Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
· NCAA - FootballLeonard throws 3 TD passes and runs for another score as No. 11 Notre Dame beats Stanford 49-7
Leonard was 16 of 22 passing for 229 yards and three scores, and rushed six times for 31 yards and a TD.
The game was stopped at the end of the third quarter due to lighting in the area, with Notre Dame ahead 42-7. Play resumed after a delay of about an hour.
Steve Angeli replaced Leonard at quarterback when play resumed.
Notre Dame (5-1) shut down Stanford’s offense and posted eight tackles for loss, four quarterback sacks and a lost fumble. The Fighting Irish also stopped Stanford three times on fourth-down attempts. After allowing a 63-yard scoring drive on Stanford's initial possession, Notre Dame limited the Cardinal to 137 yards total offense overall.
"I challenged those two seniors, Rylie (Mills) and Howard (Cross III)," Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said after his team's lackluster start. “I wanted them to be great because they’re great football players, and those two specifically stood out to me just on the field. They dominated the game. Those two big guys, we needed them to be dominant, and they played dominant.”
Stanford (2-4), which was making its third trip to the Eastern time zone in four weeks, scored first thanks to a 1-yard run by Justin Lamson.
That advantage didn't last long.
Leonard and Notre Dame responded with a 75-yard drive. Leonard scored on a 6-yard run to even the score.
Notre Dame built a 21-7 lead by halftime by cashing in on two failed fourth down attempts by Stanford. Jayden Thomas grabbed a 15-yard toss from Leonard for one score, and Kris Mitchell caught a 5-yard scoring pass from Leonard.
Launching a passing attack was the focal point of the game plan, Leonard said.
“You trust the coaches,” Leonard said. “They wanted to throw the ball around. Obviously, we were getting good looks for that. We kind of knew that all week. So, yeah, it’s a great feeling to hear that, because you’re able to spread the ball to the guys who deserve it the most.”
Leonard said he was ready to launch a passing attack after a week off.
“I just began to have this carefree mindset of, I’ve only got one opportunity at this, so we’re going to let the ball fly around and not worry too much,” Leonard said.
Notre Dame’s defense set up the next touchdown, putting the Fighting Irish firmly in command at 28-7. Defensive end Joshua Burnham deflected a pitch by Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels and hauled it in before rumbling 15 yards to the Cardinal 17. Two plays later, Jadarian Price raced 16 yards for the score.
“From the second series on, man, they played lights out,” Freeman said of the Fighting Irish shaking off the rust of a bye week. “We really did a great job taking care of the ball. Defensively, they really stepped up and made good plays.”
Ashton Daniels went 8 for 13 for 74 yards and rushed 14 times for 42 yards. Lamson was 2 for 4 for 13 yards. Chris David Jr. carried 10 times for 45 yards.
“They outplayed us in all three phases,” Stanford coach Troy Taylor said of Notre Dame. “Offensively, we didn’t sustain blocks. Their block destruction was impressive.
“We’ve got a long season ahead of us and lots of opportunities,” Taylor said. “This one hurts, obviously. We’ll bounce back and be ready to play next weekend.”
The takeaway
Notre Dame: Flexed its muscles offensively and defensively and put itself in prime position to finish off the regular season strong and earn a spot in the playoffs.
Stanford: After an impressive scoring drive on its first possession, the Cardinal struggled offensively. In its last three games, Stanford has scored four touchdowns.
Poll Implications
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish will likely maintain their No. 11 position.
Up Next
Notre Dame: Travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Stanford: Hosts Southern Methodist on Saturday.
How To Watch
How can I watch Stanford Cardinal vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish?
- TV Channel: Cardinal at Fighting Irish 2021 College Football, week 7, is broadcasted on NBC.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Matchup Prediction
Scoring Summary
TD | 1st Period 6:49 | Justin Lamson 1 Yd Run (Emmet Kenney Kick) | |
TD | 1st Period 1:27 | Riley Leonard 6 Yd Run (Mitch Jeter Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 7:46 | Jayden Thomas 15 Yd pass from Riley Leonard (Zac Yoakam Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 1:11 | Kris Mitchell 5 Yd pass from Riley Leonard (Zac Yoakam Kick) | |
TD | 3rd Period 12:12 | Jadarian Price 16 Yd Run (Zac Yoakam Kick) | |
TD | 3rd Period 6:49 | Jeremiyah Love 39 Yd Run (Zac Yoakam Kick) | |
TD | 3rd Period 1:29 | Eli Raridon 5 Yd pass from Riley Leonard (Zac Yoakam Kick) | |
TD | 4th Period 9:17 | Aneyas Williams 19 Yd Run (Marcello Diomede Kick) |
Statistics
STAN | ND | |
---|---|---|
14 | 1st Downs | 24 |
4-12 | 3rd down efficiency | 6-11 |
1-4 | 4th down efficiency | 3-3 |
200 | Total Yards | 477 |
87 | Passing | 248 |
10/18 | Comp/Att | 18/27 |
4.8 | Yards per pass | 9.2 |
113 | Rushing | 229 |
41 | Rushing Attempts | 39 |
2.8 | Yards per rush | 5.9 |
3-25 | Penalties | 4-35 |
1 | Turnovers | 1 |
1 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
0 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
30:44 | Possession | 29:16 |
College Football News
Michigan State tops Purdue 24-17, win away from being bowl eligible in Jonathan Smith's 1st season
— Aidan Chiles threw for two scores in the first half to build a three-touchdown lead and Michigan State held on to beat
Robert Henry runs for 178 yards in leading UTSA over Temple 51-27
— Robert Henry ran for 178 yards on 16 carries and he scored two touchdowns as UTSA unloaded on Temple late for a 51-27 victory on Friday night in a game of big plays.
Chris Carpenter returns kickoff 97 yards for UTSA TD
UTSA's Chris Carpenter takes the kickoff and returns it 97 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Iowa QB Cade McNamara pushes back on 'rumors' about status
Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara issued a statement Friday clearing the air on what he called "ridiculous accusations" about his status with the team.
College football 2024 Week 13 schedule: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Week 13 of the 2024 college football season has arrived. Alabama vs. Oklahoma is among the marquee matchups. Check out how to watch the games now.