Notre Dame Dominates Stanford 49-20 and Secures 10th Consecutive Win

Notre Dame secured its 10th consecutive win, routing Stanford 49-20 in Stanford, California, on Saturday night. The No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish dominated early, building a 28-3 halftime lead and never looking back. The victory was highlighted by Luke Talich’s 84-yard touchdown reception on a fake punt, which set the tone for a game filled with big plays. Running back Jeremiyah Love, a Heisman Trophy contender and the fourth-leading rusher in the nation, gave fans a scare when he left the field after a short gain in the first quarter. Love returned in the second half, finishing with 66 yards and his 21st touchdown of the season—breaking Jerome Bettis’ school record for total touchdowns and tying Audric Estime’s record of 18 rushing touchdowns in a season. “I went into the tent, like I was good immediately,” Love said after the game. “But they wanted to make sure I was good. Everything came out right. Just a bruise.” Quarterback CJ Carr threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns, efficiently leading the Irish offense. Backups Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams contributed significantly, combining for 178 total yards and four touchdowns. Williams broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, sealing the win. Stanford’s offense struggled to keep pace. Quarterback Elijah Brown passed for 204 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Emmett Kenney added two field goals, and Bryce Farrell and Marcus Brown each caught touchdown passes, but the Cardinal trailed from the outset. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman expressed confidence in his team’s playoff chances after the win: “We have improved as much as anybody in the country, been playing as well as anybody in the country and we have, in my opinion, the best player in the country,” Freeman told reporters. “That’s what you want. You want the best teams in the country now. Who’s the best teams for the playoffs right now? I truly believe we’re one.” The Irish have now posted a double-digit margin of victory in all ten of their wins this season. It’s the fourth time in eight seasons they’ve had a winning streak of at least ten games. The win also ensured Notre Dame retained the Legends Trophy. Stanford interim coach Frank Reich, reflecting on the season, said: “The culture that the players set, the way we did things … we didn’t get as many wins as we want but we made progress there, too. There’s a lot more wins coming to this program, trust me on that.” Notre Dame now awaits the College Football Playoff selection announcement, hoping their dominant performance and 10-2 record will be enough to earn a spot. For full stats and a play-by-play recap, visit the Notre Dame vs. Stanford Game Recap on CBS Sports.