Everett Golson hit Ben Koyack on a last gasp, 23-yard scoring strike with a minute left in the game as Notre Dame came back to take down the Stanford Cardinal by 17-14 on a rainy Saturday in South Bend. The Cardinal had taken a 14-10 lead with three minutes remaining on an 11-yard burst up the middle by Remound Wright, but Golson rallied the Irish with a clutch 65-yard drive with their undefeated season hanging in the balance. Brian VanGorder’s inspired defense shut down Stanford in the waning seconds to preserve the victory.

In a physical contest dominated by the defenses, the windy and wet conditions compounded the difficulty for two struggling offenses. Both sides suffered an inordinate number of dropped passes and special team miscues, but Notre Dame in particular frittered away precious scoring opportunities that might have obviated the need for last minute heroics. The statistics that stand out as most telling are the Irish outgained Stanford by 370-205 and held them to a mere 47 rushing yards in 32 attempts.

The teams traded punches early until a fumble by Golson at the Irish 12 handed the Cardinal a golden opportunity. Quarterback Kevin Hogan converted two plays later with a ten yard dash up the middle after faking a pitch to the outside. The Irish came up empty on two scoring chances in the second period before finally evening the score. Golson’s poor pass was intercepted by safety Jordan Richards at the Stanford two yard line, and Irish holder Hunter Smith committed the first of two costly bobbled snaps that caused missed field goals by Kyle Brindza.

The Cardinal also failed to execute the snap and hold on a field goal try with 4:26 remaining in the half, and Notre Dame finally got its offense untracked. A 33-yard run by Golson on a quarterback draw set up a well-conceived crossing route that Chris Brown took for a score from 17 yards out and a 7-7 halftime tie.

The Irish enjoyed superior field position in the third quarter but failed to capitalize. When Cole Luke intercepted his second pass of the day early in the final period, it appeared Notre Dame would finally seize control. Smith botched yet another hold on a short field goal attempt by Brindza, however, and Stanford returned the ill-fated kick to its 44 yard line. VanGorder’s charges stuffed them for one of many three and out series on the day, and the Irish offense responded with new life. Golson’s pass to Corey Robinson near midfield was followed by a facemask penalty against the Cardinal, and Notre Dame reached the Stanford 35.

Facing a fourth and two on the next series, many in the soaked crowd expected Coach Brian Kelly to eschew another field goal attempt and go for it, but Brindza and Smith came onto the field to try again. This time Smith wore gloves and handled the snap perfectly, while Brindza drilled a 45-yarder for a precarious 10-7 lead midway through the quarter.

In a game filled with costly mistakes by the hosts, the Irish committed two devastating errors that nearly sealed their doom. First, the ensuing kickoff to Stanford’s Ty Montgomery resulted in a long return to the Cardinal 42. After yielding two first downs, three Notre Dame defenders had Hogan dead to rights on a blitz for a 15 yard loss, but let him escape to throw an incomplete pass. On the next play, Hogan hit Devon Cajuste for 23 yards at the Irish ten. Wright scored three plays later on a perfectly run draw play that took Notre Dame completely by surprise.

The Irish caught a break when Jordan Williamson’s kickoff rolled out of bounds and was placed at the 35 yard line. Golson overcame a few drops and his own misfires to move his team into Stanford territory, while Cardinal Coach David Shaw abandoned his plan to pressure the quarterback in favor of a soft prevent defense. A clear pass interference penalty on Stanford moved the ball to the 22, but Golson’s attempt to run a quarterback draw on third and seven was stuffed by Kevin Anderson for a four yard loss.

Golson then dropped back on fourth down and had time to scan the field before finding Koyack running free in the left corner of the end zone. The ball arrived just before the Cardinal defenders and Koyack held on tight for the winning score. I have to admit I had a brief flashback to Irish tight end Derek Brown’s failure to hold onto a similar desperation pass by Rick Mirer back in 1990, but Koyack did not have to deal with the sun in his eyes on this dreary but glorious day.

Let’s review the pregame questions for additional insight.

Which offensive line will best protect its quarterback? Stanford’s defensive front dominated the Irish offensive line most of the day. They applied pressure and smartly forced Golson to move to his left when attempting to pass. Fortunately for Notre Dame, the Cardinal rushed only three men during the final drive.

Will Notre Dame be able to contain Montgomery? The Irish effectively blanketed Montgomery all day, but paid for his one escape on the fourth quarter kickoff return.

Which offense will have a higher success rate on third down? Each team converted fewer than 35% of its chances, as both offenses could not avoid long yardage situations throughout the day.

Can Stanford cover the speedy Irish receivers? Notre Dame clearly had an edge in this area, but too many dropped passes almost negated it. Ironically, the slowest Irish pass receiver caught the winning touchdown.

Which quarterback will refrain from turning over the ball? Each signal-caller committed two turnovers, but Golson’s were particularly untimely and costly.

Which special teams will win the battle of field position? Notre Dame generally got the better of this tug of war, but faltered by giving Montgomery a chance to return a kick.

Which defense will make a critical stand with the outcome on the line? VanGorder did not make the same mistake as his Stanford counterpart in the final moments, choosing to go after Hogan rather than play conservatively. The result was a game ending sack and intentional grounding penalty that snuffed out the visitors’ final hope.

The win, couple with losses by four of the top six teams in the AP poll, should raise Notre Dame’s credibility and standing. The notion that the Irish had not defeated a good team is no longer valid, and their statistical dominance in this matchup is also impressive. Next week’s contest has the look and feel of a classic trap game, so there can be no letup in the pursuit of the ultimate prize.