STANFORD CARDINAL (7-4) VS NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (6-5)
WHERE/WHEN: Stanford Stadium, Saturday, November 28th, 5pm.
TV/RADIO: The game will be broadcast live on ABC television with Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit calling the action. XTRA Sports 860 will have the radio call with pregame activities starting at 4pm. KZSU will have the student call of the game.
THE SERIES: The series dates back to 1925. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 17-6. The Irish have won the last seven games including last years 28-21 final in South Bend. Stanford's last win was a 17-13 victory at Stanford Stadium in 2001. The schools have battled for 12 straight years and 19 out of 21 years dating back to 1988. The series is tentatively scheduled to end after the 2011 game at Stanford Stadium.
CARDINAL NOTES:
**Stanford suffered its first home loss of the season against Cal last week. Stanford is 5-1 at Stanford Stadium this year and 9-2 at home over the last two years.
**Stanford is averaging 35.4 points per game this year which ranks second in the Pac-10 and 13th nationally.
**Stanford's 345 total yards against Cal last weekend was a season low. The Cardinal average 435.5 yards per game which is first in the Pac-10 and 19th nationally.
**Stanford needs just 69 yards rushing on Saturday to tie the school's single-season rushing record with 2,481 yards set in 1949.
**Toby Gerhart has rushed for a single season record 23 touchdowns. His has 39 career touchdowns (all rushing) which is one shy of Darren Nelson's school record for career touchdowns. Gerhart is second in the nation in scoring with 12.91 points per game and leads the nation with his 23 touchdowns.
**Stanford-Notre Dame connections: Chris Owusu, Sean Wiser and Joe Dembesky were all teammates of Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen at Oaks Christian Academy in Thousand Oaks, CA. Owusu caught 33 Clausen passes 747 yards and nine touchdowns. Wiser caught 60 passes for 904 yards and nine touchdowns. Tight end Konrad Reuland and kicker Nate Whitaker both started their collegiate careers at Notre Dame before transferring to Stanford.
**15 fifth-year seniors will play their final games at Stanford Stadium this Saturday. They are: FB Josh Catron, RB Blaise Johnson, TE Jim Dray, OT Matt Kopa (could he get a medical redshirt for next year???), Chris Marinelli, James McGillicuddy, Tavita Pritchard, Allen Smith, Kris Evans, Erik Lorig, Tom McAndrew, Bo McNally, Will Powers, Clinton Snyder and Ekom Udofia.
**Stanford has outscored its opponents 119-50 in the first quarter and 104-65 in the second quarter.
**Toby Gerhart has rushed for a Stanford single-season record 1,531 yards so far. His 139.2 yards per game leads the Pac-10 and ranks third nationally.
**Andrew Luck has set a single season passing record for a Stanford freshman with 2,377 yards passing Chad Hutchinson. His 13 touchdown passes is two behind Steve Stenstrom for the freshman record. Luck's 319 yards rushing is the second most in a season by a Stanford quarterback. Gene Washington rushed for 362 yards in 1966.
IRISH NOTES:
**WR and Biletnikoff finalist Golden Tate has scored a touchdown by rushing, receiving or punt return in 10 consecutive games.
**Notre Dame has scored in all but nine quarters this season. Only 11 teams have scored in a higher percentage of quarters this season.
**Jimmy Clausen has six 300-yard passing games this season which breaks Brady Quinn's school record of five set in 2005.
**Senior OT Sam Young is expected to become the first Irish football player to make 50 career starts at Notre Dame.
**Notre Dame's five losses this season have come by a total score of 21 points.
**Four of Notre Dame's six wins this season have been the result of fourth quarter comebacks.
**Notre Dame has held a time of possession advantage in nine of its 11 games this season. Only Washington and Navy held the ball longer than the Irish.
OTHER ARTICLES:
STANFORD REACTS TO TAGGART DEPARTURE
Comments