Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from regular-season finale at Stanford

Notre Dame football pulled away for their 10th win of the year against Stanford. Here are three things we learned from the Fighting Irish win.

It was the type of game that had the potential to throw a serious wrench into Fighting Irish dreams of a trip to a major bowl game this year. Stanford is the type of rival that could threaten to pull off an upset, especially since they had the benefit of playing at home in Palo Alto.

In the end, though, Notre Dame managed to pull away in the second half and secure a 10-2 finish to the regular season with a 45-24 takedown of the Cardinal on the road.

Brian Kelly’s team fell behind 10-7 in the first quarter, and Stanford remained within four points of the Fighting Irish at the halftime break. But Notre Dame pulled away after the intermission for the runaway win, their fourth straight victory to come by at least three touchdowns.

Getting to a New Year’s Six game is by no means a guarantee for the Fighting Irish. After they avoided a third loss, though, they are a far more attractive team for the selection committee to consider.

Here are three things we learned on Saturday afternoon in California as Notre Dame earned their second straight win over the rival Cardinal on the final Saturday of September.