Defense carries Stanford to 37-14 win at Notre Dame

So, about that offensive shootout...

The final score might not show it, but the Stanford defense keyed today's 37-14 win, which snapped a 7-game losing streak in South Bend. The Stanford defense and Nate Whitaker's right leg, to be more precise. Whitaker, a former Notre Dame walk-on, booted a career-high five field goals on five attempts.

Andrew Luck had a shaky (by his standards) afternoon. The junior redshirt sophomore threw his first two interceptions of the season--both on tipped passes--after a hot start, but the Cardinal defense kept the Fighting Irish out of the end zone until the game was well in hand.

Shayne Skov was an absolute beast in the first half, Chase Thomas made a huge fourth-down stop early in the fourth quarter when the outcome was still in doubt, and two-way standout Owen Marecic scored a pair of touchdowns--on a 1-yard run and an interception return--13 seconds apart to seal the win.

Check back later tonight for more thoughts on this one. In the meantime, go celebrate Stanford's first 4-0 start in 24 years!