The Fighting Irish return home to face the 19^th ranked Stanford Cardinal on Saturday in a matchup of talented offensive units and defenses in search of respect. Coach Jim Harbaugh has transformed the Cardinal from a finesse, pass-oriented team to one that manhandles opponents and is not afraid to run pour it on. Consequently, the rivalry between the schools has intensified in recent years, and the games have been close, hard-hitting affairs.

Notre Dame is coming off two heartbreaking losses and is in no mood to be bullied. Brian Kelly’s troops have demonstrated considerable fight, but they have not made the necessary plays at key points during games that lead to victory. The Irish must move past the current string of seven narrow defeats in the past eight games dating back to last season. Many fans believe that one hard fought win, particularly in the role of the underdog, is the spark the program needs to get back to its winning ways. This certainly would be a good week for Notre Dame to make such a statement.

Stanford will have other ideas, of course. The 3-0 visitors stuffed UCLA by 35-0 and viewers could not see Wake Forest through the Trees in last week’s 68-24 romp. The Irish will present a tougher test, but the recipe for victory will most likely have to include at least 30 points. This means the offense will have to convert scoring chances into touchdowns and eliminate the costly turnovers in enemy territory that have plagued them to this point in the season.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE VS. STANFORD’S DEFENSE

The Irish have the talent to challenge the Cardinal pass defense, which has surrendered an incredibly stingy 90 yards per game. Stanford has also recorded 11 sacks in its three games, led by outside linebacker Chase Thomas. Despite these gaudy statistics, Notre Dame matches up well with a very ordinary secondary, with the notable exception of talented free safety Michael Thomas.

It will be easier to throw the ball and use play-action if the Irish can get back to a more balanced attack. Stanford has given up over 150 rushing yards (discounting sacks) to fairly weak offensive teams, so there is opportunity to gain some real estate if Notre Dame can avoid playing from behind most of the day. Nose tackle Sione Fua is a formidable presence in the middle of the revamped 3-4 defensive alignment, and inside linebackers Shayne Skov and Owen Marecic are always around the ball. Skov is returning from injury and Max Bergen filled in quite capably during his absence. Expect the Irish to attack the perimeter with Armando Allen rather than test the interior core of this defense.

Turnovers have hurt Notre Dame this year, especially when the offense is deep in enemy territory. The Irish must convert, preferably with a touchdown, on every scoring chance this week in order to keep pace with the potent Cardinal offense. They will certainly be motivated to engage in a physical battle this week, but the question is whether they can sustain the effort for 60 minutes without costly lapses.

STANFORD’S OFFENSE VS. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Dual threat quarterback Andrew Luck is the beneficiary of a quality offensive line, a productive running game and a few capable weapons at wide receiver. Luck has completed 64% of his passes with no interceptions and only one sack. He also has the team’s longest run from scrimmage this season at 52 yards. The Cardinal employ a number of running backs now that workhorse Toby Gerhart has moved on to the NFL. Stepfan Taylor leads the group and brings speed in the starting role, while the hard-running Tyler Gaffney is usually employed in the red zone. Usua Amanam will also see action in the rotation. Harbaugh’s offense is somewhat of a throwback in that they use a fullback with only two wide receivers. Incredibly, Marecic handles the lead blocking chores in addition to his role as a starting linebacker.

Leading playmaker Chris Owusu is ready to catch Luck’s passes after missing two games this season. Doug Baldwin lines up on the other side, and he has always performed well against Notre Dame. The Cardinal will be forced to play without possession receiver Ryan Whalen, but the combination of Owusu and Baldwin will be difficult to contain.

Stanford’s offensive line is a veteran group led by a trio of fifth year seniors. They are equally adept when blocking for the run or the pass, as evidenced by the average output of 242 rush yards and 233 pass yards. The tight end slot will be manned by former Irish player Konrad Reuland and Coby Fleener.

While the Cardinal have racked up some very impressive statistics, the achievement that best defines their success to date is red zone efficiency. In 19 trips this season, Stanford has scored 16 touchdowns and three field goals. Their strength is that they challenge a defense to match them physically, and they have the weapons to force opponents to defend the entire field. Just when you have those problems solved, Luck can still beat you with his arm or his legs. Obviously, Notre Dame is going to have to play exceptionally well to stop them.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Irish can use a boost from special teams this week, but they don’t appear to have an advantage on paper. Owusu and Baldwin are dangerous kickoff and punt returners that must be contained. Notre Dame showed some promise in the return game in the season opener, but recent efforts have been very ordinary.

Nate Whitaker, also a former Irish player, is the Cardinal place kicker. He has developed a strong leg but can be erratic at times. On the rare occasions when Stanford has been forced to punt, Dan Zychlinski has averaged 48 yards. The Irish duo of kicker David Ruffer and punter Ben Turk have been solid.

SUMMARY

This is a tough matchup for Notre Dame, but the hosts may loosen up and play with a “nothing to lose” mentality after two frustrating games. The Irish simply cannot beat themselves with turnovers and by settling for field goals in the red zone. Defensively, getting stops may be a tall order against an exceptional quarterback, but it can be done if Notre Dame can apply some pressure. The biggest hurdle for the Irish may be the mental one, where they not only play hard but start to make plays at critical moments.

Let’s consider a few questions that may determine the outcome:

Will the Irish defense keep Stanford from running downhill?

Will turnovers once again hurt Notre Dame?

Can the Irish cornerbacks cover Baldwin and Owusu?

Will Dayne Crist be able to exploit Stanford’s secondary?

Which defense will apply pressure to the passer?

Can Notre Dame approach the offensive balance of the Cardinal?

PREDICTION

A win for the Irish could ignite a reversal of fortunes for a prideful yet frustrated group of athletes. These teams do not particularly like each other, and Harbaugh will run up the score if given the opportunity. If Notre Dame can channel its emotions into a consistent, disciplined performance, it has the talent to pull out a victory. More likely, however, Stanford will demonstrate why it is the better team in the third year of Harbaugh’s regime and the second season for Luck as the starting quarterback. The Irish are not as far along on the curve just three games into Brian Kelly’s tenure, but this game should not be a runaway.

STANFORD 38  NOTRE DAME 27