Stanford QB Ashton Daniels still uncertain vs. Notre Dame

Two straight losses has Stanford chomping at the bit for a win, and as they get ready for a challenging game against a bitter rival, we take a look at the most important points of this week's media availability.

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) runs as Syracuse Orange defensive back Clarence Lewis (3) defends during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Coming off of two straight losses, the Stanford Cardinal (2-3, 1-2 ACC) will head to Indiana this week where they will take on the No. 11 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, renewing a long-standing rivalry that dates back nearly 100 years. A win this week would be helpful in getting the Cardinal some momentum back on their sides when they return home, and Stanford is locked in and focused ahead of their matchup with the Irish.

Head coach Troy Taylor spoke with the media on Tuesday, giving updates as gameday approaches. Here are five takeaways from what coach Taylor said.

Ashton Daniels is back and will play this week

After going down with an injury in the fourth quarter against Syracuse and not returning, Daniels’ status leading up to last week was uncertain. Although he ended up dressing for the game against Virginia Tech, he did not play, making way for Justin Lamson to make the start instead. However, it appears that Daniels is back and fully healthy as he is expected to play this week against the Fighting Irish.

“He’ll be fine, he’s ready to play,” Taylor said. “Both he and Justin are available and ready to play so we’re happy. Ashton was available last week, but he wasn’t able to practice. We start our first practice of the week [today] and we’ll see how he does, but we think he’s going to be fine.”

Lamson held his own against the Hokies, but in what was a week that saw a much less productive passing offense than usual, having Daniels back will be a welcome sight for the Cardinal.

Stanford RB Micah Ford status uncertain

Over the past few weeks, Stanford has revitalized its running game, getting immense production from its ball carriers, particularly true freshman Micah Ford. However, getting hurt in the game against Virginia Tech leaves his status uncertain. While the team is hopeful that he plays, the Cardinal are confident that the running back group they have can step up if need be.

“Having Micah available will be important,” Taylor said. “He’s really come along as a player and if you get him back, we have him most of the game so hopefully he’s able to play, but I like our group. Cole Tabb is a guy that we’ll eventually get back this year as well, [and] we’re really excited about him. He brings a different element as well. So yeah, I like our guys. And then Ryan Butler is a guy that’s been dealing with a little injury that should be available as well.”

Ford has been a superstar this season, and while his production will surely be needed this week, the talent pool of backs that Stanford was able to put together has the team in a good position to not skip a beat if Ford is unable to play.

Stanford will see another very challenging QB this week

All season long, the Cardinal have faced a slew of strong quarterbacks, going against Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Cade Klubnik (Clemson) and Kyron Drones (Virginia Tech) the past three weeks. But, this week could very well be the toughest quarterback that the team has played all season, as Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has established himself as one of the nation’s top passers, joining the Irish prior to this season after a stellar three-year stint as Duke’s starting quarterback.

“He’s a dual threat guy,” Taylor said. “They do a really good job of utilizing him in the run game, and he’s a good passer. He’s a true dual threat quarterback. So when they utilize him, I think perfectly, he’s very accurate as a thrower and he’s got some good weapons behind him.”

Notre Dame will be a tough team to face in all phases, but slowing Leonard will be a major step for Stanford if it wants to put themselves in a position to take home the upset.

Notre Dame defense will be a challenge

Notre Dame has had a lot of great offensive teams over the years, but one thing that makes them such a dominant program is its defense, one that has produced numerous NFL players. And this season, the Fighting Irish’s defense has been more of the same, as with the exception of a late game slip up in a loss to Northern Illinois, the team’s defense has been a big reason for them currently being ranked No. 11 in the AP polls.

“They’re very talented,” Taylor said. “They’re tremendously coached, very disciplined. When you watch their eye discipline and where they’re supposed to be and what they do, they make very few mistakes, they’re great tacklers and they’ve got really good speed. So when you talk about those things, that’s the things that kind of flash. And then the physicality of the guys up front and how they play off blocks. They do it all really well.”

The Cardinal may be very familiar with Notre Dame, but that does not mean that they will focus any less, knowing full well that they will have to come up with a good game plan if they want to score enough points against that defense.

With Jay Green out, the defensive back room will need more guys to step up

Since transferring from Washington, defensive back Jay Green has been a very important addition to the Cardinal, not only providing added depth to the defensive back core, but having been exceptionally dominant whenever he has gotten the chance to play. But with Green injured and a return still TBD, Stanford will need its other defensive backs to really step up and fill the void.

“Other guys have got to be able to step up,” Taylor said. “Aaron Morris, he’s been a guy, Jshawn [Frausto Ramos], is going to be a guy that steps up and then a couple of other guys. So, it’s one of those things where in the secondary, if you lose guys, you don’t become as versatile coverage wise and things that you are able to do. So it’s very limiting but that’s why you recruit and you coach and you get other guys ready to play.”

The hope is for Green to return soon, but if he is unable to, the Cardinal will turn to any of those depth guys with the expectation that they can deliver some lockdown performances.