BallHype - Latest Stanford Cardinal News Articles

Notre Dame-Stanford: Jimmy Clausen's Career Day Helps Irish Clip Cardinal

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 23:44:00 +1900

Jimmy Clausen threw for a career-high 347 yards and three touchdowns and the Irish defense was very opportunistic, intercepting Stanford three times, as the Irish held on for a 28-21 victory over the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday and improved to 4-1. The Irish took a 28-7 lead into the fourth quarter and closed out the game by forcing Stanford into a turnover on downs with 2:24 left. Stanford got the ball again with eight seconds left but fumbled on their own 10-yard line to end the game. Clausen, who has had back-to-back career games in terms of passing yards (275 and 347 yards respectively), looked to have total command of the offense this week as he completed 29 of 40 passes. His three touchdown passes were from 21, 48, and 16 yards out. Michael Floyd led the Irish receivers with five catches for 115 yards. Floyd and Clausen connected on a 48-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter to give the Irish a 21-7 halftime lead. The Irish put the finishing touches on with a 16-yard ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Jimmy Clausen, Stanford Cardinal

Notre Dame vs. Stanford: Keys To An Irish Win

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 01:40:10 +1900

The Fighting Irish take on the Stanford Cardinal Saturday. Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has injected a dose of energy into the program, maximizing the potential of his players. The strength of the Cardinal is a potent rushing attack and the ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks. Through five contests Stanford has rushed for 168.4 yards per game. Additionally, their top three backs are averaging greater than 5.3 yards per carry. This comes against competition that allows approximately 129 yards rushing per game at a rate of 3.8 yards per carry. For the second straight week the Irish will face a very proficient red zone offense. The direct result of an effective running game, Stanford’s offense is converting 92 percent of red zone attempts into scores. With an aggressive, blitzing defense similar to that of Notre Dame, Stanford has also recorded 15 sacks. But that is really where the good ends and the problems begin. This season, Stanford has passed for only 140 yards per game. The ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Jim Harbaugh, Jimmy Clausen, Charlie Weis, Stanford Cardinal

Brain's Battle Game Preview: Notre Dame (3-1) Vs. Stanford (3-2)

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 17:59:50 +1900

By Nick Shepkowski of Domer Sports Report Coming off an impressive second half showing against Purdue which made the Irish 3-1 on the young season, Notre Dame welcomes the Stanford Cardinal to South Bend this Saturday afternoon. Coming one week before the Irish visit Chapel Hill, and likely their toughest opponent before USC, this turns into an immediate trap game for the Irish in my eyes. So, what does Notre Dame have to do on Saturday to be ensure a 4-1 record when they travel to North Carolina next week? In order to win Saturday, the Irish will have to slow down the Cardinal running game, something Notre Dame failed to do in their only loss of the season at Michigan State. Stanford is just as much run-dominated as MSU, but the Cardinal lack the talent MSU offered. Toby Gerhart will get the bulk of the carries for the Cardinal as he enters this weekend with 74 carries for 421 yards this season, an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Stanford will also look to Anthony Kimble, who enters with ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Stanford Cardinal

Quick Shots: Notre Dame Vs. Stanford

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 08:09:50 +1900

Atlanta, Ga. —Is Notre Dame ready for Stanford? This is a quick shot, so don't blink or you'll miss it. Stanford is coming off a two-game winning streak against San Jose St. (23-10) and Washington (35-28). While momentum is building for the Cardinal, Stanford hasn't been without its woes. In the Cardinal's two losses, it has lost by an average of 21 points. Stanford can put up numbers, but it can also be held to 17 or less. Charlie Weis cites the dual running threat of Toby Gerhart and Anthony Kimble as a real obstacle for the Irish defense, but the Stanford passing game has been less than stellar. Led by Tavita Pritchard, the Cardinal is only passing for 140 yards per game with Pritchard throwing four touchdowns and four interceptions in five contests. The Cardinal will rely heavily on the ground game of Gerhart and Kimble, even though Gerhart is questionable for the trip to South Bend. What can you expect from the Irish? Well, that is the ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Stanford Cardinal