4 elements that defined Notre Dame’s stunning rivalry loss to Stanford; 1 unique stat, 1 thing to pivot forward
By John Brice
Special Contributor
Somehow, after a three-game winning streak that spanned four weeks of its season, Notre Dame took a step back from an execution standpoint Saturday night inside sold-out Notre Dame Stadium.
The result? The Fighting Irish’s second home loss this season – and another game in which Notre Dame was poised to win if it just protected its fourth-quarter opportunities.
First-year coach Marcus Freeman laid bare the Irish situation after the 16-14 loss to intersectional rival Stanford.
“It’s just frustrating, man,” Freeman said post-game. “Frustrating. We’ve got to be better. We’ll find a way. Trust me. We’re 3-3, we’re going to evaluate and get better. There’s no other choice.
“We’ve got a bunch of seniors dying to improve. Today’s result is not what we wanted. We’re going to swallow this pill and get our heads back up, which we will. I might be the worst one (for being frustrated).
FOUR ELEMENTS THAT LEAVE NOTRE DAME AT 3-3 MIDWAY THROUGH ITS 2022 CAMPAIGN
38:38: The Irish were held scoreless for the first time this season, and the third time since 2019 after also being shut out in the first halves against Michigan (2019) and Cincinnati (2021) but the offense finally appeared to break through with Audric Estimè’s 10-yard scoring run, in which the sophomore tailback was scarcely touched, 7 minutes, 38 seconds into the third quarter.
5: Stanford and Notre Dame combined to fumble the football five times in the contest, but while the Cardinal twice dropped the ball on the ground, it did not commit a turnover in the game – though not without some controversy, as Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee appeared to uncork a pivotal fourth-quarter fumble that the Pac-12 officiating crew overturned.
Meanwhile, the Irish fumbled three times and lost two of those three miscues.
41: Tobias Merriweather’s first career catch, on the very first snap of the fourth quarter, vaulted Notre Dame to its first – and only – lead in this contest. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound freshman from West Camas, Washington, broke cleanly away from the Stanford defense and raced under Drew Pyne’s pass in the seam for a 41-yard score and a 14-13 lead after Blake Grupe’s extra-point kick.