The Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Palo Alto to face the Stanford Cardinals in a crucial matchup Saturday night. The Irish are currently ranked sixth in the College Football Playoff poll, but they could give themselves a much needed boost with a win over a nationally ranked Stanford team. The Cardinals are thinking the same thing, as they are currently ranked ninth in the College Football Playoff poll, and a win over the Irish could leap them in the standings. Stanford has already clinched the Pac-12 North division, but a win over the Irish and a win in the Pac-12 title game could put them in the conversation for one of the final four spots.
Cardinals head coach David Shaw will give his star running back Christian McCaffrey plenty of opportunities on Saturday night, as he leads the team in rushing yards this season. McCaffrey has rushed 1,546 yards this season and is averaging 5.9 yards per carry. The Cardinals star running back is a dual threat out of the backfield, as he has 34 receptions for 416 receiving yards on the season. McCaffrey has scored 10 total touchdowns this season and will look to find the endzone against a stingy Notre Dame defense.
Cardinals senior quarterback Kevin Hogan leads Stanford's offense and has led his team to a 9-2 record this season. Hogan is a tough quarterback to bring down at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, and he keeps defenses on their heels, as he can run with the ball. The Cardinals senior quarterback has thrown for 2,230 yards, and has rushed for 276 yards this season. Hogan will try to find holes in the Irish defense, but he faces arguably his toughest challenge of the year.
Junior linebacker Jaylon Smith leads Notre Dame's defense, as he can always be found near the ball on any given play. Smith has 99 total tackles, as well as eight tackles for a loss this season. Smith can play in coverage against tight ends and wide receivers but is also great at stopping the run. Notre Dame's star linebacker will have to make his presence felt on Saturday if the Irish want to get a win on the road this weekend.
While Smith leads the Irish defense, sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer has stepped up as the leader of the offense. The sophomore quarterback stepped into the role in the second week of the season when starting quarterback Malik Zaire fractured his ankle against Virginia. Since then, Kizer has not looked back and has kept the Irish in the National Championship conversation all season.
Kizer has thrown for 2,362 yards with 18 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Head coach Brian Kelly has likely instructed his quarterback on the importance of ball security, especially after throwing three interceptions last week against Boston College. Kizer can make plays with his arm and his feet, and he has scored eight rushing touchdowns this year. The Cardinals defense will try to contain Kizer, as his play could determine the outcome of this crucial game.
Both teams are playing for a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but they may need some help to get into the top four spots. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Irish's radio broadcast, go here, and for the Cardinals' radio broadcast, click here.
