SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 11 Notre Dame dominated Stanford in all facets of a 49-7 win on Saturday, getting a sharp performance from quarterback Riley Leonard and another strong effort from the defense.
The Cardinal (2-4) actually scored a touchdown on their first drive, but they went scoreless the final three and a half quarters and were outgained 477 to 200. Leonard threw for more than 200 yards for the first time since transferring to the Irish (5-1) from Duke.
The game was delayed by severe weather fort a little over an hour with Notre Dame leading 42-7 after three quarters. After it resumed, backup quarterback Steve Angeli led the Irish on a 60-yard touchdown drive to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter. Here are some initial takeaways:
Leonard gives Irish offense jolt of confidence
Notre Dame got the best of Leonard against Stanford, or at least the best of the quarterback this season. After struggling to mesh with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock through September, the quarterback and coach read from the same call sheet Saturday as Leonard finished 16-of-22 for 229 yards and three passing touchdowns, plus the customary touchdown run.
Leonard had hit three passing touchdowns all season entering Saturday.
Leonard took deep shots, hitting Beaux Collins for a 53-yard strike and pushing the ball vertically to the Clemson transfer earlier in the game, too. Leonard clicked in the screen game, hitting Jeremiyah Love for a big gain. He was precise in the red zone, finding Jayden Thomas for a 15-yard score on a RPO.
Riley Leonard delivers a STRIKE to Jayden Thomas to take the lead for the Irish. ☘️ #GoIrish
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/x0UyUDZIUq
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) October 12, 2024
Basically, the Leonard who showed up against Stanford looked like one Notre Dame can ride through November. It also looked like the one Notre Dame thought it was getting all along.
Of course, it’s worth noting Stanford rates among the worst defenses the Irish will face the rest of this season, meaning Leonard’s grade needs to be put on a curve. Still, there was a lot to like about Leonard at the controls before Notre Dame pulled him following the weather delay with Notre Dame leading by five touchdowns after three quarters.
The Irish averaged 4.9 yards per play in the first quarter, 7.3 yards per play in the second and 13.5 yards per play in the third. It all felt like a coherent game plan that didn’t settle for Leonard doing only what he already does well. It felt like an offense that also leaned into what Denbrock wanted to call.
Notre Dame will face tougher tests than this against Georgia Tech and Navy before a second idle week and the season’s home stretch. But based on this weekend, the Irish should have more confidence they can win with offense. That’s a big change.
The last time Notre Dame’s junior running back got a meaningful carry, he fumbled it inside the 10-yard line against Louisville and put the Irish defense in a hole that turned into a potential game-changing touchdown. That run was Price’s third of the game — and his last, as Marcus Freeman benched the athlete from Texas.
That made the Stanford game Price’s first chance at atonement. And Price delivered in a way that made the debate about who is Notre Dame’s best running back a reasonable conversion last offseason. Jeremiyah Love has long since won the argument, but Price was good with 12 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinal. There might still be too many dead carries from Price – seven of his carries went for three yards or less, including a couple for negative yardage – but the 16-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter looked like progress.
Jadarian Price snatching ankles en route to the end zone. 😤 #GoIrish
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/IZsPg9oqh2
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) October 12, 2024
Price has struggled to hit holes up the middle before bouncing runs outside, but he did it masterfully on the scoring run. First Price hit up the space up the middle, working underneath the block of tight end Cooper Flanagan. Then he cut hard left, dusting a Stanford defender on his way to the end zone.
Price and Love even worked in tandem on a few snaps in the game, perhaps a preview of where Mike Denbrock can take the offense. And while there’s not much argument that Price should be taking carries away from Love, this performance was a reminder that Price can be part of the offensive solution.
Notre Dame could be discovering its next defensive star if freshman Bryce Young’s performance against Stanford is an indicator. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Bryant Young was a menace to the Cardinal, whether he shot the gaps to blow up the Stanford option run game or simply beat offensive tackles around the edge.
If there was a play to be made, Young seemed to be part of making it.
The freshman finished with just two tackles but was a value add to Notre Dame’s defense in a way Duke transfer RJ Oben has failed to be this season. And with junior Josh Burnham again healthy after missing three games with an ankle sprain — Burnham’s third quarter fumble recovery helped put the game away — the Irish might be ready to rework the defensive end depth chart. Even freshman defensive end Loghan Thomas got into the defensive rotation, perhaps adding another piece to Al Golden’s puzzle.
Considering Notre Dame lost Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore to season-ending ACL injuries in September, the infusion of young talent isn’t just welcome for the Irish, it’s essential.
The 6-foot-7, 258-pound Young is a rare breed for any age of player, never mind a freshman. He played two snaps at Texas A&M, took a DNP against Northern Illinois, then became a contributor against Purdue (21 snaps), Miami (24) Louisville (39). Oben was still the starter during that three-game run, but it’s fair to wonder if Young might beat out the grad student moving forward.
(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
