Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame offense vs. Stanford defense
Notre Dame has an opportunity to really showcase its offense against Stanford. After a period in which it slumped with seemingly no end in sight, the offense finally got back on track in the win over Wake Forest. The key now is to make sure that keeps going for the regular-season finale. While there obviously aren’t any guarantees, all signs point to another strong game for the unit.
The Cardinal are fairly average at stopping the run but one of the country’s worst at stopping the pass. That has led to many points being scored by their opponents in an era of football that demands that teams air it out regularly. It is for this reason that Sam Hartman, at least in theory, should be able to do whatever he wants against the Cardinal. If he doesn’t play well, it will be by his own doing.
Here’s a look at how the Irish’s offense matches up with the Cardinal’s defense:
Passing yards/game
Notre Dame ranks 44th nationally with 257.5 passing yards a game.
Stanford ranks 129th nationally with 312.4 passing yards allowed a game.
Passing yards/attempt
Notre Dame is tied for 17th nationally with 8.9 passing yards an attempt.
Stanford is tied for 120th nationally with 8.4 passing yards allowed an attempt.
Rushing yards/game
Notre Dame ranks 59th nationally with 163.4 rushing yards a game.
Stanford ranks 52nd nationally with 143.9 rushing yards allowed a game.
Rushing yards/carry
Notre Dame is tied for 25th nationally with 4.98 yards a carry.
Stanford ranks 76th nationally with 4.26 yards allowed a carry.
Points/game
Notre Dame ranks 14th nationally with 37.5 points a game.
Stanford ranks 126th nationally with 36.0 points allowed a game.
