Notre Dame is 7-2 ATS in its last nine visits to Stanford Stadium according to the OddsShark College Football Database.
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Notre Dame opened as a 2 point favorite, but the line quickly swung in Stanford’s favor.
As it turns out, despite the ominous feeling presiding over the stadium, the Cardinal weren’t ready to concede their faint playoff hopes.
“This team all year made a point to let everyone know what our mission was”, Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer told reporters in Palo Alto, Calif., after the game.
The point here is Notre Dame didn’t need a conference championship game to make the playoff. “We had a number of opportunities in the red zone that we should have converted, or could have converted into touchdowns that we had to settle for field goals”.
Hogan threw for 269 yards and led the winning drive in the final 30 seconds for the Cardinal (10-2), which kept its slim playoff hopes alive. The play was ruled a touchdown on the field, but replay appeared to show Kizer’s knee hitting the turf just before the ball crossed the plane. Win that one and it’s off to the national semifinals. With the win, the Cardinal pushed themselves deeper into the Playoff mix while shuffling the Fighting Irish (10-2) out of the picture. The Cowboys are now ranked eleventh in the playoff rankings so it doesn’t seem that a win would catapult them all the way into the top four, but I have to admit that I have no idea how the committee would judge this situation as they have been all over the place in their explanations thus far. “Football’s not gymnastics. There are style points in gymnastics”. One play at Clemson and one play here at Stanford. However, the Irish schedule very hard games every season. Cook went 19 of 26 for 248 yards. “We find ourselves in a good position today”. “Just so grateful that we could get this win for our seniors”.
It was a fitting conclusion to a taut, entertaining game in which the offenses did as they pleased. It hasn’t been pretty, just effective.
In the process, they all but laid out the carpet for Oklahoma to reach the playoffs.
Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the Sooners to the Big 12 Conference title. And while that wouldn’t be that big of a deal if we were staring at an undefeated Irish squad, we weren’t.
Hogan is coming off perhaps his signature performance in his final home game. But this one? I could tell.
“I ran out there, looked at Dallas and said, ‘I mean, shoot, man, might as well just make it.’ It’s the same kick we have done hundreds of times in practice”, Ukropina said.
Asked if Stanford felt the responsibility of carrying the Pac-12 in terms of national respect, Shaw had this response: “We represent Stanford”. That was the plan, at least.
But even in their last ever 30 seconds playing in front of their home crowd, there was no sense of desperation or distress in that final huddle – only excitement and confidence. Smith has 99 total tackles, as well as eight tackles for a loss this season. After all, when was the last time any SEC team scheduled a true road game against a quality opponent?
Hogan came out of the gates firing, and found Remound Wright for a 1-yard score to cap off Stanford’s first possession.
After Shaw handed Hogan the game ball – it was his 34th victory as a starter, a school record – they embraced and exchanged pleasantries.
On a Thanksgiving weekend that featured two meaningless, blowout NFL games, college football took their time in the spotlight to heart.
NO. 8 OHIO STATE 42, NO. 12 MI 13: Ezekiel Elliott ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns for Ohio State in its win over MI.
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2002 The last season Notre Dame had a player return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same year, until Sanders did it in 2015. “Perfect way to finish the season”.
