Irish prepare for road test at Stanford to end regular season

After nearly three months, the Notre Dame football regular season is nearly over.

The Irish beat Navy on Senior Day last weekend, bouncing back from a crushing loss in Miami. Now, the Irish wrap up the regular season on the road against Stanford.

This game features yet another chance for the eighth-ranked Irish to play a ranked opponent on the road, as the Cardinal enter the game ranked 20th. Despite the rough outing last time Notre Dame played a ranked team on the road, the Irish say they're confident heading into the finale.

"I think we just need to clean up a couple of small details that didn't allow us to play our best [against Miami]," said lineman Mike McGlinchey. "We're very confident in our team's ability and have a great opportunity to go win our 10th game against a really good Stanford football team." 

While the game against Stanford offers a chance for the Irish to make a statement, it also provides an opportunity to keep New Year's Six bowl hopes alive. Notre Dame sits at 9-2 on the season, and that 10th win has been a goal for the Irish since the playoff hopes dwindled.

With all of those at stake, the rivalry with Stanford puts extra juice into the matchup.

“It's a great game, a rivalry game, a game I think we all look forward to," said rover Drue Tranquill, "especially being the last game of the season. [We have] a chance to go play at their home where we haven't won since '04 or '07, I believe, so it's a great opportunity and a great challenge, and guys are excited.”

"It's on national television, and this team has another opportunity to go prove itself as we've done all season," said quarterback Brandon Wimbush. "We're looking forward to it, and we'll take advantage of this opportunity here."

The game kicks off at 8 p.m. on ABC57, and a special edition of ABC57 Saturday Kickoff will air for an hour prior to the game.