Stanford took its first drive of the game and basically shoved the ball down Notre Dame’s throat. Suddenly, there were flashbacks of last year’s shootout, where the Irish needed late game heroics.
Not today. Notre Dame 31, Stanford 10.
The defense made plays all day, without Tom Zbikowski, the unit’s emotional leader. Aside from being sucked into another trick play, the defense kept a good Stanford offense in check. Before that halfback pass, Stanford had only 113 yards for the day. Only 69 of those were passing yards. And that was early in the fourth quarter.
The defense was flying around the field. The line was able to put pressure on the quarterback, getting five sacks, and the linebackers filled nicely. At the end of the day, Stanford had only 14 first downs and failed to convert a late fourth down.
Why is that important?
Well, it compliments the offense. The defensive effort allowed Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weiss to call his game. He could run the ball at will and pick his spots for down the field throws. The result was another strong showing by the offensive. Brady Quinn finished with with 232 yards, going 27 for 37. He had three receivers with more than six catches.
Then there was Walker, who just gashed the Stanford defense and helped control the clock all game. Walker ran for more than 150 yards on 25 carries, including a 32 yard touchdown run. It was his longest of the season.
So the moral of this story is simple. If Notre Dame’s defense can continue to improve and put the offense in good situations, the Irish will have a great chance against USC.
October 7, 2006...9:45 pm
A defensive showing
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