What Stanford coach Troy Taylor said after Notre Dame win over Cardinal

Stanford finished a tough 2023 season with a 56-23 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Here is what Cardinal coach Troy Taylor said in his postgame press conference about the Fighting Irish and about his team moving into the offseason after a 33-point loss.

General thoughts on the game

“Knew we were coming and playing a great opponent. Very well coached. Talented. We hung with ’em for a little bit. Just didn’t make enough plays. That’s a credit to them. They created those things.

“Proud of how our guys fought. Not satisfied with the outcome, obviously. But just for this team in general since I’ve been here they’ve just continued to compete and give everything they’ve got. I’m proud of that. That’s something to build on. Can’t wait to get started tomorrow getting ready for next season.”

On what preparation looks like starting Sunday

“We have our banquet tomorrow. We’ll have a team meeting and talk about moving forward to the future. Got some exciting things coming. Three-million dollar facelift to our weight room that will start immediately, which is incredible. Great support from our university and leadership.

“Our guys will get a little bit of time off and then we will continue to recruit. We have an unbelievable recruiting class that we’re excited about that we’ll sign on Dec. 20. We’ll get bigger, we’ll get stronger, we’ll get faster. We’ll improve as a coaching staff and just really excited about the future.”

On the play of wide receiver/running back EJ Smith versus Notre Dame

“EJ is a guy that’s very versatile. We’ve known that. He’s got really good receiver skills. Good ball skills, great in space. It was good to see him make plays and make some big plays. It was a good evening for him.”

On forcing the Notre Dame offense to turn the ball over

“We did. I think guys were playing hard and running to the football. That was big. I think we had three and converted at least two into points which was big. Kept us in the game. And then unfortunately we had a turnover there at the end of the first half that was pretty critical and crucial. And then it kind of got away from us from there.”

On Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé

“Very physical running back. Physical offensive line. Quarterback, experienced, steady. I think that’s probably the best defense we felt all year. Felt that coming into the game, our staff did. We’ve faced some good ones. There are some good ones out there. Just a really solid team. Very well coached. Very disciplined. I focused more on the defensive side of the ball. Their eyes, how they leverage in tackling. We were able to get some big plays, which was good, but against a team like that you cannot turnover the ball and you got to maximize every opportunity you get.”

On his first season at Stanford

“Like I told our guys, when I took the job here there was a lot of people that left the program. A lot of players. It kind of scattered. These guys that stayed, they gave us and me every single thing they had from day one. I’m indebted to them. I told them we will be champions here. It will happen. Obviously it didn’t happen this year. Some of them won’t be here physically when it happens, but they are a part of it.

“I think what I’m feeling right now is just gratitude for them giving it all. And when you give everything you have and out everything into it, you’re not guaranteed a tangible reward. That’s just not how it works. These guys continue to do it each week. A lot of respect for them, and excited to get moving forward.”

On leaving the Pac-12 for the ACC

“Excited about the ACC. There were some dark days with the Pac-12 and trying to find out where we were going. But our leadership is incredible. I am so excited about joining the ACC. It’s an incredible conference. Great teams. Great institutions. We’re excited. Our players are excited. Our university is excited. It’s going to be a fun ride.”