Keys to Victory For Notre Dame vs Stanford - Defense Edition

Here are four keys for the Notre Dame defense against the Cardinal offense.

1. Dominate The Line Of Scrimmage - Stanford actually has solid skill talent in the pass game. Quarterback Ashton Daniels has some tools and there are plenty of quality pass catchers, led by standout sophomore receiver Elic Ayomanor, who will be looking to top the 1,000-yard mark in the final game of the season for the Cardinal.

Notre Dame has an elite secondary, which should allow it to keep the pass game in check, but the Irish need to control the line of scrimmage in order to dominate this matchup.

The first objective this accomplishes is shutting down the run game. If there has been a weakness on defense this season it has been the run game. Notre Dame needs to finish strong on the ground. That will also make Stanford a very one dimensional offense, which makes it much harder for the Cardinal to move the ball. Stanford also ranks 119th in sacks allowed, which means if they can shut down the run game it also likely leads to them putting pressure on Daniels.

2. Contain The Quarterback's Running Ability - Daniels has shown a willingness and ability to do damage with his legs. He leads the Stanford offense with 288 rushing yards, and his 81 rushing yards and two scores was key to Stanford giving No. 4 Washington a game.

He's the kind of athlete that can convert third downs with his legs and extend drives if you don't show discipline in the run lanes. If Daniels is kept in check I have a very hard time seeing the Stanford offense doing much against Notre Dame.

3. Limit Big Plays - The other concern is that Stanford is able to generate 4-5 big plays that somewhat negates the otherwise dominant performance by the defense. Ayomanor has the size and speed to make plays down the field, and if Notre Dame doesn't show discipline it could allow the Cardinal to hit some trick plays for big gains. 

Stanford isn't good enough to just outplay Notre Dame for big plays. This is about Notre Dame controlling the line and executing snap after snap. If they do that the Irish will dominate this game, if they don't Stanford has enough weapons to make them pay for it.

4. Dominate Third Down - Notre Dame's third down defense is one other area where the defense hasn't always been as good as it needs to be. Stanford was better on third-down than they should have been a year ago, and Notre Dame cannot allow that to happen again this season.