Coming off a 57-3 loss at Wake Forest, Stanford’s largest margin of defeat in 72 years, the road doesn’t get any easier for the Cardinal.
Third-ranked Notre Dame is a 38.5-point favorite for Stanford’s visit to South Bend on Saturday. The Cardinal hasn’t been considered this much of an underdog by oddsmakers since 2007, when Tavita Pritchard was the quarterback and led Stanford to a 24-23 win at 41-point favorite USC in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Stanford (2-3, 1-3 ACC) has already been blown out twice — 45-6 against Miami and 35-7 at Duke — and has lost 13 straight road games, tied with Ball State for the longest active streak in the country.
“Guys came here to be excellent and to chase excellence, and that was clearly not what we were doing Saturday,” said Pritchard, now the Cardinal first-year head coach. “And that’s on us to dig really deep individually and collectively on how we keep that from happening again.
That’s what this week is about.”
Though each team had 67 plays last Saturday, the Cardinal was outgained 519-197 by the Demon Deacons and suffered its second-worst loss in program history. Davis Warren, who had the most pass attempts in the FBS without an interception (167), even threw his first pick on a ball that bounced off a receiver’s foot and popped in the air.
Pritchard said the priority this week is regaining the focus that was missing against Wake Forest.
Stanford Cardinal’s Caden High (0) runs with the ball while holding the mask of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ Chris Hewitt Jr. (26) in the third quarter at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“For whatever reason, we lost focus on our responsibilities and our technique last week,” Pritchard said. “When there’s a lot going on and you have a performance where you didn’t play nearly up to the level that you believe that you can, the focus becomes really important.”
Part of the issue has been the inconsistent offense, which is 131st in the country in points out of 138 teams. But that’s better than the defense, which ranks 133rd in points allowed.
“We have to keep looking and making sure we’re evaluating that process at every step,” Pritchard said. “Our resolve is high and we are committed to doing that because that’s the only path.”
The challenge gets significantly tougher against Notre Dame (5-0), which leads the country in yards allowed per game (216.4) while also being fourth in the FBS in rush defense (58.4).
“You can tell on tape why,” Pritchard said. “They play extremely hard, they play physically, they don’t give up cheap ones. They make you earn everything that you get, and they make you commit turnovers. We’re going to have to play our best football this week to give ourselves a chance.”
The Fighting Irish have won all five games by double digits, although they haven’t played a ranked team yet.
Notre Dame wide receiver Jordan Faison (6) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (1) and wide receiver Micah Gilbert (14) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Stanford will be playing its third game in the Eastern Time Zone, although this one kicks off later than last week’s 9 a.m. Pacific start. With two more games still to come on the East Coast, Pritchard said that the program is constantly evaluating training programs to give the Cardinal the best chance to compete on the road.
Stanford has lost 13 straight road games, tied with Ball State for the longest active streak in the country, while going 7-3 in its last 10 home games.
“We all have to look in the mirror,” Pritchard said. “Especially myself.”
LEGENDS TROPHY
Stanford and Notre Dame have played for the Legends Trophy every season since 1997, with the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
The teams are already scheduled to meet twice more. Notre Dame will visit The Farm to close the 2027 season before Stanford returns to South Bend midway through the 2028 season.
The trophy combines California redwood and Irish crystal and commemorates the teams’ 1925 Rose Bowl meeting, a game said to have featured more legends on one field than had ever played before.
Notre Dame has won six of the past seven meetings, all by at least 21 points, and leads the all-time series 25-14.