stanford 38, notre dame 20 | tuesday, November 28, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
A November to forget Irish unravel in final quarter against Cardinal in double-digit loss
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush is sacked while graduate student offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey looks on during Notre Dame’s 38-20 loss to Stanford on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. Wimbush passed for 249 yards and rushed for 61 yards during the defeat. He was Notre Dame’s leading rusher in the game.
This season cannot be considered a success for ND Elizabeth Greason Sports Editor
STANFORD, Calif. — I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. If you had told me at the start of the season I would be disappointed in a team with a 9-3 record, I don’t know that I would have believed you. In fact, I predicted this team would finish the season 9-3 at the start of the year. And I like being right. However, this year’s Notre Dame squad has both the benefit and curse of being a totally different one from last season. It left last year in the past, and while that’s great in terms of football, it helped to send expectations skyrocketing, my own included. The Irish powered up the rankings throughout the season, ascending week after week, with big win after big win, ultimately reaching No. 3 in the country. At that point, they were fully immersed in see GREASON PAGE 3
By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Editor
STANFORD, Calif. — Things were looking good for the Irish there for a minute. And then everything fell apart. Take your pick of the plays that actually marked the end for Notre Dame (9-3) in its 38-20 loss to Stanford. There was the first of junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s two interceptions. There was the fumble on the kickoff return by junior wide receiver C.J. Sanders that the Cardinal (93) recovered. There was the second of Wimbush’s interceptions. But, somewhere in the midst that series of Notre Dame misfortunes, a previously tight, backand-forth game became totally out-of-reach for the Irish, as it spiraled wildly out of control. The game opened with a series of traded punts from Notre Dame and Stanford, as four drives passed before either team was able to make anything happen offensively. But it was the Irish who struck first. On the fifth drive of the game, junior running back Dexter Williams took a handoff from Wimbush and pushed forward three yards from the Notre Dame
14-yard line. Wimbush followed up with a screen to sophomore wide receiver Kevin Stepherson, which dropped incomplete. But he targeted the wideout again on the next play — this time with a different result. Stepherson took the pass from Wimbush to the house for an 83-yard touchdown, Notre Dame’s longest passing play since 2010. However, on the very next possession, the Cardinal struck back. A pass interference call on Irish junior cornerback Shaun Crawford helped Stanford march down the field, as sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello connected with junior wide receiver Trenton Irwin to tie the game at seven. And from there, the back-andforth nature of the first three quarters was afoot. After a three-and-out from the Irish, the Cardinal offense was back at it.Costello was able to lead his team down the field through the air, connecting with sophomore tight end Kaden Smith twice for gains of 20 and 26 yards before finding junior receiver JJ ArcegaWhiteside in the endzone. Irish head coach Brian Kelly said he felt the Irish secondary needed to make better plays on
the ball throughout the game. “We needed to make some plays on the ball in the air,” Kelly said. “I think if you were to, like, break down the defense, we’ve got to make some plays on the ball in the air, and we can’t put the defense on the short field like we did twice.” After a three-and-outs from either side, Notre Dame was able to produce an uncharacteristically long drive, but was unable to find the endzone, ultimately turning to junior kicker Justin Yoon. Wimbush marched the Irish 69 yards in 15 plays, eating four-and-a-half minutes of clock, highlighted by junior wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown’s first reception of the night for eight yards to pick up the drive’s first first down and gains of 13 from both Stepherson and Wimbush, whose rush put Notre Dame at the Stanford 21-yard line. Wimbush threw to the end zone on first down, but it fell incomplete as graduate student tight end Durham Smythe couldn’t hang on. After an Irish penalty and a five-yard throw to Williams, Wimbush’s third-down pass see UNRAVEL PAGE 3
Irish second-half mistakes prove costly By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate Sports Editor
STANFORD, Calif. — For a moment, it seemed like Notre Dame had Stanford on its heels. After a back-and-forth first half that saw both the Irish (93) and the Cardinal (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) struggle to establish the run game and instead turn to their quarterbacks for an offensive spark, Notre Dame came out swinging. On the first play of the second half, junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush found fellow junior Equanimeous St. Brown on a simple slant route, and the wideout raced past Stanford senior linebacker Jordan Perez and down the sideline 75 yards for the score. The Irish defense then managed to halt a Cardinal drive and force a field goal, as Stanford pushed all the way to see MISTAKES PAGE 2