A look at what the media is saying after Notre Dame's 45-24 victory versus Stanford.
Lou Somogyi, Blue & Gold Illustrated: Notre Dame-Stanford: On Paper Revisited
Breaking Down The Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Stanford Pass Defense
Like Davis Mills for Stanford, Ian Book spread the wealth early, and didn’t even connect with senior standout receiver Chase Claypool until the final two minutes of the first half, with the second completion to him a 41-yard back-shoulder touchdown in which Claypool, per usual, high-pointed the ball with excellent timing to put the Irish ahead for good.
As excellent an execution on any pass this year was Book’s 43-yard strike to Braden Lenzy when the Irish led only 21-17 and were backed up with a 1st-and-17 situation at their seven-yard line. With good protection, Book did not panic in the pocket, patiently waited for Lenzy to cut clear across the field and hit him perfectly in stride. That drive ended with what has been a recent staple — Claypool dragging across the cleared middle in the red zone for an eight-yard score.
A 16-yard screen/check down to senior running back Tony Jones Jr. also was well executed for a score, and Book again demonstrated fine patience on a third-and-goal, six-yard scoring pass to sophomore tight end Tommy Tremble.
The Stanford front did bat down four of Book’s passes, but he finished 17 of 30 for 255 yards, four scores and no interceptions.
Advantage: Notre Dame
Vince DeDario, Blue & Gold Illustrated: Breaking Down Notre Dame's Win Vs. Stanford
- The offense ended the day with a pretty nice line throwing for 255 and rushing for 190 for a total of 445. It was a pretty balanced night but that is not how it started. Notre Dame had no intention of running the ball early in the game and put the game in the hands of senior quarterback Ian Book. Most of the rushing yards came late in the game but for the first time in four games, Book wasn’t the leading rusher.
- Ian Book had one of his typical days behind center for Notre Dame. At time he looked flustered and itchy in the pocket and at times he looked poised and effective in both the pass and run game. The opening drive was fantastic for the Irish and Book. He went 4-5 for all 70 yards of the drive and the one incompletion was a drop by Braden Lenzy. He was decisive. He was patient. He was in complete control. In the third he had a really nice play for 43 yards to Lenzy where he was able to buy time with his legs and get outside the pocket. It was essential to do this because he had to wait for Lenzy to come all the way across the field and get open. He then threw a perfect strike that led Lenzy and allowed him to get up the field after the catch. On the same drive he showed why he is so dangerous with his legs picking up the fourth down by scrambling to his right and picking up over 20 yards.
- On the negative side for Book he looked uneasy at times in the pocket and very inaccurate with some of his passes. On the go route to Lenzy he had the speedy sophomore down the sideline with no safety help over the top. All he had to do was throw it up over the inside shoulder of Lenzy and it is a touchdown. Instead he put it on the outside shoulder so Lenzy had to try and adjust outside. After the play you could see Lenzy pointing up in the air as if to say “Give it some more air and I will run under it!” The other bone to pick with Book was the scramble on third down where he ducked out of bounds shy of the first down marker to set up fourth and one. I feel like he regretted it as soon as he did it but he has been known to lower his shoulder and get after it. Very un Book-like on that play.
Douglas Farmer, NBC Sports: Ian Book, No. 16 Notre Dame finally find a win at Stanford
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Well, obviously, the punt block. Foskey’s involvement was determined weeks ago; after senior defensive end Julian Okwara broke his leg at Duke, Foskey had to fill in and that became his third game of the year. In order to preserve his eligibility, the Irish could play Foskey only once more, and the coaching staff circled this weekend, rather than the bowl game, anticipating his length could be advantageous.
“If were were going to use him up in this fourth game, we were going to use him everywhere we could,” Kelly said.
Recognizing Stanford’s freshman punter took a touch longer in his release time than most, Notre Dame went after punts more than usual.
“[Foskey] is so long, we felt like we could we could get one with him and that’s why we had him on punt,” Kelly said.
Foskey will undoubtedly have a more prominent role in 2020, available for the whole season, a few spots further up in the depth chart and with more time in a collegiate strength and conditioning program.
“He’s going on really good hands, hand placement,” Kelly said. “He can leverage really well. He bends well. He’s going to be a really, really fine football player. He’s just not strong enough yet.”
PALO ALTO, Calif. – Twenty-five minutes into a sleepy Saturday afternoon at ghostly Stanford Stadium, it was starting to feel like sluggish Notre Dame was in trouble.
Trailing injury-marred Stanford by 10, the largest deficit the Fighting Irish had faced at any point since the Michigan beat down five weeks earlier, Notre Dame needed a lift. It received just that from the unlikeliest of sources and in the most surprising of ways.
Redshirting freshman Isaiah Foskey, playing in just the fourth game of his young career, broke through the line to block a punt with just under five minutes left in the first half. Three plays later, a backpedaling Ian Book found Tommy Tremble in the end zone, and the 16th-ranked visitors were on their way to a 45-24 win.
Thirty-one unanswered points followed that blocked punt as Notre Dame (10-2) won at Stanford Stadiumfor the first time since 2007, ending a string of five straight road defeats in the series. It also gave the Irish a third straight 10-win season for just the second time in program history, joining Lou Holtz’s group from 1991-93.
“Oh, it was definitely a game changer,” Ade Ogundeji said of his fellow defensive end’s punt block. “Foskey played a great game. Special teams definitely got a spark for us that first half.”
Mark Schlabach, ESPN: College football power rankings for Week 14
No. 15 Notre Dame (10-2): The Fighting Irish secured their third straight season (and fourth in five years) with at least 10 victories by defeating Stanford 45-24 on the road on Saturday. It's the first time the Irish have had three consecutive such seasons since Lou Holtz's teams did it from 1991 to 1993. Quarterback Ian Book threw four more touchdowns with 255 yards on 17-for-33 passing. He has 33 touchdown passes this campaign, which is the second most in a single season in school history; Brady Quinn threw 37 in 2006. Book has been especially good in the past three games, with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. Unfortunately for the Irish, there doesn't seem to be much hope for them to be selected to a New Year's Six bowl game. Their most likely postseason destination is a date against a Big 12 opponent in the Dec. 28 Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
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