| Notre Dame running back Cierre Wood (20) signals 6-0 after the Irish defeated Stanford 20-13 in overtime at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday. (US Presswire) |
Earlier this week Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly described bruising Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor as the heart of the Cardinal team for his relentlessness and ability to withstand contact. On a fourth-and-goal run from the Irish 1 in overtime, Taylor showed why.
Taylor escaped a backside tackle from Irish DB Bennett Jackson, kept his legs churning and continued forward. Notre Dame LB Carlo Calabrese grabbed Taylor’s rain-soaked jersey and appeared to stop his forward progress. Taylor pirouetted on top of a pile and thrust the ball near the goal line. Swarms of Irish fans rushed from the stands as Taylor was ruled short, evoking memories of the 2005 finish between Notre Dame and USC when hundreds of students were cleared off the field by officials.
Another lengthy review ensued. This time, though, the play stood and the No. 7 Irish prevailed 20-13 over the No. 17 Cardinal in a driving rainstorm in South Bend on Saturday.
“It was just a matter of whether the whistle ended the play or not,” Kelly told NBC after the game. “There was no question his forward progress was stopped. The credit goes to our defense.”
A defense that entered the game ranked in the top 20 nationally in nine defensive categories found a way to persevere in the tense final moments. Stanford advanced to the Irish 4 on a 12-yard rush up the middle by Taylor in overtime, but Notre Dame held on a pulsating goal-line stand. Taylor had four chances to punch it in. On the game’s penultimate play -- a third-and-goal from the 1 -- the 215-pound senior was stuffed up the middle by Irish LB Manti Te’o.
“This team will scratch, claw and do whatever it takes to win,” Te’o told NBC. “Our head coach and coaching staff does a tremendous job of preparing us for situations like this. When we walked into overtime we knew we just had to stick together and execute. That’s what we did.”
Notre Dame (6-0) hasn’t allowed a touchdown on defense since a Sept. 8 win over Purdue. Three of the Irish four opponents during the stretch had been ranked in the top 25 when the teams met. Stanford (4-2, 2-1 Pac 12), meanwhile, has yet to score an offensive touchdown on the road this season.
| Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor (33) attempts to stretch across the goal line in overtime against Notre Dame. After a lengthy review, the play stood -- no touchdown. (US Presswire) |
Rees replaces Golson: Notre Dame junior QB Tommy Rees relieved Everett Golson late in the fourth quarter after the redshirt freshman suffered an apparent head injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Cardinal DB Usua Amanam.
Facing an all-out blitz from Stanford on a third-and-4 from the Stanford 28, Rees quickly released a pass intended for TE Tyler Eifert down the right sideline. Though the pass landed past an outstretched Eifert, Stanford DB Terrence Brown was whistled for pass interference. It led to a 22-yard game-tying field goal by Kyle Brindza.
In overtime, Rees faced a similar blitz on a third-and-8 from the Stanford 23. Again, Rees got rid of the ball in an instant. This time, he connected with RB Theo Riddick on a 16-yard back-shoulder fade to the Stanford 7.
“It was a cover-0, we knew we were going to get pressure,” Kelly said. “They actually brought the safety across, they came free. Tommy knew he would get a one-on-one matchup, a very good one and it’s a practice thing. In practice, you say ‘listen, just get some air to it.’ You have a wide receiver coming out of the backfield, it should be a favorable matchup.”
It led to a TJ Jones touchdown catch on the ensuing play. Jones still made the grab even though Rees placed his throw behind him on a slant.
Remaining undefeated: With the win, the Irish improved to 6-0 for the first time since 2002. The victory gave the Irish six straight wins to open a season for the 30th time in school history. It also marked the first time Notre Dame has defeated three top-25 opponents in a season since 2005.
(For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog)
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