Saturday, 27 November 2021

What to know before Stanford faces No. 5 Notre Dame in season finale

NOTRE DAME AT STANFORD

Records: Notre Dame 10-1, Stanford 3-8, 2-7 Pac-12.

Kickoff: 5 p.m., Stanford Stadium

Radio: KNBR 1050 AM (Stanford)

Television: FOX

Series history: Notre Dame leads 21-13 all-time, including a 45-24 win at Stanford Stadium in 2019. The teams have met for the Legends Trophy every year since 1988, with the exception of 1995, 1996 and 2020.

Storylines: Notre Dame is in line for a New Year’s Day bowl game with a win, and could still make the College Football Playoff for the third time in four years. Its only loss is against No. 4 Cincinnati. … Stanford is looking to break a six-game losing streak and avoid its ninth loss of the season, which would be its most since the pre-Jim Harbaugh era. … This could be the final game for up to 27 Stanford seniors, fifth-years and sixth-years, including a large chunk of the defense, where the Cardinal is expected to start nine seniors.

Matchup to watch: Kyren Williams vs. Stanford rush defense. In its last three games, the Cardinal’s rush defense allowed 441 yards and six touchdowns to Utah, 218 yards and three touchdowns to Oregon State, and 352 yards and three touchdowns to Cal. Williams has scored a rushing TD in each of his last seven games and is averaging 131.6 all-purpose yards.

Stanford injuries/absences: TE/DE Tucker Fisk is questionable. RB/PR Casey Filkins, LB Stephon Herron and WRs John Humphreys and Silas Starr are out.

Stats that matter: Notre Dame is 12th in the nation in points allowed (18.6) and hasn’t allowed a TD in its last 187:23 of game time. … Cardinal CB Kyu Blu Kelly leads the Pac-12 with 12 passes defended. … Notre Dame DL Isaiah Foskey is tied for ninth nationally with 10.0 sacks. … QB Tanner McKee’s 18 total TDs are the most ever by a Stanford freshman. … The Cardinal scored TDs on 14 of 17 red zone trips before the season-ending leg injury to 6-foot-4 receiver Brycen Tremayne, but 8 of 16 since. It was stopped twice on fourth-and-goal against Cal.


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