Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium saw the Irish extend their dominance over Stanford, pulling off a 49-7 win in a classic beatdown. Despite a weather delay in the fourth quarter, the Irish showed no signs of slowing down, improving their all-time record against the Cardinal to 24-14 and 14-5 at home.
The game began with Stanford winning the toss and deferring, allowing Notre Dame to receive the opening kickoff. The Irish took to the field, defending the south end zone to the cheers of a sellout crowd of 77,622 – the 10th consecutive sellout in Notre Dame Stadium.
Mother Nature had other plans. Lightning in the area forced a delay that stretched from 6:10 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. ET. That pause, however, only gave the Irish more time to lock in and continue their impressive performance. Coming off a bye week, Notre Dame extended its good fortune, boasting a 60-14-1 record after byes since 1950, including 16 wins in their last 17 games in such situations.
Records and Milestones for Notre Dame
The Irish have now won 15 straight games played on October 12, their only loss on this date coming in 1901 against Northwestern. At home, they’re even more unbeatable on this day—now a perfect 11-0 overall and 9-0 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame’s efficiency after bye weeks remains flawless, moving to 4-0 with Freeman at the helm in such games. With the win, the Irish improved to an impressive 217-84-3 record against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), extending their streak to 20 consecutive victories against ACC foes at home.
The defense was relentless again, holding Stanford to just 200 yards. This marked the fourth time this season that Notre Dame held an opponent under 250 total yards—an accomplishment they’ve achieved 12 times in the Freeman era. On the flip side, Notre Dame rushed for 229 yards, the most surrendered by Stanford this season, surpassing the previous high of 150 yards allowed to Clemson.
Notable Notre Dame Performances
The Irish defense made its mark early and often. Senior defensive lineman Howard Cross III had a monster performance, recording two sacks in a single drive during the second quarter. It marked his second career multi-sack game, the first coming in 2021 against Georgia Tech.
Riley Leonard, the senior quarterback, added to his resume with a first-quarter rushing touchdown—his 27th career score on the ground. That tally places him just two touchdowns behind Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (29) for the lead among active quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns. Leonard’s eighth rushing touchdown of the season also propelled him into sixth place on Notre Dame’s single-season list, tied with former Irish quarterbacks DeShone Kizer (2016) and Everett Golson (2014).
Linebacker Jack Kiser etched his name into the Irish history books by appearing in his 59th career game, tying DJ Brown (2019-23) for fourth on Notre Dame’s all-time list. Meanwhile, Howard Cross III moved into fifth place with his 57th career appearance.
Fighting Irish Firsts
Several players made vital contributions with milestone moments. Freshman running back Aneyas Williams scored his first career rushing touchdown – a 19-yard run in the fourth quarter. Receiver Kris Mitchell also found the end zone for the first time in his Notre Dame career, capping off the scoring in the first half with a critical touchdown reception.
Jayden Thomas grabbed his first receiving touchdown of the season, a 15-yard strike in the second quarter, bringing his career total to six. Junior defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio made his long-awaited return to action after suffering an injury in fall camp.
Offensive lineman Pat Coogan made a heads-up play with his first career reception of a deflection—an 11-yard gain on a tipped pass that extended the drive. Coogan joked in post-game it was the first time he’d touched a football other than to snap it.
Final Thoughts
The Irish continued their dominance on October 12, coming off a bye week and over ACC opponents. With more milestones reached and records broken, Notre Dame looks primed to continue its upward trajectory in the weeks ahead.
