Final score predictions for Notre Dame vs. Stanford: Can the Irish put the finishing touches on their CFB playoff resume?
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Notre Dame football (9-2) is set to take on the Stanford Cardinal (4-7) on Saturday night to conclude the 2025 regular season. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting are one impressive victory away from cementing their place in the College Football Playoff. Despite the annoyingly late 10:30 PM Eastern start time, fans will be glued to their seats with excitement and some level of anxiety, most likely.
There’s no sugarcoating this game for anyone – it’s one that Notre Dame should win, and by a lot. For the Irish offense, this feels like the perfect opportunity to get redshirt quarterback CJ Carr in rhythm before the playoffs begin. Stanford has one of the worst pass defenses in all of college football, and they are extremely susceptible to big plays through the air.
While the Cardinal defense is much better against the run, they haven’t seen a running back like Jeremiyah Love, or Jadarian Price, for that matter. Stanford will be tested early and often against the Irish. With a Heisman Trophy campaign needing some capping off, there could be an attempt by Notre Dame to feed Love. Having a big day could potentially catapult him as the leader for the award.
Notre Dame vs. Stanford Series History
- Notre Dame and Stanford have played 37 times in the series history, Irish lead 23-14 overall
- Both teams have combined to win 13 National Championships (11 for Notre Dame)
- Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman holds a 42-12 overall record at Notre Dame
- Former Indianapolis Colts HC Frank Reich is serving as the interim for Stanford (4-7 on the season)
As for Chris Ash and the Notre Dame defense, this should be yet another statement performance. While Stanford running back Micah Ford, wide receiver CJ Williams, and tight end Sam Roush are all good players, it is hard to imagine that the team has enough firepower to score much on Saturday, even with home-field advantage. The defense is on an incredible eight-game stretch right now, and that needs to continue this weekend.
Final Score Prediction
The most advantageous outcome would be for Carr to start the game hot, which could lighten the box for Love to have a great day. There is no reason why the Stanford defense should keep this offense down for very long. We have seen the Notre Dame defense get after the quarterback at a much higher clip in recent weeks, and I envision a difficult day for Stanford signal caller Ben Gulbranson. That should lead to a couple turnover worthy plays.
Notre Dame 49, Stanford 7
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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