Audric Estime sets records, but how did Notre Dame football grade out against Stanford?
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Another road game, another shaky start for Notre Dame football as the 2023 regular season wound to a close.
Playing at a mostly empty Stanford Stadium and relegated to the Pac-12 Network, the Irish (9-3) eventually pulled away for a 56-23 win over a woeful Stanford (3-9) team that came in as nearly a four-touchdown underdog.
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Offense: B-plus
Sam Hartman lost a fumble at the end of a 25-yard scramble on the first offensive series and later threw his 49th career interception, most among active quarterbacks and one more than his position coach, Gino Guidugli, threw in four years at Cincinnati (2001-04). Despite the injury absence of center Zeke Correll (concussion protocol), Audric Estime had 238 rushing yards and four scores by the end of the third quarter.
Defense: B-plus
Coming in as the No. 4 red-zone defense, Notre Dame held the upstart Cardinal to 10 points on three first-half turnovers. Veteran linebacker Jack Kiser had a pass breakup on third-and-goal from the 5 and later added a 49-yard return (wiped out by a holding penalty) off an interception that set up an Irish scoring drive just before the half.
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Special teams: B
Jadarian Price fumbled a kickoff return at the Irish 30 that set up Stanford’s first touchdown late in the first quarter. Javontae Jean-Baptiste, who blocked a field goal last week against Wake Forest, scooped up Jason Onye’s fourth-quarter field-goal block and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
Coaching: B
After warning his team through the media about not “oozing” into games on the road, Marcus Freeman watched in disbelief as the Irish trailed 13-7 after the first quarter on their way to three first-half giveaways. Notre Dame lost its previous two road games after spotting Clemson a 24-6 first-half lead and slogging to a 7-7 halftime tie at Louisville. At least there were more play-action calls for a second week in a row.
Overall: B
Stanford is awful, but Notre Dame quickly righted the ship after some sustained early bumbling. The Irish are a bowl win away from their sixth 10-win season in seven years and the first of the Freeman era.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for NDInsider.com and is on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football report card after regular-season finale at Stanford
