Notre Dame Loses To Stanford On Last Second Game-Winning FG

The difference between a championship campaign and one that falls can come down to the smallest details.

TheStanford Cardinal have taken down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 38-36 at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California thanks to a clutch last second field goal by Conrad Ukopina. Giving up just 255.6 yards per game overall this season, the Eagles gave up a whopping 452 yards to the Irish.

“We’re two plays away from being undefeated and being the No. 1 team in the country”, coach Brian Kelly said. Six points! When they were at one point averaging 11 yards per play!!!

Watson passed for 279 yards and ran for 114 to keep the Tigers on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff – and moved their record to 12-0 for the first time since their 1981 national championship winning season.

Notre Dame was flagged for a facemask penalty on the drive’s first play and then Hogan hit Cajuste for 27 yards, putting Stanford into Ukropina’s range. “And we truly thought that we were one of the best teams in the country”. “We had a number of opportunities in the red zone that we should have converted, or could have converted into touchdowns that we had to settle for field goals”.

Hogan threw for 269 yards and led the winning drive in the final 30 seconds for the Cardinal.

Asked what he would say on Stanford’s behalf to influence the playoff committee, Hogan responded, “Because we went 8-1 in the toughest conference in America”.

When Kizer dove in from the two-yard line, he accomplished something the Irish hadn’t done all game: score a touchdown from the red zone. Josh Adams added 168 on the ground but it wasn’t enough.

It looked like Notre Dame had all of the momentum, but Hogan and the Cardinal quickly responded. Because if the Gators or the Heels don’t upset Bama or Clemson on Saturday, the picture is clear-the four teams in the playoff will be the Tide, the Tigers, Oklahoma and the victor of Michigan State-Iowa in the Big Ten title game. Based on the numbers, we did that. Stanford had run 23 plays at that point. It’s really what it came down to. “All I know is we’ve got another football game next and we’ve got to try and play our best”.

Situated at fifth in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, Michigan State goes to Indianapolis next weekend for the third time in five years while being ranked fifth in both major polls.

The Irish were held to field goals on their first three trips inside the 20. Following the loss Saturday, Kizer was asked of the magnitude of disappointment he felt in his team not winning, thus getting to play for a national title, and his response was startling in its maturity and leadership. Notre Dame’s failure to secure touchdowns instead of field goals on at least one of three occasions, lead to their downfall on a night that they held the lead with 6 seconds left.

The drive ended on Hogan’s 1-yard touchdown pass to running back Remound Wright. It’s insane, but until the Irish’s final fourth-quarter drive, they had gotten into Stanford territory 3 times, and they had scored 6 points. But Stanford regained the lead 35-29 on tight end Austin Hooper’s 10-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the fourth quarter.

“That’s someone you want on your side forever because he is such an unbelievable leader and person on and off the field”, McCaffrey said. “It seemed like whoever had the ball last would win”.