Notre Dame vs. Stanford: 10 Things to Know About the Cardinal

No. 22 Notre Dame concludes the regular season on Saturday night with their annual Thanksgiving weekend trip to California to face No. 6 Stanford in Palo Alto. The two teams have met every year since 1988 except for a two-year hiatus in 1995 and 1996; Notre Dame has won 14 of those 21 meetings.

The Irish won for the fourth straight week and eighth time in nine games last Saturday with a narrow 16-14 win over Boston College. The Cardinal bounced back from a loss to Oregon with a win in the Big Game over California, 31-28.

We've heard enough about Cardinal QB Andrew Luck this season, so here are 10 Luck-free things to know about Stanford as the Irish prepare for their toughest opponent of the season.

Offensive Line

While Stanford has struggled to replace last year's All-American center Chase Beeler, the Cardinal still have two future high NFL draft picks on their offensive line.

LT Jonathan Martin (pictured) is Andrew Luck's blind-side protector, and RG David DeCastro is a mauler in the running game. While Oregon was able to generate pressure on Luck, Stanford has only allowed nine sacks in 11 games this season.

Tight Ends

No team utilizes its tight ends more than Stanford. While none are quite at the level of Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, the three-headed monster of Coby Fleener, Levine Toilolo and Zach Ertz have combined for 72 catches and almost 1,200 yards.

All three fit the mold of the modern tight end, which puts a greater emphasis on pass-catching than blocking. Ertz has missed the past three games, but could have a limited role against the Irish, adding to an already-explosive Stanford passing game.

Receiver Injuries

Zach Ertz is not the only one of Andrew Luck's targets who has been on the shelf. Chris Owusu missed both the Oregon and California games, and is not expected back this season.

Their leading receiver is Griff Whalen, a 193-pound former walk-on who has 652 yards and four touchdowns (two of those coming against Oregon). Fullback Ryan Hewitt has taken on a greater role in the passing game with Ertz out, as he caught seven passes—including one for a touchdown—last week in the Big Game.

Stepfan Taylor

Despite having the best quarterback in the country, Stanford is 10-1 because of their running game. The ground attack is led by junior Stepfan Taylor with Tyler Gaffney also effective off the bench.

Taylor has topped 100 yards four times this season and has finished with 99 yards twice. Notre Dame's defensive line is without Kapron Lewis-Moore and might again be without an ill Stephon Tuitt, so stopping Taylor and the Cardinal running game will be a challenge.

3-4 Defense

Like Notre Dame, Stanford's defense generally lines up with three linemen and four linebackers. Linebacker Shayne Skov was the star of the defense, but was lost for the season after three games.

Tommy Rees' worst game came against a 3-4 defense when Pittsburgh had Rees rattled with its zone blitzes and linemen dropping in coverage in an attempt to capitalize on the sophomore's quick release. The Cardinal have 33 sacks and lead the Pac-12 in rush-defense.

3rd-Quarter Dominance

Something has to give on Saturday night. Notre Dame and Stanford are two of the most dominant third-quarter teams in the country. The Cardinal have outscored opponents 137-40 in the third quarter, including breaking open close games with Arizona, Washington State and Oregon State.

The Irish have likewise been effective coming out of the locker room, allowing only 13 points in the third quarter, seven coming on a fumble return for a touchdown by USC. It'll be strength on strength immediately after halftime.

3rd Downs

Notre Dame's offense struggled on third down against Boston College, preventing them from pulling away from the pesky Eagles.

The Cardinal offense has been effective all year on the game's most important down. They've converted 52 percent of their third down chances, with their poorest performance (5-for-14) coming in their only loss against Oregon.

The Irish defense has been successful at forcing punts, however, stopping opponents on two-thirds of their third down chances.

Ball Control

Despite not placing a great emphasis on time of possession, Brian Kelly and Notre Dame are averaging just more than 30 minutes per game with the football. Stanford does value clock control, as they lead the Pac-12 in time of possession, averaging more than 33 minutes per game.

The Irish running game will have a void to fill with Jonas Gray lost for the year. It'll be up to Cierre Wood to produce on the ground and help keep the ball out of Andrew Luck's hands.

Red Zone Effectiveness

Notre Dame would be wise to put an end to Stanford drives prior to them reaching the 20-yard line. Once the Cardinal hit the red zone, it almost always leads to points, usually seven.

On only one of Stanford's 62 trips to the red zone have the Cardinal failed to score; 48 of those 61 scores have been touchdowns.

By contrast, Notre Dame has come up empty 16 times in the red zone, including two fumbles that were returned for touchdowns.

Placekicking Issues

Much was made last year of former Irish kicker Nate Whitaker's five field goals for Stanford in their 37-14 win at Notre Dame Stadium.

Whittaker is no longer in Palo Alto, and the Cardinal have struggled in the kicking game of late.

Jordan Williamson missed a 33-yard field goal last week against California and has twice failed to convert extra points. Eric Whitaker, Nate's brother, has filled in while Williamson missed time with an injury. The younger Whitaker missed an extra point and a field goal in the loss to Oregon.