a sluggish start on offense for the Irish, but they’ll find a way to separate themselves in the second half. Regardless of aesthetics or what gets checked off our collective fan “wish lists,” this should be a double-digit win and God-willing, one that Irish fans don’t have to sweat out. Look for: Notre Dame's defense to record two interceptions Notre Dame's defense to score a touchdown Notre Dame's defense to record three sacks Riley Leonard to throw for over 200 yards and rush for over 70 yards Mitchell Evans to grab his first touchdown reception Kris Mitchell to catch 5+ passes Win: (5-1) ND: 41 - 13 :STAN Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After a big win against a top-25 Louisville team in South Bend and a week of rest, Notre Dame is ready to defend Notre Dame Stadium once again against its rival Stanford. The Irish Tribune staff make their official predictions below. Photo by The Irish Tribune Peter Mulroy - First & Gold Podcast Co-Host Score Prediction: 34-10 Notre Dame Entering the second half of the season, the Irish know what’s at stake: You win, you’re in. It really is that simple, and it starts with Stanford. While athletic at QB, the Cardinal are weak on the other side of the ball. As such, this is an opportunity for ND to stretch the field via the pass and, perhaps, utilize Jadarian Price & Jeremiyah Love on the field simultaneously. A rather comfortable win will set the Irish up nicely for a trip South next weekend. Brenden Duffy - Associate Editor & Senior Staff Writer Score Prediction: 31-10 ND The Legends Trophy stays home. I expect a well-balanced offensive attack from the Irish featuring Riley Leonard’s arm and feet. Defensively, ND is capable of shutting out this weak Stanford offense. I expect most of their points to come in garbage time. Hopefully the Irish make quick work of the Cardinal so we can enjoy one of the more anticipated Saturdays of the season. Connor Regan - Writer Score Prediction: 41-13 Notre Dame The Irish will be sluggish out of the gate and won’t necessarily impress the entire game, but this one should never be in doubt. Look for Notre Dame’s defense to have a field day against a passing inept Stanford offense with a weak offensive line. Hot take, Mitchell Evans catches his first touchdown pass of the season and Riley Leonard throws for 200+ yards for the first time this year. Clayton Stolher - First & Gold Podcast Co-Host Score Prediction : 45-10 Notre Dame The Irish find answers through the air and dominate on defense. Finally, Notre Dame understands who it is and accepts it. Third down offensive woes get eliminated and big plays open up as they capitalize on a loaded box a susceptible Stanford secondary. The veterans make waves as Mitch Evans, Howard Cross, Mills, and Morrison let the country know who’s steering the ship in South Bend. Liam Farrell - Associate Editor & Senior Football Writer Score Prediction: 38-21 Notre Dame The Stanford offense gives the ND defense a scare, but Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense plays their most consistent game all year. The Irish start slow out of the BYE but find their footing. Noah Wehby - Writer Score Prediction : 34-14 Notre Dame Notre Dame plays their most complete game of the year. Notre Dame offense looks a lot like they did in that first half against Louisville. Leonard and the rest of the offense find their groove through the air and the offense opens up. The defense continues to be dominant like always, getting a few takeaways. Max Uretsky - Recruiting Analyst Score Prediction: 31-13 Notre Dame Stanford has not really been competitive in their last couple outings and it won't be any easier this week traveling to South Bend to face a rested Notre Dame team. Stanford's Oline has struggled to keep the QB upright and even with some injury issues I expect ND's front seven to dominate. Stanford has done a pretty good job vs the run all year so may take a half for the Irish offense to find traction but will eventually wear down the lesser opponent. Bruce Straughan - Recruiting Writer Score Prediction: 35-10 Notre Dame Notre Dame puts on a much better effort after a week off to rest and prepare. The Oline continues to grow each and every week and Leonard is getting more comfortable with stepping up in the pocket. The defense will continue to be the anchor of this team and hold Stanford to no more than 10 points. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame is coming off a crucial bye week after an exhausting and injury ridden first half of the season. Now, they look to Saturday, as they face off against one of their most storied rivals, the Stanford Cardinal, in the battle for the Legends trophy. This rivalry has been host to some of Notre Dame's most joyous and most devastating moments, as fans can probably attest. Let's take a look at the history of this matchup and its most notable moments. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Although Notre Dame and Stanford have only shared the field 36 times, this series goes all the way back to Knute Rockne in 1925. There, Notre Dame faced off against Pop Warner and the Cardinal in the Rose Bowl, where Notre Dame won 27-10. After that game, the series only saw three other games in 1942, 1963, and 1964, seeing Notre Dame improve their series record to 3-1. It wasn't until 1988 that Notre Dame and Stanford would make this game a staple game in college football's plethora of exciting rivalries. In all, Notre Dame controls the series with a 22-14 record versus Stanford, and they also hold the longest win streak of the series with seven straight. During Brian's Kelly time at Notre Dame, Stanford was the thorn in Notre Dame's side. In that time, Stanford managed to beat Notre Dame six out of ten times during Kelly's tenure. This is also when Stanford had some of college football's best players like Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey. Now, on Saturday, Marcus Freeman is looking to go 3-1 in the series. Freeman's only loss in the series came in his first year as heavy favorites, falling to the Cardinal 16-14. This rivalry usually comes with a lot of twist and turns, and Saturday may be no different. Speaking of twist and turns, here are some of the best moments this series has seen recently. Notre Dame Beats Stanford 20-13 - (2012) As many know, this game ended with one of the most iconic moments in recent Notre Dame history. En route to a perfect regular season, Notre Dame played one of their toughest games of the season against No. 17 Stanford at home. The game was a rainy, defensive battle that saw the Fighting Irish needing a fourth quarter comeback to keep the game alive. Notre Dame struck first in overtime and needed a stop to seal the win. Notre Dame's stifling defense, lead by Manti Te'o, proceeded to make four consecutive stops at the goal line and walked out victorious. Stanford Outlasts Notre Dame 38-36 - (2015) Like a heavyweight bout, both teams exchanged blows all night in this top-10 ranked matchup of the final week of the season. This game featured some of the schools' most prolific players. Notre Dame's Josh Adams and Will Fuller IV combined for 304 yards and two touchdowns. Stanford saw production from Christian McCaffrey and Austin Hooper behind the impressive play of quarterback, Kevin Hogan. In the end, Stanford answered a 88-yard drive by Notre Dame to take the lead with a drive of their own to set up the game-winning field goal. This loss brought Notre Dame to 10-2, keeping them out of the playoffs. They would go on to play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Stanford Shocks Notre Dame at Home 16-14 (2022) Notre Dame came into this game as a double-digit favorite against Stanford. In Freeman's first year, Notre Dame had gotten off to a really rocky start, losing to Marshall. Stanford, prior to this game, had not beaten an FBS opponent in the 2022 season. Notre Dame's offense struggled all game, and it was a late fumble that just about sealed their fate. Stanford's upset gave them their first win against the Irish in four years. Notre Dame was able to recover from this loss, but it is still one of the worst losses of Freeman's tenure. Notre Dame Blows out Stanford 56-23 (2023) A year removed from the Stanford upset, Notre Dame got their revenge on the road to cap off a 9-3 season. The game's start looked like it would be another Stanford upset, but Notre Dame regained their footing and put on a dominant performance. All behind Audric Estime's 238 yards on the ground, Notre Dame outscored Stanford 49-10 after the first quarter. Notre Dame controlled the line of scrimmage all night, running for 381 yards with just eight pass completions. Freeman and the rest of the team got the bad taste of 2022 out of their mouths with this win, as they hope to continue their success with a win on Saturday. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Since I wrote my last article, Notre Dame has experienced rarified highs, and endured by perilous lows. It's a team that is confident in who it is one moment, only to be seen scrambling for an identity the next. The gap between Texas A&M and Northern Illinois was so offensively large that one couldn't be blamed for mistaking Notre Dame for a different team altogether. Photo by The Irish Tribune From there, Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman, and the fans, have struggled to understand what they're in the midst of. On one hand, this is a team that could have very well reached it's ceiling in week 1. On the other hand, it could be a team that's understandably grappling with the same thing every other marquee team across the country are. This past weekend was perhaps the first concrete proof that Notre Dame isn't alone in it's struggles. Tennessee fell to Arkansas. Michigan lost to Washington, effectively ending it's season. USC dropped their game to Minnesota, handing them 2 losses. Alabama got embarrassed by the perennial doormat of the SEC, Vanderbilt - in a game where Vanderbilt frankly looked like the better team. This just a week after putting on perhaps one of the most impressive performances of the season to date versus Georgia. Miami squeaked things out against Cal, but this is the second week in a row where the product isn't matching the hype that was once around the Canes just 2 weeks ago. This is more than likely the product of NIL, transfer portal mayhem, and the ever-spinning coaching carousel that spins almost as fast as the transfer portal opens. Commitments mean nothing, contracts are useless words on a piece of paper, loyalty isn't valued, and money is. Greed is rewarded in the short term for players and coaches alike. To have a coach on the same campus for 3 years is now a rarity. Having a developmental player stick things out for four years is now considered a miracle. Just seven years ago, it was commonplace. You are now living in the future of College Football. Your team this year, won't be the same team next year. The face of your program in 2025 may very well be playing for your rival. Your head coach is calling his agent to understand his options for next year. The only reason he's still around is because no one wants to pay his buy out. And if all of these things aren't happening, one of them is. The result? Look no further than last weekend. How is a program expected to build a culture of meaning, or develop continuity under these conditions? Truth is, very few will be able to. While that isn't the lone factor that determines a National Championship, you can be sure that the team hoisting the trophy over their heads at the end of the season were successful in knowing exactly who they were. For Notre Dame, the jury's still out on if they're going to get to the point in truly knowing who they are. The bye week offers a timely opportunity to take a big step in that direction. It's time to self-scout. These are the things Notre Dame needs to address ahead of it's match-up against Stanford. This game has the potential to tie Marcus Freeman's longest win-streak as a head coach. Four games being the longest streak he's had. In his three years as Notre Dame's head coach, Marcus Freeman's teams have been plagued with inconsistency. It's probably the best way to define Freeman in his tenure thus far. This will be the next step in his maturity. Being able to string together wins on a consistent basis against teams you're more talented than is a must. This game, and every game that will follow it, qualifies as that scenario. But let's dig deeper, specifically with the offense. In simple terms, this offense needs to be 3 drives better. That could result in anywhere between 9 and 21 points. If Notre Dame's offense can provide that, this team can be a legitimate problem. These are the things needed to get there: The Left Tackle Position has to be Better: Namely in pass protection. Whether that's Anthonie Knapp continuing to improve as a pass blocker, or giving Guerby Lambert, Sullivan Absher, and/or Tosh Baker a second look. Knapp and Pendleton have been impressive on the left side as it relates to run blocking. Even dominant at times. The improvement has been incremental, but it's also been slow. As natural as Knapp looks in run blocking, the 280 pound true freshman looks ill-equipped to take on any form of pass rush. This results in an already banged up Riley Leonard running for his life. It prohibits Leonard from going through his progressions with any type of consistency. It also causes Mike Denbrock to game plan away from what should be a strength at Notre Dame- the offensive line. Against Louisville, Denbrock was forced to get conservative. Moving the pocket, QB counter until you can't run it anymore, quick passing concepts that haven't allowed for the once promising receiving corp. to catch it's stride. With a clean pocket, Leonard has shown he's more than capable of going through his progressions - especially since the Purdue game. At times, he even looks like he's in command of the offense. He needs to be given the gift of time more consistently if this offense is going to reach it's ceiling. The left tackle position is currently not one worthy of trust, however. Joe Rudolph should be credited with the fact that his offensive line has battled each week. He should be granted the fact that three of his arguably best offensive linemen have been injured, with two of them being knocked out for the season. And again, his offensive line has been serviceable when Notre Dame chooses to runs the ball, regardless of the competition, regardless of how loaded the box may be. It's a young group that was always going to have it's struggles. However, this bye week is a massive opportunity to address the concerning trend of Knapp being consistently abused, resulting in Leonard running scared. If it isn't personnel that gets changed, fine. But moving forward, the youth excuse won't have legs like it did before. The miscommunications, poor technique, and mental errors have to be minimized moving forward should the Irish staff stick with their current starting five. Currently, there are no indications that the staff will entertain any such changes. A massive gamble. New QB2: If you're reading this, would you put money on Riley Leonard making it to the end of the season? Possibly, but injury history and his usage in the run game make it hard to predict. That's a major problem, because Leonard continues to give this team the best chance to reach it's ceiling on offense. The Fighting Irish staff must disagree with the premise that Leonard might get injured, because from the sounds of it, no changes are going to be made on who is taking snaps behind him. A development that continues to be odd, as all signs have been consistent in stating that Minchey and/or Carr are the future of the program. And yet they continue to stubbornly stand by Steve Angeli. I hope my next girlfriend is as loyal as this staff is towards Angeli. If Leonard does go down, Notre Dame needs an insurance policy that offers more than veteran leadership and ball security. That could have come in the form of Kenny Minchey. You know, the QB who has the most arm talent on the team by multiple accounts? The guy who's surprisingly the fastest on the roster? The guy who we continue to hear buzz about. Maybe that's the guy the staff should push their chips towards. By all accounts, the staff has decided to contradict itself yet again. Taking valuable reps away from the future of the program all in the name of what's safest. But if you ask me, this is a massive mistake in more ways than one. There's still time for this to change, but it's highly unlikely. This might be an error in judgement by Gino, Denbrock, and Freeman. It could be the difference in the season, as well as have a ripple effect into the next one. Third Down Woes Must Improve: Notre Dame's third down offense is horrendously bad. They rank 98th in the country, with a 34.5% conversion rate. The factors for it are many. Admittedly, it's concerning that it's not just one thing. It's multiple, but all potentially fixable. For starters, Mitchell Evans has to get healthy . Any time people are having an open discussion about Evans and his effort, you know something's wrong. That doesn't add up, whatsoever. There is an honest debate that needs to be had within the coaching office on if it would be best to sit the talented tight end, or continue to get him reps - risking further set backs. Freeman called this bye week "crucial" in his recovery, an encouraging sign. Evans coming into last season's form has the potential to be the most significant mid-season development the Irish will have all year. His ability to command attention when he's at 100% is obvious. At the present, teams aren't paying attention to Evans like they were when he caught his stride last season. That's a major issue when your offensive success has been largely predicated on the impact of the tight end position. Flanagan needs to get healthy as well, absolutely. Eli Rairdon needs to find himself before the staff is forced to accept that he is what he is - bringing almost nothing to the table as far as in-line blocking. But if Evans gets to 100% as soon as next week, Leonard may find his new favorite target, and the third down woes may be mitigated as a result. Furthermore, the running back rotation needs a major re-think. In some of the most important moments of the game, Jeremiyah Love isn't on the field. Nor is Jadarian Price. Rather, it's Aneyas Williams. The best playmakers on Notre Dame's offense aren't being utilized on third down. That's not an indictment of Aneyas Williams, it's just the reality. Jeremiyah Love is one of the best playmakers in the country, and yet, we rarely see him when it matters most. Jadarian Price has proven yet again to be explosive in his own right, and yet he isn't on the field on third down either. Deland Mccullough's history in going deep into the depth chart is well documented. In some instances, the utilization has been almost perfect. In others, it's been detrimental. Notre Dame has played five games, and it's clear that defenses don't view Aneyas Williams as a significant threat. Nor do they respect Devyn Ford. It's time to make defenses pay for their lack of respect by potentially having both Price and Love on the field at the same time in 21 personnel (2 RB's, 1 TE). We were sold this scenario as an inevitable development in fall camp. But rarely have we seen it on film. In fact, Notre Dame has run 21 personnel less than 1% of the total time they've been on offense. If Notre Dame refuses to do that, then it would benefit them to at least look at Kedren Young in third and short situations. His ability to hit the hole, carry defenders, and fall forward was on full display in the limited time we saw him play versus Purdue's starting defensive unit. Sometimes on third down, that's all you need. Aneyas Williams is a good player, and his utilization has it's time and place. But Notre Dame's offense needs to be less predictable in how they use him, and the other running backs if they want to find themselves being ranked higher than 98th in the country on third down. Note: this article didn't even touch on the under-performing receiving corp headed by Mike Brown. That was by design. Notre Dame has never demanded the world from the WR position. Not since 2017. This season doesn't appear to be any different. If the aforementioned changes get made, specifically on third down, the WR room will naturally improve into what they need to be. By other positions being utilized more appropriately, and being what they were expected to be, the receivers will have more opportunity to step into what they were expected to be. An asset. If that happens, this offense becomes exactly what the 2024 Notre Dame Fighting Irish need them to be. Notre Dame's struggles aren't exclusive to just them this year. Everyone has their weaknesses, as was predicted going into what was sure to be a chaos ridden season. No one knows who they truly are right now, and seemingly everyone is scrambling to find answers. If Notre Dame's offense makes some of the changes that were spelled out in this article, this team becomes much more dangerous than people seem to think. Imagine if Notre Dame scored just nine more points in their previous 5 contests. That's a death sentence when dealing with the prospect of Notre Dame's defense that is unanimously a top 10 unit, and could very well be the nation's best should they reach their ceiling. The gap between where Notre Dame is now versus where they can potentially be is much smaller than people realize. Flawed as they may be, Notre Dame continues to show flashes of how good they're capable of being. The improvements have been incremental, albeit slow in nature. And of course, it's unknown if Notre Dame will be able to close said gap. Beginning with Stanford, we'll soon know if the current team's iteration is simply who they'll be for the duration of the season. If that's the case, Notre Dame could still find itself in the playoffs. But if the offense indeed takes the steps to being three drives better than they are now, Notre Dame could find itself fighting for much more than a playoff slot. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

On Saturday afternoon, the Fighting Irish host the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium for a classic Legends Trophy rivalry matchup. Stanford Head Coach Troy Taylor and Defensive Coordinator Bobby April III are the brains behind this improved defense from a year ago.  Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Last year was a train wreck defensively for Stanford during Coach Taylor and Coach April’s first season in Palo Alto. The defense ranked 129th in both yards and points per game allowed.  Thankfully for Cardinal fans, it appears the defense has improved. It may not mean much but this defensive unit has been far more impressive than their offense, a full flip from last season’s debacle. Stanford (2-3) 2024 Results: TCU (L, 34-27) Cal Poly (W, 41-7) At Syracuse (W, 26-24) At Clemson (L, 40-14) Virginia Tech (L, 31-7) As mentioned before, this defense is led by coordinator Bobby April III. Before joining Taylor’s staff at Stanford, April spent time as a linebacker coach for the Wisconsin Badgers and various NFL teams.  It appears April has turned around this defense. So far this season Stanford ranks among the middle of the pack in total defense, allowing 27.2 points and 358.6 yards per game. Both of these numbers are dramatic improvements from a year ago.  Gamedays are better with a lab! - https://www.hideawaylabs.com/ A positive so far this season has been Stanford’s team discipline, which could be drawn up to good coaching. In the offensive overview , it was mentioned they are among the top 25 in fewest penalties (4.8) and penalty yards (38.2) per game. Another clean game will be crucial to any potential upset on Saturday.  Similar to last season, Stanford has struggled against the pass so far this year. They fail to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, giving the signal-callers all day to throw and find open targets. This defense has only recorded eight total sacks, good for an average of 1.8 sacks per game which ranks tied-98th among FBS teams. The Cardinal secondary has allowed 270.4 passing yards per game (121st among FBS teams) and opposing quarterbacks average a 150.53 passing efficiency score (115th among FBS teams).  Stanford’s key secondary player is junior cornerback Collin Wright. Last season was Wright’s first season at corner after transitioning from safety. He finished the year with 61 tackles, five passes defended, a sack, and an interception. Wright also recorded six tackles for loss which ranked first among PAC-12 cornerbacks a year ago. He recorded a tackle and pass defended during last year’s meeting with the Irish. This season, Wright has already recorded 23 tackles and a team-leading two interceptions.  Behind Wright, Stanford has received secondary production from cornerbacks Zahran Manley and Aaron Morris and safeties Jay Green, Mitch Leigber, and Scotty Edwards.  Manley, a graduate senior, appears to be on pace for his best season during his time at Stanford. The graduate corner leads the team in passes defended (three), in addition to his 12 total tackles. Notably, Manley did not record any stats last week against Virginia Tech but he did start the game. Another solid cornerback this season has been sophomore Aaron Morris who has 13 tackles and two passes defended in his breakout campaign. As just mentioned, Stanford receives production from a trio of safeties. Junior transfer Jay Green joined the Cardinal program after two seasons at Washington where he saw limited action. So far this season, Green has recorded 17 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. However, Green missed last week and is expected to miss this week as well. Senior Mitch Leigber will need to step up on Saturday, though he also has had a nice start to this season. He record ed a 71-yard pick-six  aga inst Syracuse and has added 23 total tackles on the season. The other safety who will have to step up in Green’s replacement is junior Scotty Edwards who has tallied 32 tackles this season, including 10 during last week’s defeat. He has also added two passes defended this year. Where Stanford has seen the largest improvement is their rush defense. As a unit, they are allowing just 88.2 rushing yards per game (12th among FBS teams). For comparison, Notre Dame’s defense has allowed 123 rush yards per game this season. Organically, Stanford’s key position group defensively has been their linebacker core, who are coached by linebacker expert and Defensive Coordinator April. Similar to the safety position group, Stanford has received solid play from three separate inside linebackers: Gaethan Bernadel, Tristan Sinclair, and Jahsian Galvan. Bernadel is a senior who transferred to Stanford before last season after two years at Florida International. As a sophomore at FIU, Bernadel led his team in tackles with 103, sixth-most among Conference USA defenders. He made an immediate impact on Stanford’s defense last season when he finished the year with 87 tackles and was presented with the team’s Gundelach Award (most outstanding junior). Bernadel’s 11-tackle performance last year against Notre Dame was one of his four ten-plus-tackle games. This season, he has already totaled 32 tackles and two ten-tackle performances. Stanford’s leading tackler this season has been inside backer Tristan Sinclair. The graduate student has racked up 36 tackles so far, most recently tallying 12 last week against Virginia Tech. Last year’s three-tackle performance versus the Irish was one of the worst statistical games of his season. Expect Sinclair to be more impactful this go-around.  The third inside backer to keep an eye on this week is redshirt sophomore transfer Jahsiah Galvan. The talented transfer comes from Northern Iowa where he led the team in tackles with 77. Something of note is Galvan did not appear in the team’s first three contests for undisclosed reasons. In just two weeks, Galvan has racked up five tackles and a sack. Stanford also features two solid junior outside linebackers who line up on the edges; David Bailey and Tevarua Tafiti. Both of these edge rushers lead the team in sacks with two each.  Bailey has been somewhat limited this season due to undisclosed physical issues, but he has appeared in each game and should be ready for this Saturday. He enters this week with eight tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles (tied-fifth among FBS defenders). Assuming Bailey can maintain good health, he should hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft.  Bailey’s counterpart is Tevarua Tafiti out of Hawaii. He has 18 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble this season. Tafiti is coming off his most impressive performance this year when he racked up eight tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble during last week’s contest. If Bailey is limited again, expect another solid game from Tafiti. The final player to highlight defensively is tackle Anthony Franklin. The senior has not been very productive this season however he is capable of breaking out. He has recorded five tackles and a sack this season.  Overall, the key matchup to watch will be the top-20 Irish rushing offense versus the top-15 Stanford rush defense. If Notre Dame finds success on the ground early, this game could be over by halftime. Realistically, Riley Leonard will be forced to make some throws and he should be able to find success against this weak Cardinal pass defense. 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With rival Stanford coming to town this weekend, Notre Dame's offense has a golden opportunity to continue to ascend. Going up against what has been a weak Cardinal secondary, will this FINALLY be the week the blue and gold are able to open up the passing game. Might we also start to see more formations where Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are on the field at the same time? On this week's show, Pete and Clayton dish on how the bye week impacted the Fighting Irish. With major programs losing, including Alabama, Tennessee, USC, and Missouri, it's clear ND isn't the only flawed team in America. What does this mean for Notre Dame's playoff chances moving forward, assuming the Irish win out? Plus, the loss of Boubacar Traore is devastating blow to the Irish defense. But with loads of talent on the depth chart, where might Al Golden and company turn to fill the void left by the Uber athletic Vyper? The guys jump on these talking points and much more. Tune in NOW! Go Irish! Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcasts First and Gold Twitter The Irish Tribune: Shows