No. 5 Notre Dame at Stanford live updates: scores, highlights from Saturday night
Michael Wanbaugh
Notre Dame battled Stanford (3-8) Saturday night in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Irish (10-1) are ranked No. 5 in the AP and USA Today polls and No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings and still have a chance to qualify for their third CFP appearance in the past four seasons.
ND Insider beat writers @EHansenNDI, @TJamesNDI and @tnoieNDI are covered the game and will have complete postgame coverage, along with South Bend Tribune photographer @MLCaterina.
In the meantime, here's a transcript on how the game progressed:
Recapping
► Instant Observations: Irish take care of business in regular-season finale at Stanford
►Scoring summary: No. 5 Notre Dame 45, Stanford 14
11:21 p.m. — FINAL: Notre Dame 45, Stanford 14
FOURTH QUARTER
► Notre Dame 38, Stanford 7
Score: Tyler Buchner 33 run (Doerer kick) at 14:33
Drive: Three plays, 72 yards, eight seconds elapsed following Stanford punt.
Key plays: Chris Tyree ran for 33 yards on the final play of the third quarter before Williams went for six on the first play of the fourth to set up the Buchner bust-out.
► Notre Dame 38, Stanford 14
Score: Benjamin Yurosek 49 pass from Tanner McKee
Drive: Six plays, 75 yards, 2:49 elapsed time following Notre Dame kickoff.
Key plays: McKee found Elijah Higgins for 13 yards on the play before the crossing-route scoring connection
► Notre Dame 45, Stanford 14
Score: Williams 12 run (Doerer kick) at :58.
Drive: Nine plays, 77 yards, 5:26 elapsed following Stanford score.
Key plays: Mayer caught a 34-yard pass from Coan, which set the single-season reception mark for an Irish tight end with 64. Later in the drive, Coan found Mitchell Evans for 13 yards.
10:50 — Score alert: Notre Dame 38, Stanford 14
10:42 — Notre Dame 38, Stanford 7
► Notre Dame 38, Stanford 7
Score: Tyler Buchner 33 run (Doerer kick) at 14:33
Drive: Three plays, 72 yards, eight seconds elapsed following Stanford punt.
Key plays: Chris Tyree ran for 33 yards on the final play of the third quarter before Williams went for six on the first play of the fourth to set up the Buchner bust-out.
10:38 — End of 3rd: Irish 31, Stanford 7
10:10 — Irish respond: Notre Dame 31, Stanford 7
► Notre Dame 31, Stanford 7
Score: Coan 1 run (Doerer kick) at 11;31.
Drive: Four plays, 75 yards, 1:35 elapsed time following Stanford kickoff.
Key plays: Lenzy took a reverse pitch and had nothing but open field ahead of him after 12 yards, only to slip on the natural grass surface and fall down. Next play, Austin took a Coan pass 61 yards to the Cardinal 2. Coan scored two plays later.
10:03 p.m. — Score alert: Notre Dame 24, Stanford 7
► Notre Dame 24, Stanford 7
Score: Austin Jones 5 run (Joshua Karty kick) at 13:06.
Drive: Two plays, 13 yards, 39 seconds elapsed time following Notre Dame turnover.
Key play: It came on defense for the Cardinal as safety Jonathan McGill stepped in front of an attempted Coan pass to Mayer and returned it 23 yards deep into Irish territory. Stanford scored two plays later.
9:36 — Halftime: Notre Dame 24, Stanford 0
SECOND QUARTER
► Notre Dame 14, Stanford 0
Score: George Takacs 2 pass from Coan (Doerer kick) at 14:30
Drive: Nine plays, 69 yards, 3:10 elapsed following Cardinal punt.
Key plays: With the Irish pushed into a third-and-19 call, Coan found Williams for 15 yards before connecting with Austin for eight yards on fourth down. Lenzy also caught a Coan crossing route offering before a Cardinal penalty put the ball at the 2 and set up the Takacs scoring catch.
► Notre Dame 17, Stanford 0
Score: Doerer 36 field goal at 11:27.
Drive: Four plays, five yards, 2:23 elapsed following Justin Ademilola forced fumble and fumble recovery deep in Cardinal territory.
Key plays: A Logan Diggs 19-yard run was nullified by a Cain Madden holding penalty before a snap infraction by center Jarett Patterson put the Irish in second-and-24. Coan found Mayer for five and 14 yards to set up the field goal.
► Notre Dame 24, Stanford 0
Score: Kyren Williams 1 run (Doerer kick)
Drive: Twelve plays, 75 yards, 5:09 elapsed following Cardinal punt.
Key plays: Much of the drive, like much of the first half, was Coan in the pocket and dealing to different guys. Like to wide freshman Lorenzo Styles for 12 yards and Mayer for 24. Only two of the 12 plays in the drive failed to gain yardage.
9:21 — Touchdown Notre Dame. Irish 24, Stanford 0
9:01 p.m. — Notre Dame 17, Stanford 0
► Notre Dame 17, Stanford 0
Score: Doerer 36 field goal at 11:27.
Drive: Four plays, five yards, 2:23 elapsed following Justin Ademilola forced fumble and fumble recovery deep in Cardinal territory.
Key plays: A Logan Diggs 19-yard run was nullified by a Cain Madden holding penalty before a snap infraction by center Jarett Patterson put the Irish in second-and-24. Coan found Mayer for five and 14 yards to set up the field goal.
8:50 p.m. — Notre Dame 14, Stanford 0
► Notre Dame 14, Stanford 0
Score: George Takacs 2 pass from Coan (Doerer kick) at 14:30
Drive: Nine plays, 69 yards, 3:10 elapsed following Cardinal punt.
Key plays: With the Irish pushed into a third-and-19 call, Coan found Williams for 15 yards before connecting with Austin for eight yards on fourth down. Lenzy also caught a Coan crossing route offering before a Cardinal penalty put the ball at the 2 and set up the Takacs scoring catch.
8:45 p.m. — End of first: Irish 7, Stanford 0
8:18 p.m. — Notre Dame 7, Stanford 0
Score: Braden Lenzy 16 pass from Jack Coan (Jonathan Doerer kick) at 9:40.
Drive: Five plays, 74 yards, 3:00 elapsed following Stanford punt.
Key plays: Coan went 5-for-5 on the drive, which started with a 33-yard connection to Kevin Austin Jr. Chris Tyree ran for five and six yards before Coan and Austin again connected, this time for six yards. Stanford was whistled for offsides three times on the drive, including the point after.
8:10 p.m. — Underway in Palo Alto
Stanford ball. Notre Dame's defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in three games.
7:50 p.m. — Just minutes from kickoff
7:12 p.m. — Injury report | No Cross for ND
Notre Dame's defensive line depth will be a bit thinner Saturday night in Stanford Stadium. The Irish announced backup nose guard Howard Cross III will be unavailable for the AP No. 5 Irish (10-1) in their regular season finale (8 p.m. EST on FOX) at Stanford (3-8).
► More:Notre Dame without backup nose guard Howard Cross III for Stanford game
Pregaming
► Four players to watch when No. 5 Notre Dame visits Stanford
► Pod of Gold: Mike McGlinchey on the evolution of Notre Dame's football program
► Notre Dame's offensive line can finish the regular season with a statement at Stanford
