“They’ve been hotly contested games both during and after the games some- times. But they’ve been physical.

“What I appreciate, too, is they’ve also been unbelievably respectful. There’s NOV. 22, 2017 ✦ NOTRE DAME AT STANFORD a lot of respect earned on both sides. … There’s a lot of handshaking after the Game Info game because both teams go out there and spill their guts to try and win.” Date: Nov. 25, 2017. Site: (50,000). Heading into this year’s matchup, Shaw sees a “completely different” Irish Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET. defensive unit. Television: ABC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129) and on Notre Dame’s IMG affiliates. “They’re still very physical,” he explained. “They believe in knocking you Series Facts: This will be the 32nd all-time meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame holds a 19‑12 back. They believe in coming off the ball and penetrating. They are very versatile advantage and won the first meeting, 27-10 in the 1925 for its first consensus national title. The with their blitz packages, they run into things really late. home team is 20-10 (one neutral matchup) in the series. Head Coaches: Stanford — David Shaw (72-20, seventh season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (68‑33, eighth “They try not to show you what they’re doing, but everybody is a viable season). blitzer. The corner’s a viable blitzer, both safeties, the linebacker walks all the Noting Stanford: The Cardinal has won six of the last eight meetings after Notre Dame reeled off seven way out on the slot and before the snap he comes in full speed. So now not only consecutive wins from 2002-08 … Stanford is 4-2 in the series when both teams enter ranked in the top 25, is everyone a blitzer, everybody’s also a viable dropper. … They do a good job while head coach David Shaw is 4-2 against the Irish since taking the post in 2011 … Stanford is seeking its of mixing and matching to keep you off balance. seventh season of 10 wins or more since 2010 … Through the first 11 weeks of the season, Stanford is tied for ninth nationally in turnover margin (plus-1.00 per game). “Up front defensively, it’s hard to win the line of scrimmage as we try to do most games. This one is going to be hotly contested. The guys win the line of scrimmage most games. Secondary-wise they are very sound. They don’t give up a lot of big plays. Everybody on their defense is a physical tackler as you would expect from a Brian Kelly team.” David Shaw Appreciative Of Respect Shown In Shaw will see a familiar face at quarterback Saturday night in Notre Dame Notre Dame-Stanford Rivalry junior Brandon Wimbush, who the Cardinal tried to recruit. Corey Bodden • BlueAndGold.com “He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands,” Shaw said. “… He can throw In his seven years at the helm of the Stanford program, David Shaw has a the ball. He can throw the ball well. He’s not the biggest guy, so sometimes he 4-2 record against Notre Dame. That includes a perfect 3-0 mark in Palo Alto, pushes and finds windows to throw the ball. highlighted by a thrilling 38-36 victory that came down to the final play in 2015. “But if you don’t keep him contained in the pocket he can hurt in you with “I remember like it was yesterday,” Shaw said on Tuesday. “It was like a his legs … He presents that run-pass option that you have to be cautious of.” dramatic experience. … It was a back-and-forth game. Both quarterbacks were outstanding, both running games were outstanding and made some big plays. Like Stanford, Notre Dame rides a strong rushing attack led by a Heisman Both defenses stepped up and made some huge plays. candidate. The Cardinal were introduced to Josh Adams in 2015 during his freshman season when he rushed for 168 yards and a on 18 carries. “It was one of those games where the last team with the ball was going to have a chance to win. … It was a great game.” “He ripped off one that was like 60 yards,” Shaw recalled. “It was absolutely beautiful. Big, physical guy and runs through contact. He’s gotten banged up The last seven games in the rivalry have been decided by an average of just here and there. less than a touchdown, with an average score of 24.5-17.8. “Fortunately for him and unfortunately for us, he’s healthy now. He’s one of Even though the programs are rivals, Shaw appreciates the respect both teams those guys in the backfield that can break a run at any time.” have shown each other after going to battle. Per Shaw, Notre Dame complements Wimbush and Adams with additional “They’ve been tight games, they’ve been hard-fought games,” Shaw stated. playmakers.

✦ BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM ✦ 800-421-7751 1 “Not to mention, they have guys on the outside,” Shaw said. “Equanimeous program’s highest finish since 1940), the Cardinal still won a minimum of 10 St. Brown is a size and speed mismatch on the outside. Combine that with their games for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, finishing 10‑3 and No. 12 in tight ends, so it’s a great combination of scheme and athletes that present issues the final AP rankings. in all phases.” This year, Stanford hit an early snag with consecutive losses to USC (42-24) On Saturday, Notre Dame will look for its first win on the road against Stan- and San Diego State (20-17) to fall to 1-2. Since then, it has been 7-1, highlighted ford since 2007 and its second 10-win season in three years. by defeating No. 9 Washington 30-22 Nov. 10 and grinding out a 17-14 win versus archrival Cal last weekend. If Washington defeats Washington State this weekend in The Apple Cup, then the Cardinal will face USC in the Pac-12 title game Dec. 1. Notre Dame Prepares For Stanford, Stanford’s identity in the last decade, first under Harbaugh and then Shaw, has been forged on exceptional physicality on both sides of the ball. Throughout With Or Without (Bryce) Love most of its football history, the Cardinal was known mainly as a finesse, pass- Lou Somogyi • BlueAndGold.com happy operation. That has shifted dramatically in the past decade, which has seen a couple of runners-up in running backs Remember when departed for the NFL after the 12‑1 record and Christian McCaffrey, plus , Tyler Gaffney and now Bryce at Stanford in 2010, and popular projections had the Cardinal “returning to Love, who: the mean” as a .500 operation that would be relatively irrelevant in the college football landscape? • Already has set a Football Bowl Subdivision record with 11 runs of 50 or more yards this season. Instead, former Harbaugh assistant and Stanford alumnus David Shaw has further established his alma mater as a “program” this decade in college football. • Leads the nation with 4.8 yards per carry after contact, per Pro Football Focus, with 929 of his 1,723 yards coming after the initial hit. From 2010 to the present, the Cardinal is 84‑21 (.800 winning percentage), and 72‑20 (.783) under Shaw. Stanford has averaged 11 wins per season over the past • Is No. 2 nationally in rushing yards while averaging a phenomenal 8.8 yards seven, and only four other teams in college football have posted a minimum of per carry. 10 wins in six of the last seven campaigns — Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma. “He’s got elite speed and he breaks tackles, and that is a lethal mix,” Kelly said of Love. “You have to tackle this guy, and that’s what makes him a special The one missing piece for Stanford from the other four during this time is player.” either an appearance in the national title game or in the four-team College Foot- ball Playoff. Amazing stats notwithstanding, a bad ankle has slowed Love some the past month and his status for the Notre Dame game is in doubt after he sat out the Especially impressive under Shaw is among active coaches he ranks No. 3 in final 11:43 of the Cal game last weekend. Interestingly, last year at Notre Dame winning percentage against Associated Press top-25 teams (minimum 10 games it was McCaffrey who could not play because of an injury, so Love stepped in played) with a 22‑12 record (.647). The only other active coaches above .600 in with 129 rushing yards on 23 carries in the 17‑10 Cardinal victory. such contests are Ohio State’s Urban Meyer (37‑15, .712) and Alabama’s Nick Saban (75‑38, .664). Without Love, Stanford’s next option is Brennan Scarlett, whose 352 yards have averaged 4.8 yards and included six . “He’s done an incredible job,” said Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, who is 2-5 against Stanford and 2-4 versus Shaw. “He’s been consistent. They are who “We’re preparing for Love to play,” Kelly said. “But when Scarlett was in the they are, they don’t pretend to be anybody else. game, they were very effective. He’s a big back … 220 pounds, physical, very good vision. We’re very well aware of him in the recruiting process. “They continue to, year in and year out, produce top-ranked teams and play- ers that are drafted in the NFL, as well as getting a Stanford education.” “… He doesn’t have the home-run ability of Love, but he’s a very accom- plished back and he’s going to get you first downs, and you’d better tackle him. Despite a midseason tailspin in 2016, some issues at quarterback and in a They felt like in that situation with Love not available that they were going to “rebuilding” mode after finishing 12-2 and No. 3 in the final 2015 AP poll (the play smash-mouth football, and he’s a guy that they certainly can do that with.”

✦ BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM ✦ 800-421-7751 2 That approach has helped make Stanford a program this decade, not merely Brian Kelly Notebook: Previewing Stanford another team. That physicality is potentially the identity Notre Dame likewise is trying to establish on a more consistent basis, and lends itself to the school’s Corey Bodden • BlueAndGold.com culture. Both pull from a similar recruiting pool. After pulling out a tough, 24-17 win over Navy last Saturday, Notre Dame’s Other than the 38-36 shootout won by Stanford on the game’s last play in focus is now on a Stanford team it has not beaten since 2014. In addition, the 2015, most of the meetings between Kelly and Shaw have been low-scoring, Irish have not won in Palo Alto, Calif., since a 21-14 triumph in 2007. old-school type contests: The Irish won heart-stoppers at home in 2012 (20-13 in overtime) and 2014 (17-14), but lost at home last year (17-10). This year’s version of Stanford may not seem to be the consistent physically dominate group on both sides of the ball, but the Irish have a tough task ahead “You’re going against a team that stresses you from a tactical standpoint, to battle the physicality the Cardinal will bring to the field. and they’re a physical football team,” Kelly said. “… Outside of the apparent similarities from a university standpoint in terms of academics, on the football “Their offensive line is one of the best ones we’ll see all year,” head coach field they stress you from how they play the game … a 3-4 defense that is long, Brian Kelly said during his weekly Tuesday press conference. “I think their makes it difficult for you to do a lot of things, and then they get into nickel and physicality is who they are and what they’re about.” four-down. Offensively, a great running back and a physical offensive line. Stanford is led by star running back , who is second in the coun- “It’s more about their style of football … and of course who they recruit: try with 1,723 rushing yards. The junior’s status for Saturday is up in the air smart, tough, well-coached, disciplined players … They don’t beat themselves.” because he has been dealing with an injured ankle in recent weeks and aggra- vated it again during Stanford’s 17-14 win over Cal this past week. Both operations have had their moments with the passing game this season while leaning more on the run. Stanford sophomore K.J. Costello replaced vet- “Bryce Love is going to be the best back that we see all year,” Kelly stated. eran Keller Chryst at quarterback at the start of this month and has completed “He’s a finalist for the [for the nation’s top running back]. 60.7 percent of his passes for 993 yards with five touchdowns and two intercep- Obviously, the premier back in the country, 1,700 yards, very fast, breaks tack- tions. Stanford has averaged only 21.0 points over the past four games, while les. Notre Dame has been held to 16.0 per contest in its past two outings. “The impressive thing about him is his ability to break tackles. That’s what Notre Dame has lost each of the last four trips to Stanford, not winning there really stood out to me.” since 2007 to conclude a 3-9 year, when Harbaugh was in his initial season with the Cardinal. Quarterback has been somewhat of a carousel for David Shaw’s group in 2017 going back and forth between Keller Chryst and K.J. Costello. But over The West Coast time change is an adjustment, but the Irish will be out there by the past three weeks, it’s Costello who has been given the keys to the offense. Thanksgiving night. The torn-up grass surface also will be something to which Notre Dame will have to adapt. The sophomore has completed 85 of 140 (60.7 percent) throws for 993 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Over the past three weeks as the “They haven’t always had the greatest field surface, but that’s not an excuse guy, he is 42-of-73 passing (57.5 percent) for 501 yards with one touchdown because we both have to play on it,” Kelly said. and two interceptions.

All the makings are there for another old-school battle. Costello’s top targets are wide receivers JJ Arcego-Whiteside and Trenton Irwin. The duo has a combined for 74 catches, 997 receiving yards and six touchdown grabs.

“He really now has kind of opened up the offense, in a sense, if you think of that in terms of Stanford,” Kelly said. “Good, quick release; athletic, big, can move. I love their receivers. Big kids that run really good routes. Irwin and Whiteside are rangy, athletic receivers that are matchup problems.

“Really an offense that will stress you in terms of running the football, and then obviously they get the ball in space with their receivers.”

✦ BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM ✦ 800-421-7751 3 Although the yardage numbers are not up to normal Stanford standards, ROAD WOES the Cardinal defense is allowing just 20.7 points per game to rank 29th na- tionally. Under Kelly, Notre Dame is 2-9 on the road against top-20 teams during the regular season. The Irish could face another on Saturday with Stanford ranking The unit is allowing 388.0 total yards per game (61st nationally) — 171.7 No. 22 in last week’s edition of the rankings. rushing (70th) and 216.3 passing (No. 58). Stanford still has several playmakers on that side of the ball — including nose tackle Harrison Phillips, who has 78 Kelly was asked about the struggles and if there has been a common theme tackles and five sacks, and safety Justin Reid, who has 79 tackles and five inter- throughout those losses. ceptions. “Yeah, playing top-20 teams on the road,” he said. “It’s hard to beat top-20 “That 3-4 defense, they’re rangy at the four techniques,” Kelly said. “The nose, teams on the road. I don’t keep track of those records, but I’m sure there’s been Phillips, is as good as there is in the country. At the outside backer position, some really good games in that mix of 2-9. they’ve got great experience, veteran presence out there, and I think the real strength of their defense is in the back end. “But it’s hard to win on the road, and if you’re playing top-20 teams on the road it’s even more difficult. You just prepare your team the best you can. … You’re “Justin Reid is as good a safety as we’ll see all year. David Shaw does a great probably not going to be 9-2.” job. Obviously they’re playing really well right now, so it will be a great chal- lenge for us on the road.” For Kelly, limiting turnovers is part of the checklist in these types of road match- ups. Notre Dame hopes to crack the Stanford code this weekend and secure its second 10-win season in the past three years. “It’s exactly what we did at Miami that you can’t do: turn the football over,” he stated. “And we fed that atmosphere at Miami, turning the football over. You’ve INJURY UPDATES got to take care of the football. You can’t give anybody on the road that energy that gives them that extra momentum at home, similar to what we fed — USC gives Kelly also provided injury updates on junior wide receiver Equanimeous St. us a free possession on a punt, and it just gives you that energy. Brown, fifth-year senior wideout Cam Smith and junior running back Dexter Williams. “You can’t turn the football over. You’ve got to play mistake free and eliminate big plays. It’s not really rocket science. You guys follow it pretty closely. You just have St. Brown: “EQ passed his exertion physical activity yesterday. He is cleared to play poised and disciplined on the road. If you do that, you’ve got a fair shot of for non-contact practice today. So he is moving along through the concussion winning those games. They’ll be close and hard fought, and last time we were there, protocol. … If he passes today with no ill effects, then he’ll be in a limited contact we lost the game at the end, 38-36, whatever it was. We lost by a field goal.” on Wednesday and he’ll have contact on Thursday.” SOPHOMORES STEPPING UP Smith: “We’re going to see about Cam tomorrow. We’re going to get him run- ning and see what he looks like.” Against Navy, sophomore wide receiver Kevin Stepherson had a career game with five catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore defensive end Williams: “I think he’s about as 100 percent as we’ve had him. He looked re- Khalid Kareem also played well, recording four tackles and a quarterback hurry. ally good yesterday moving around. I think he’s got to play a big role for us on Saturday. We expect him to, and that’s the plan going in.” Kelly was asked about both players on Tuesday.

If St. Brown is unable to play, Kelly has confidence in sophomore wide re- “He tracks the ball very well, has the — I would say probably more than any- ceiver Miles Boykin. thing else — just the natural ball skills and the ability to get over the top of a de- fense,” Kelly said of Stepherson. “But tracking the ball very well. Easily catches “Boykin will go in and do a great job,” Kelly said. “We’ll just plug and play it — though he dropped one in the end zone. That should annoy him as the best him. What you’ll see is his ability in the game against Navy, he filled in very ball catcher, but he tracks the ball very well. nicely, caught a couple passes, did a nice job blocking on the perimeter. “The defensive line went in there with a great attitude, and Khalid was one “So I think you just take EQ out and you put Miles Boykin in there, and we of them. He went in there. He was physical. Would have liked to have seen him keep rolling.” make the play on the reverse.

✦ BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM ✦ 800-421-7751 4 “… This year has been a breakout year for him. He’s gained a lot of confidence that would change some things, too. But clearly there’s going to be some compe- and he’s made so much progress in the weight room, so from a physical stand- tition there, and that will kind of decide where those positions kind of move to.” point he can go in there and he can battle with anybody.” SPECIAL TEAMS MOVING FORWARD Through 11 games, Notre Dame’s special teams have been average when look- Following Notre Dame’s 4-8 season, the Irish went through a plethora of ing at the overall statistics. The Irish rank 76th nationally in net punting (37.39), changes within the program to right the ship. 75th in kickoff returns (20.66) and 113th in punt returns (4.32).

It wasn’t a quick fix, but a sustainable one to prevent another poor season. “It’s been a mixed bag,” Kelly said. “I don’t think it’s been a negative for us. I Kelly was asked about what he’s seen this year and how it will translate moving would have liked a little bit more maybe from our kicking game, but we’re try- forward to being a sustainable plan and not because of a specific group. ing to get a true freshman kicker [kickoff specialist Jonathan Doerer] involved. I thought he had a pretty good game kicking into the wind against Navy. “Any time that you have a shift within your program, the only way that you can go about and really lay down your mission is that it has to be sustainable,” “The punting has been okay. It’s probably fair to say that we’ve been fair to Kelly said. “Sustainability starts with what your mission is, and that is to gradu- middling, but we haven’t been bad and we haven’t been great. And sometimes ate all your players and play for a national championship, and then how are you to be great you’ve got to have one great game breaker. You’ve got to have some- going to get there, and that is to build the traits on a day-to-day basis that will body that changes the game, and I don’t know that we have that guy right now. help get you there. That’s the sustainable piece, building those traits amongst So then it’s up to guys doing their jobs and I think for the most part — other than our players. the mistake we made on Saturday — we’ve had guys doing their job.”

“Those two things work together. The rest is business as usual, right; recruit- Kelly was also asked about punt returner Chris Finke and the job he’s done ing, recruiting the right kind of players to Notre Dame, having the right coaches overall, which included a muffed punt against Navy. in place, strength and conditioning, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, special teams, all those other things as well. But it starts with the sustainability “We do,” Kelly said when asked if the staff has confidence in Finke. “He’s got is really your mission, and then how are you building towards that mission.” to fair catch. He knows how to fair catch. That’s pretty easy. That’s just a poor job on his part. We did a poor job with the gunners as well. Those guys have to YOUNG OFFENSIVE LINEMEN help out in that situation and protect him a little bit better.

Notre Dame’s offensive line is considered among the best in the country an- “But he knew the circumstances. We’re fighting for every possession. We don’t chored by seniors Mike McGlinchey and . need to try to grind for two or three yards in that situation.”

But the Irish have started a freshman and sophomore at right tackle in Robert Hainsey and Tommy Kraemer. Kelly discussed both of their performances this year to date, and where things 2019 Rivals250 Athlete Casey Kline stand moving forward with both players. Hoping For Irish Offer After Visit “They both have played solid football for us to good football at times,” Kelly David McKinney • BlueAndGold.com said. “I think there’s been some learning curves, but standing here right now going into the last game, if you ask me about playing two first-time starters, I’m Though there was only one official visitor in town for the Navy game, Notre pleased with their performance. Dame still played host to a number of talented prospects in the classes of 2019 and 2020. “Moving forward, it has a lot to do with other players now that are going to get a chance, and Liam Eichenberg and Josh Lugg, there’s going to be a very One such prospect in the class of 2019 was Brawley (Calif.) Union four-star competitive situation now. athlete Casey Kline.

“I offered my parking spot to Quenton Nelson to try to get him to come back,” Rivals’ the No. 211 overall player in the class of 2019 is committed to Arizona, Kelly quipped. “He didn’t bite on that because if we could get him back, then but he came away impressed with what he saw in South Bend this weekend.

✦ BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM ✦ 800-421-7751 5 “We had a lot of fun up there,” Kline said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Having grown up a Notre Dame fan, Kline had high expectations coming into the trip, and was not disappointed.

“A lot of parts stuck out,” he said. “My family is all Notre Dame fans, and it was kind of surreal to finally get up there.”

The highlight, though, was getting to be down on the field and in the stands for Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over Navy.

“It was pretty crazy,” Kline said. “It didn’t really feel real to see the ‘Play Like A Champion Today’ board and to hear ‘Here Come The Irish.’ It was pretty surreal.”

Kline had the opportunity to talk to a few Notre Dame coaches during the trip, Start Your and they told him they’d be keeping an eye on him going forward. FREE 30-DAY TRIAL “I really felt comfortable up there,” Kline said. “They said that they finally Today! Use Code: got to put a face to a name, got to see me in person, and they hope to have me BGI30 up there again.”

Given that he grew up a fan of the Irish, an offer from Notre Dame would have been huge for Kline before the trip. Now that he’s seen everything Notre Dame has to offer up close, the four-star wants one even more.

“I guess you could call it a childhood dream come true,” Kline said. “Every- one in my family has always dreamed of playing for Notre Dame, and it would mean a lot to have the opportunity to do so.”

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