Any hopes of Notre Dame sneaking into the College Football Playoff were crushed on Saturday night when Stanford kicker Conrad Ukropina split the uprights for a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cardinal a 38-36 win over the Fighting Irish.
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The loss ended Notre Dame’s bid for a berth in the College Football Playoff and kept Stanford’s slim hopes alive. Hogan threw a 27-yard strike to Devon Cajuste to set up the game-winning field goal. If he can do it with us huddled around him, screaming insane things at him, then he can go out and win the game against Notre Dame.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 279 yards and another score as No. 1 Clemson held off rival SC 37-32 on Saturday. McCaffrey and the gang can have a big game against an athletic Notre Dame front, but also an Irish team that has surrendered nearly 168 yards on the ground per game to opponents (though they have faced tough running teams in Georgia Tech and Navy).
Notre Dame seemed to take a lot of criticism for only beating the Eagles by three points at Fenway Park last weekend, but what most people aren’t talking about is the fact that Boston College has the No. 1-ranked defense in the country. Of course, the Fighting Irish are not alone bemoaning what could have been as the CFP becomes the singular focus of college powers judged pretty much by whether they are in or out.
Alabama’s Jake Coker completed 17 of 26 passes for 179 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown to ArDarius Stewart in the third quarter after eluding two defenders. Six points! When they were at one point averaging 11 yards per play!!!
Hogan came out of the gates firing, and found Remound Wright for a 1-yard score to cap off Stanford’s first possession.
Stanford will now move on to play USC in the Pac-12 Championship.
Both the teams come with several top of the line players.
Kizer lost a fumble in the closing seconds one play after his 48-yard scramble put the Irish in the field goal position.
Notre Dame has scored a controversial touchdown that replay upheld with 30 seconds left to take the lead by one.
The Pac-12 is going to have a hard time convincing the playoff selection committee that they deserve a team in the four team playoffs, but if anyone can make a case it would be Stanford.
Adams’ 62-yard scoring run put the Irish ahead 29-28, when a two-point conversion attempt failed.
He led Stanford on a last-minute touchdown drive to end the first half, and then again on the game-winning drive to end the game.
The bad evening started early for DeShone Kizer-who finally played like a freshman. But Notre Dame marched 88 yards for the touchdown with 30 seconds that looked like the game-winner. Notre Dame will be without star corner back KeiVarae Russell, out for the remainder of the season with a fractured tibia, and potentially breakout running back C.J. Prosise, doubtful with an ankle sprain, just adding to the list injuries the Irish have had to overcome this year.
Let’s find out what else we learned in Notre Dame 19-16 victory.
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The Tigers stayed close into the fourth, aided by Jason Smith’s 77-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, which he twice tipped back to himself.
