Book’s 4 TD passes key Irish’s 10th win
After falling behind by 10, punt block swings momentum
NOTRE DAME 45, STANFORD 24
STANFORD, Calif. — When Notre Dame needed a spark to get going late in the first half, the special teams delivered.
Isaiah Foskey’s blocked punt set up Ian Book’s second of four touchdown passes, and the Irish reached double-digit wins for the third straight season by beating Stanford 45-24 on Saturday.
“It started with the punt block,” coach Brian Kelly said. “From there we got some momentum and started to settle down a bit offensively.”
Book turned the blocked punt into a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble late in the second quarter and threw his first of two touchdown passes to Chase Claypool with 1:20 remaining in the half as the No. 16 Irish quickly erased a 10-point deficit and snapped a five-game losing streak at Stanford Stadium.
It’s the second time in school history Notre Dame has put together three straight seasons of at least 10 wins, having previously done it under Lou Holtz in 1991-93.
Book was a big reason, throwing for 255 yards with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tony Jones Jr. in the first quarter.
“He’s found a stillness in him that he’s never had before,” Kelly said. “He plays the game differently now. His calmness is really about his confidence now and what he can do.”
Davis Mills threw two touchdown passes for the Cardinal (4-8), who have lost four straight for the first time since 2007. Stanford also finished with its first losing record since 2008, ending a streak of 10 straight bowl bids.
“At the end of the day it was on us and we weren’t up to the task,” senior linebacker Casey Toohill said. “There were a lot things in our own play that weren’t right and have to get corrected.”
Despite having nothing to play for, the Cardinal started fast and led 17-7 when Mills got stopped just short of a first down on a third-down run with about five minutes left in the half.
Foskey then blocked Ryan Sanburn’s punt, giving the Irish the ball at the Stanford 1. Three plays later, that turned into a touchdown.
“It was definitely a game changer,” defensive lineman Adetokunbo Ogundeji said. “Special teams was big for us this whole game. Special teams definitely got a spark for us the first half.”
Book capped a three-play, 76-yard drive with a 41-yard strike to Claypool with 1:20 left in the half to give the Irish the lead for good.
Book had a 26-yard scramble on fourthand-2 to set up an 8-yard touchdown pass to Claypool that made it 28-17 in the third quarter, putting the Irish in control.
Notre Dame responded from a lopsided loss to Michigan in late October to win its final five regular-season games. Book has been especially sharp late in the season with 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions in the final three games. His 33 touchdown passes for the season are second in school history to Brady Quinn’s 37 in 2006.