Notre Dame Fans Fully Embrace a Low-Stress Day of Football vs Stanford

After weeks of intense matchups, Notre Dame fans enjoyed a low-stress football Saturday before the next big test.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) reaches out to stiff arm Stanford linebacker Gaethan Bernadel (0) during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Irish overwhelm & outman the Cardinal

After a very well-timed and much-needed break from action for a week, Notre Dame returned to action Saturday afternoon in South Bend to square off with long-time rival Stanford. After a slow start that saw the Irish trail Stanford 7-0 in the first quarter, the Irish dominated the afternoon completely on both sides of the football.

Just like the team, Irish fans needed the break as well. It has been an incredibly wild roller-coaster featuring some mega highs such as the Texas A&M win and some serious lows with the loss to Northern Illinois.

With both the team and fans feeling rejuvenated, this dominating 49-7 win was most welcomed and appreciated by all in Irish nation. This is a terrific start to the post-break portion of the schedule.

There's plenty to like on both sides of the ball for Notre Dame

Callers to the Always Irish post-game show really enjoyed seeing Notre Dame have success through the air this afternoon. Albeit against a porous and banged-up Cardinal secondary, the Irish put up their best passing numbers of the season with Leonard throwing for 229 yards and 3 TDs.

Perhaps this kind of break-out performance can lead to some increased confidence in the passing game that will carry over into the second half of the season.

Callers were also very impressed with the way Notre Dame's defense shut down Stanford after the first long touchdown drive. Even with a defense that has been dealing with a boatload of injuries, this group continues to play winning football each week. This was another terrific performance.

the next task? Playing this brand of football in Atlanta against a tough Georgia Tech team.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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