Game balls: Five Notre Dame football players who shined against Stanford
Notre Dame capped an 11-1 regular season with a 45-14 victory over Stanford. Here are five Fighting Irish players who helped head coach Brian Kelly win a third-straight game against the Cardinal.
TE Michael Mayer
The sophomore tight end broke the single-season school record with his 64th reception in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with a team-high nine catches for 105 yards. He caught every target that came his way. He was the only player to catch at least one pass from graduate student Jack Coan and true freshman Tyler Buchner.
DE Justin Ademilola
Ademilola stuffed the stat sheet on one play in particular. He recorded a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery all in one. Notre Dame capitalized on the turnover on senior kicker Jonathan Doerer’s 36-yard field goal. Ademilola, a senior defensive end, finished the game with four tackles, which ranked tied for second on the team.
WR Kevin Austin Jr.
Notre Dame made a concerted effort to find the senior wide receiver from the first possession. He caught a pass for 33 yards on the Irish’s first play from scrimmage. He finished the game with six catches for 125 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, but he was effective throughout the game. He nearly scored on a 61-yard catch and run.
DT Jayson Ademilola
The other half of the Ademilola brother duo was just as dominant. Jayson recorded five total tackles, which tied for the team lead, and a sack. He absolutely blew right through the Stanford offensive line on his quarterback takedown. Ademilola has been a strong interior presence for the Irish this season, and he kept that up against the Cardinal.
QB Jack Coan
The last game ball could have gone to Coan or junior running back Kyren Williams. Both players were integral parts of the offense once again. Coan, though, set the tone by coming out firing. He finished with 345 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was just the second time this season Coan has thrown for 300 or more yards.
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