No. 2 Alabama meets Florida in the Southeastern Conference title game, which likely will have been completed by the time the USC and Stanford kick off at 4:45 p.m. Pacific time.
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An incomplete pass on first down was followed by the play of the game, a 27-yard Hogan-to-Devon Cajuste that put the Cardinal in field goal range; a Christian McCaffrey two-yard run positioned the Cardinal for a 45-yard field goal attempt, which Conrad Ukropina absolutely piped with no time left for the 36-35 win.
“Our big thing that we talked about earlier today was belief”, Cardinal coach David Shaw said. Well, it sure looks like Oklahoma is going to be in, as it isn’t having any trouble with Oklahoma State on Saturday night, and doesn’t have a Big 12 Championship game to get through.
Even then, the voters could select No. 10 North Carolina for the fourth and final spot with an upset of Clemson.
Instead, it’s the fourth-ranked Irish who are out despite a 10-win season in which they endured an astounding number of major injuries to key players. Two losses – both on the road to top-10 teams – four points and in head coach Brian Kelly’s words “two plays” from an unbeaten regular season and a berth in the second annual CFP. The Cardinal had a 474-427 edge in total yards and possessed the ball for almost 40 of the 60 minutes. “No one can tell me that there’s a more dynamic player in college football”.
“We truly thought that we were one of the best teams in the country”, Kizer said. With just seconds left on the clock, Notre Dame got the ball and finally converted in the red zone. His nine rushing touchdowns tied him with Tony Rice and Rick Mirer for the most in a season by an Irish signal caller.
“I looked at (holder Dallas Lloyd) and said, ‘Shoot, we might as well just make it”, said Ukropina, a former walk-on. “Those guys have my back, they’ve been so supportive of me and helped me go through the hard times”. Belief that, even if the game came down to the wire, they would have what it takes to win. At the beginning of the game Deshone Kizer and the Notre Dame offense didn’t touch the ball until there was just 1:48 left in the first quarter because CJ Sanders returned a kickoff for a touchdown after the initial Stanford score. His strong play was a reason the Irish were able to hold Stanford to just 176 yards in the second half.
Coming off the run-heavy Music City Bowl performance against LSU, many expected Notre Dame to turn more toward the rushing attack in 2015, with quarterback Malik Zaire and running back Tarean Folston working behind a veteran offensive line.
Scott also felt current TV deals and exposure within the Pac-12 help promote its Heisman candidates, such as last year’s victor Marcus Mariotta of Oregon.
But the tactic left the Irish vulnerable through the air, and Hogan took advantage, repeatedly finding receivers Michael Rector and Cajuste against man-to-man coverage. “So if we’re kicking field goals we’re winning as well”.
Asked how he processes such nearness, Kelly said matter-of-factly, “You really don’t”.
Notre Dame put together another long drive to open up the second half, but came up short yet again as Yoon made a 29-yard FG to put the Irish back in front. He handled Notre Dame’s up-tempo approach well, got the ball out where it needed to be and showed grittiness in the face of late Stanford pressures.
Expectations are always high from a fan and alumni base that, right or wrong, expects the Irish to compete for national championships every year.
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Eleven times in the last two games Notre Dame advanced to the red zone.
