Box Score (PDF) | Notre Dame Postgame Notes | Brian Kelly Post-Game Press Conference Transcript | Michael Mayer Postgame Transcript
PALO ALTO, Calif. — The No. 5/5/6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) won its seventh straight game to close out the 2021 regular season, defeating Stanford (3-9) by a final score of 45-14 in Palo Alto.
Michael Mayer had a big performance, tying his career high for catches in a game with nine for 105 yards. The sophomore set the Notre Dame single-season record for catches by a tight end with 64 on the season, passing Tyler Eifert (63).
Coan continued his impressive run of games, finishing 26-for-35 for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Austin Jr. led the Irish air attack, catching six passes for a game-high 125 yards.
On the ground Kyren Williams paced the Irish with 74 yards on 19 carries, including two rushing touchdowns. The 74 yards give Williams 1,002 on the season, becoming just the fifth Notre Dame running back in program history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and first since Darius Walker did so in 2005-06.
Notre Dame’s defense limited Stanford to just two drives that went for more than 25 yards in the game, both coming in the fourth quarter when the game was in hand. The Cardinal offense finished with just 227 yards, compared to Notre Dame’s 510.
The Irish defense continued its strong play in the month of November, forcing a quick three-and-out on the game’s opening drive by Stanford. The offense went straight to work, driving 74-yards in just five plays. Coan found Lenzy for a 16-yard touchdown pass to cap the drive and put the Irish on top 7-0.
Notre Dame doubled its lead in the opening minute of the second quarter, as George Takacs hauled in his first touchdown of the season, a two-yard touchdown from Coan to make the score 14-0.
The defense continued to swarm and caused the first turnover of the game on Stanford’s next possession. Justin Ademilola strip sacked the quarterback and then recovered the fumble himself to give the Irish a short field. Notre Dame tacked on a field goal to push the lead to 17-0 with over 11 minutes left in the half.
The Irish made the score 24-0 before the end of the second quarter, scoring a touchdown on its longest drive of the half. Notre Dame marched down the field, going 75-yards over 12 plays in just over five minutes of game time. Kyren Williams scored his 13th rushing touchdown of the year with a one-yard drive to put an exclamation mark on the drive.
The Cardinal got on the board early in the third quarter. The hosts picked off a Notre Dame pass and returned it to the Irish 13-yard line. Two plays later they found the endzone with an Austin Jones five-yard rushing touchdown to cut the Irish lead to 24-7.
Notre Dame abruptly restored its 24-point lead, scoring its fourth touchdown of the night on the ensuing drive to make the score 31-7. The big play of the possession was a 61-yard pass from Coan to Kevin Austin Jr. to set up a one-yard quarterback sneak touchdown from Coan.
The Irish weren’t done scoring on the night, finding the endzone on a three-play, 72-yard drive to take its largest lead of the game at 38-7. Chris Tyree and Tyler Buchner each had a 33-yard carry during the possession with Buchner finding paydirt for his third rushing touchdown of the year.
Stanford scored its second touchdown of the evening early in the fourth quarter before Williams found the endzone for the second time in the game with a 12-yard run with under a minute left in regulation, making the final score 45-14.
With the regular season in the books, the Irish await their postseason matchup which will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 5.
—ND—
