Instant Analysis: Audric Estimé makes sure Notre Dame passes its road test

Notre Dame managed to pack the multiple cases of emotional whiplash of its entire football season in a mistake-filled first quarter Saturday in Stanford Stadium that the 18th-ranked Irish eventually transcended in dominating style.

The result — a 56-23 stomping of Stanford — was more of a statistical showcase for junior running back Audric Estimé than anything else, once the Irish defense survived the early waves of crisis management it continued to be put in.

The junior, snubbed by the Doak Walker Award selectors from a top 10 mention earlier in the week, got in the last word with 238 yards and four TDs on 25 carries — all career-highs and milestone producing.

If it turns out to be the last game in a Notre Dame uniform, Estimé will own fourth place on the single-game rushing list, 34 yards short of Julius Jones’ record 262, and fifth place on the Irish single-season list at 1,341 yards, two behind fourth-place Reggie Brooks.

If Estimé returns for an Irish bowl game, he’ll have a shot at Vagas Ferguson’s 44-year-old school record of 1,437 yards, which he fashioned in 11 games.

The Irish (9-3) rolled up 381 rushing yards as a team, the most since amassing 515 at Boston College six seasons ago, and against a team known for its bad pass defense. Quarterback Sam Hartman attempted just 14 passes, completing eight, with two TDs and a pick before giving way to backup Steve Angeli. The sophomore threw his first career interception in his only pass attempt Saturday against the Cardinal (3-9).

There were some outstanding individual performances beyond Estimé’s to help offset four Irish turnovers. Among them was Javontae Jean-Baptiste’s 60-yard return of a blocked field goal, linebacker Jack Kiser’s momentum-shifting interception, sophomore Ashton Craig filling in nicely at center again for starter Zeke Correll, still coming back from a Nov. 4. concussion.

Gerad Parker probably enjoyed a nice day on social media, as the Irish first-year offensive coordinator’s unit produced 521 total yards and went an combined 8-of-10 on third- and fourth-down conversions.

The best-case postseason scenario remains a Jan. 1 berth in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla., against an SEC team, likely Tennessee or former Irish coach Brian Kelly’s LSU squad. The Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 28 is also a viable postseason destination. Notre Dame’s selection for the bowl in Tampa is partially dependent on whether Florida State (12-0) beats Louisville in next weekend’s ACC Championship Game AND makes the final four-team playoff field.

This wasn’t a matchup that provided the level of competition that could measure, without distortion, too many areas of progress, but Notre Dame did show it could overcome adversity on the road even if much of it was self-inflicted.

How will the Notre Dame offense fare against an elite defense/defensive coordinator — a question that may or may not be answered in a bowl game? Was this the last career game for — fill in the blank? Parker’s future?

The next set of CFP rankings come out Tuesday night, but neither those or the final set that comes out Sunday, Dec. 4, will affect Notre Dame directly or its bowl opponent. But Dec. 4 is the day the Irish find out the bowl destination and opposition.

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