Notre Dame football score predictions: Fighting Irish vs. Stanford staff picks

The picks are in and every last one of them are coming up Notre Dame Fighting Irish. No surprise there, even with the Irish having lost to this same Stanford program at home the last time the Cardinal were in South Bend.

Here is how six Blue & Gold staff members see this game between No. 11 Notre Dame (4-1) and Stanford (2-3), which kicks off at The House That Rockne Built at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 38, Stanford 10

It would truly be time to sound every alarm bell within earshot if Notre Dame lost to a Stanford program that has gone 3-9 in three straight seasons in South Bend for a second time in three years. It just cannot happen, and I do not believe it will.

The score line that the Fighting Irish put on the Cardinal in Palo Alto last November, 56-23, is more indicative of what will happen in this game than the 16-14 loss the Irish suffered in 2022. It’s just going to be lower scoring on both ends as the Irish offense tries each week to get to a place where it believes it should be operating in the final third of the season. Even as that progression continues processing, no worry at all for Notre Dame in taking down a longtime rival.

Irish roll.

Jack Soble: Notre Dame 34, Stanford 13

Stanford is much more competitive than in recent years, but there’s still a talent gap between the Cardinal and the Irish. Notre Dame has typically done well against offenses built around elite No. 1 wide receivers since Benjamin Morrison joined the fold, which will pay dividends against Stanford star Elic Ayomanor.

Notre Dame rolls, and the Irish build some confidence entering an intriguing “road” game at Georgia Tech.

Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 30, Stanford 20

The last time Stanford came to Notre Dame Stadium, the Cardinal upset the Irish 16-14 and exposed Marcus Freeman’s inexperience as head coach. While questions surrounding his tenure still remain midway through Year 3, the Irish should be healed and rested after the bye week and hungry to avenge another loss.

It’s been since 1990 and 1992 since Stanford won two straight outings in South Bend, and I don’t see this year’s result producing the next one.

Mike Singer: Notre Dame 36, Stanford 10

The Cardinal knocked off the Irish in 2022, but Notre Dame had their number on the road in 2023. I expect the Irish to get revenge for the embarrassing setback a couple years ago in a big way.

Steve Downey: Notre Dame 31, Stanford 7

The Fighting Irish have dominated this series, winning four of the last five matchups by an average score of 46.0-19.5. The lone defeat during that stretch was the 16-14 debacle at South Bend in 2022.

Stanford started the season 2-1 with a 26-24 win at Syracuse in its first-ever ACC game, but have since come crashing back to earth with a 40-14 loss at Clemson and a 31-7 defeat at home against Virginia Tech.

Notre Dame ranks fourth nationally in fourth down conversion defense (0.182), sixth in team passing efficiency defense (93.46), ninth in scoring defense (12.6), 12th in first downs allowed (75), 13th in interceptions (7), 16th in passing yards allowed (161.0) and 19th in total defense (284.0). As long as the Irish can keep Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels from hurting them with his legs, points will be tough to come by for the Cardinal.

Notre Dame’s ground attack, which averaged 214.0 yards per game (19th in the country) through Week 6, has the ability to carry the day while the passing game continues to work out the kinks against a subpar Stanford pass defense (121st in the country with 270.4 yards allowed per game). The Cardinal ranked 12th in the country in rush defense (88.2  yards allowed per game) through Week 6, but that is likely more a product of the competition they played in their first three games than anything else. Clemson notched 150 yards on the ground at 5.0 yards per attempt, while Virginia Tech compiled 136.

Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 40, Stanford 10

Coming off of three consecutive 3-9 seasons, and now trying to acclimate itself as a first-year member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024, Stanford brought minimal expectations into this year.

And while five games does not season make, an impressive 26-24 upset at then-undefeated Syracuse on Sept. 20, gave the Cardinal (2-3) hope that maybe some better times are coming under second-year head coach Troy Taylor, who faced a massive rebuilding project when he took the job.

Taylor said his first priority was to improve team culture, and the upset of Syracuse should only help boost hopes the rest of this season.

Statistically, nothing jumps off the Stanford profile sheet. It ranks only 104th in scoring offense (23.0 points a game) and 91st in scoring defense (27.2 points a game).

The Cardinal has lost two straight games and the Irish will run that Stanford losing streak to three straight on Saturday.

Notre Dame claims its fifth win in the last six meetings in this longstanding battle for the Legends Trophy.