In advance of Saturday’s football game between Stanford and Notre Dame, The Daily’s David Cohn chatted with Mike Monaco, sports editor of The Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper, to get perspective from both camps. Below is the full transcript of their conversation.
David Cohn (DC): I wanted to first ask you two questions about last season. Firstly, how do Notre Dame’s fans feel about last season? Do Notre Dame fans look at the positives from last season, namely earning a berth in the National Championship Game, or are Notre Dame fans upset by the team’s showing in that game? Secondly, how do Notre Dame fans look at last season’s contest with Stanford, particularly the Stepfan Taylor goal line run in overtime that seemingly brought about a significant amount of national controversy?
Mike Monaco (MM): I think most fans look back at last season as a very positive thing, generally speaking. It was a terrific regular season and, obviously, a rough performance in the national championship game. That being said, I think most fans take it for what it was — a huge step in the right direction as a program in getting to that game, but still work to be done in order to get on the level of a team such as Alabama. As for last season’s game against Stanford, I think most Notre Dame fans just look at it as a great game. They don’t look too much at the controversy. They focus more on the classic finish in a season filled with great games, all part of an historic season. That ending was absolutely crazy.
DC: I certainly agree. Removing my Stanford bias from the equation, it was very impressive that Tommy Rees was able, on seemingly a moment’s notice after Everett Golson was injured, to come in and lead the Fighting Irish on a great fourth quarter comeback. Turning to this year’s contest, do you believe that Rees will be able to replicate last year’s heroics? As impressive as last year’s effort was for Rees, he will arguably need an even better showing this season, given how difficult it is for road teams to win at Stanford Stadium.
MM: Yeah, Rees did a lot of that last season, coming in and closing out games in place of Golson. It was really impressive overall. As for Saturday, I think Rees could do the same if necessary. Throughout the whole game, like you said, he will need to have a good performance to lead Notre Dame to a win. I think the biggest key for him is taking care of the ball. If he has multiple turnovers, I think the Irish don’t stand much of a chance.
DC: What is the mood among Notre Dame fans regarding this season, particularly in the context of this game? Is this season seen as a lost cause at this point, since it appears highly unlikely that Notre Dame will be able to qualify for a BCS bowl? What do you believe is motivating the players at this point in the season?
MM: Well, I think the mood around Notre Dame fans is mixed. The loss to Pittsburgh three weeks ago was very disappointing to fans, not only because it was a rough performance but also because it effectively knocked the Irish out of the BCS conversation. Then, after the bye week, Notre Dame came out and has a really impressive showing against BYU on Saturday. So I wouldn’t say the season is viewed as a lost cause; fans definitely are still looking for a marquee win even if a BCS bowl won’t happen.
From the perspective of the players, since the loss to Pittsburgh, they’ve been talking about playing for each other, playing for the team. That still really fuels them. And then when you couple that motivating factor with the fact that they’re playing a top-10 team, there’s plenty of motivation for them. Another point in that is there has really been a discussion this week about Notre Dame being a physical, hard-nosed team — because that’s how they played against BYU. Stanford is a model for that style of play, so I think that is motivation for Notre Dame as well, to try to match that physicality.
DC: That is a great point. I also think that a 3-0 showing against Pac-12 opponents would be a very impressive accomplishment for Notre Dame, given how deep the conference has been this season. I would argue that the Pac-12 has been the second best conference in the country, behind the SEC. If Notre Dame wants to pull of the upset against the Cardinal, I believe that the Fighting Irish defense will need to have a great performance against an offense that is coming off of its best showing this season. Who do you believe will step up on defense for Notre Dame to help Stephon Tuitt, now that Louis Nix has been lost for the season?
MM: Yeah the Pac-12 has been impressive this season, even looking at it just from the perspective of the teams Notre Dame has played so far, with Arizona State and a new-look USC team. I agree, the defense will have to perform at a very high level. Stephon Tuitt is a force, but who else will show up and make plays in the front seven? Jarron Jones had a breakout game last week against BYU, but can that be anything close to replicated against an elite Stanford team? Dan Fox had a really impressive showing Saturday, and freshman sensation Jaylon Smith has been terrific at outside linebacker. So I look at it more as a few different questions: Can the front seven as a whole play well, and can the secondary limit big plays? That will be another key defensively.
DC: Let’s turn to Notre Dame’s offensive line, because if I were a Fighting Irish fan, I would be very concerned with the sheer number of injuries that the Fighting Irish have suffered on the offensive line. With the loss of Nick Martin for the season, how do you think that the offensive line will fare against a front seven that is extremely physical and loves to get to the quarterback.
MM: The offensive line is a concern, especially against a great Stanford front seven. Nonetheless, Matt Hegarty filled in well at center for Nick Martin after Hegarty went down with the knee injury. Brian Kelly was pleased with Hegarty’s performance. Christian Lombard has been out long enough at this point that I think the line has adjusted to a new right guard, whether it’s Steve Elmer or Conor Hanratty. But the offensive line is something to pay attention to, and it’s a tall task going up against Stanford.
DC: One final question before we turn to some final predictions: Who is the skill player on offense that the Cardinal defense should keep an eye on during Saturday’s game?
MM: I think it has to be TJ Jones. He has been so productive for Notre Dame the entire season, and he always seems to make plays in every game. He is undoubtedly a key cog in the offense.
DC: Now for the most important question: Who wins Saturday, and why?
MM: I’m going with Stanford, 28-17, because that team is extremely well balanced, in my opinion. Notre Dame is solid, but I think the Irish will have to play pretty close to a perfect game to be able to beat the Cardinal. Stanford can win in so many different ways, and I think they’ll be too much in the end for Notre Dame. What are you thinking?
DC: I will go with Stanford winning 38-14. I don’t mean any disrespect to Notre Dame, as I think Notre Dame is a good football team, and has the potential to keep this game close if the Fighting Irish are able to execute on offense and Kevin Hogan struggles throwing the football. However, the Cardinal, on three separate occasions (against Oregon, Arizona State, and Cal) has absolutely dominated opponents at home and perhaps looked like one of best two or three teams in the nation in those performances. People can fault the Cardinal for its struggles in hostile road environments, but Stanford’s ability to protect its house since 2011 cannot be questioned. The Card is an extremely difficult team to beat within the confines of Stanford Stadium.
Contact David Cohn at dmcohn ‘at’ Stanford.edu.