No. 18 Notre Dame football's one-and-only trip to the West Coast in its 2023 regular season comes on Saturday, when the Irish (8-3) face Stanford (3-8).
Stanford's postseason fate — staying home — was decided earlier this month when the Cardinal lost its seventh game, yet Stanford has a chance to defeat the Irish in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016-17.
Head coach Marcus Freeman's squad could sweep both of its West Coast rivals — USC and Stanford — after losing to both in 2022. The Irish are jockeying for bowl positioning and have an opportunity to hit the 10-win mark in Freeman's second season.
Inside ND Sports spotlights two players from each side who could have a pivotal role in Saturday's result. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. EST on the Pac-12 Network.
Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé
Notre Dame's offense hasn't eclipsed 200 rushing yards in a game since Central Michigan on Sept. 16, although it was only 17 yards shy of hitting that mark at Clemson on Nov. 4. Depending on his decision to return for his senior season or enter the NFL Draft, Saturday could mark Estimé's final game in an Irish uniform. Last season, tight end Michael Mayer and defensive end Isaiah Foskey opted out of the Gator Bowl after announcing their plans to enter the NFL Draft.
Stanford's defense is susceptible to getting beat on the ground. California running back Jaydn Ott ran for 136 rushing yards last Saturday. And two weeks ago, Oregon State running back Damien Martinez averaged 9.7 yards per carry en route to 146 rushing yards.
After being left off the Doak Walker Award list of 10 semifinalists, Estimé seemingly posted his response on X/Twitter earlier this week. Ten of Estimé's 22 carries against Wake Forest came in the first quarter, and the junior picked up 59 yards, including a 21-yard gain, on those touches. Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Gerad Parker may have a similar game plan against Stanford, meaning Estimé could wear down Stanford's defense and then burst through for a 20 or 30-yard gain.
Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau
Liufau was quiet against Wake Forest, with one tackle, but is the type of linebacker that is made to defend Stanford's two-quarterback system of Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson.
His athleticism gives defensive coordinator Al Golden a chess piece he can use as a blitzer and a quarterback spy. JD Bertrand and Jack Kiser have more tackles, but Liufau has rushed the passer on 115 snaps this season, which is significantly more than Bertrand and Kiser. In the past, Notre Dame's defense has set a goal of getting two takeaways. Liufau's blitz packages could result in forced fumbles or interceptions, as they did against USC.
Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels
Daniels enters the final week of the regular season as Stanford's leading passer and rusher. Depending on if Notre Dame builds an early lead, the Cardinal could be forced to put the ball through the air. Daniels, a former three-star recruit out of Buford (Ga.) High, is prone to taking sacks while moving in the pocket. In the last six games, he's been sacked 17 times.
Stanford's leading wide receiver, Elic Ayomanor, is only 45 yards shy of 1,000 yards. He averages 17.4 yards per reception and is a big-play threat Notre Dame's secondary must account for.
Stanford cornerback Zahran Manley
Manley isn't a tackling machine at cornerback, but he's proven to be a ballhawk for Stanford this season. He has five pass breakups and two interceptions, both team-highs.
Notre Dame's wide receiver group hasn't had a true No. 1 target establish themselves this season. Quarterback Sam Hartman has gravitated towards freshman Rico Flores Jr. in the short-to-intermediate routes, and senior Chris Tyree on deep balls. At 6-foot-2, Manley has good size to match up with both. Hartman's decision-making in the second half of Notre Dame's season has led to intermittent turnovers, and Manley could haul in his third interception if he's in the right place at the right time.
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