A few things to know about Stanford/notre Dame game

For the first time since the 1925 Rose Bowl, No. 7 Stanford (4-0) and No. 8 Notre Dame (4-0) will be undefeated when they face each other on Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. And for the first time ever in the 32-game series, both teams will be ranked in the AP Top 10 at kickoff.

So while the annual matchup is usually a fun one – five of the last six games have been decided by a touchdown or less – the stakes are even higher this time, with the winner clearly entering the College Football Playoff conversation.

“A lot of late -game victories on both sides, a lot of great players on both sides, so no wonder this game every year has been one of the higherrated games to watch,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “They’ve been exciting.”

QUICKER START

Stanford has trailed after the first quarter in three of its four games, going scoreless against San Diego State, UC Davis, and Oregon. The Cardinal eventually overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit last week against the Ducks but it took a stunning comeback. Another slow start, on the road against the Fighting Irish, may be too much to overcome.

“That’s a testament to our guys being resilient,” Shaw said after the Oregon game. “The key now is to play like that in the first quarter and not wait until we’re 17 points down. That’s the key for us to take the next step and play a very, very good team on the road and see if we can play at that level for four quarters and not a quarterand-a-half.”

TURNOVERS

Stanford leads the Pac-12 with nine forced turnovers (four fumbles, five interceptions). Turnovers were the key to Stanford’s improbable win over Oregon — an 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown turned the momentum, a fumble recovery in the final minute gave Stanford a chance to tie, and an interception in overtime sealed the win.

It will probably need more takeaways to win at Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish have just one turnover this season (a fumble).