Eric Froton, Rotoworld Bet StaffFri, November 28, 2025 at 1:06 PM UTC·11 min readNo. 9 Notre Dame makes its final case for both a spot in the College Football Playoff as well as a Heisman Trophy Saturday in Northern California against the Stanford Cardinal.
Although the Irish are heavy favorites, Head coach Marcus Freeman has emphasized treating this as a "Super Bowl" to ensure the team remains focused and doesn't get caught up in playoff speculation. The offense, ranked 7th nationally in scoring, will look to capitalize on a weak Stanford pass defense, potentially giving quarterback C.J. Carr an opportunity to shine. Speaking of stars, running back Jeremiyah Love will make his final case for the Heisman Trophy.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis will be interim Head Coach Frank Reich's at Stanford. The Cardinal is looking to end its season with two straight wins after a big win against California last week. The Cardinal offense has struggled this season, ranking 124th in points and yards per game, and faces a tough challenge against Notre Dame's top-tier defense, which ranks 12th in the nation in points allowed and first in interceptions.
Game Details and How to Watch No. 9 Notre Dame at Stanford
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Time: 10:30PM Eastern
Site: Stanford Stadium
City: Stanford, CA
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Game Odds for No. 9 Notre Dame at Stanford
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Stanford Cardinal (+2500), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-9000)
Spread: Notre Dame -31.5 (-110)
Total: 49.5 points
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the college football schedule!
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Head Coach: Marcus Freeman2025 Record: 9-2Offense Ranking: 7Defense Ranking: 11Strength of Schedule: 38
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNotre Dame has put together another elite campaign in 2025, sitting at 9-2 with the nation’s No. 5 SP+ ranking and a +25.5 adjusted scoring margin (5th) under HC Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish boast one of college football’s most balanced profiles, ranking 7th in offensive SP+ and 11th defensively, fueled by a hyper-efficient offense that is averaging 7.34 yards per play (2nd nationally) and a defense allowing just 4.63 YPP (14th). Notre Dame’s offense blends explosiveness with precision, leading the nation in marginal explosiveness and ranking Top 10 in both EPA/play (0.27) and passing success rate (50.3%), while the defense thrives on pressure (7.8% sack rate, 16th) and takeaways (+12 turnover margin, 5th). Their only losses came in narrow shootouts to playoff-caliber Miami and Texas A&M, with every other win decided by multiple scores.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Offense
Notre Dame’s offense has been one of the nation’s most dynamic and efficient units in 2025, ranking 7th in SP+ and averaging 7.34 yards per play (2nd nationally) with an explosive 0.27 EPA per play (6th). The Irish balance a 6.2 yards per carry rushing attack (7th) with a top-tier aerial game that posts 8.8 yards per dropback (6th) and a 67.6% completion rate. Their passing game thrives on chunk plays, 24.2% of completions go for 20+ yards (4th), while the ground game ranks 6th in yards per successful rush (11.5) behind a steady, low-pressure offensive line. With elite balance, field position control, and finishing ability (5.04 points per scoring opportunity, 16th), Notre Dame’s offense has powered their playoff-caliber resume with consistent big-play production and mistake-free execution.
Notre Dame Player to Watch on Offense: RB Jeremiyah Love
Jeremiyah Love has been the main catalyst of Notre Dame’s offense, rushing 185 times for 1,306 yards and 17 touchdowns, good for a dazzling 7.06 yards per carry and a 48.6% success rate. He blends burst and contact balance at an elite level, posting 2.38 yards before contact and 4.03 yards after contact per attempt, with 20% of his runs gaining 10+ yards. Love also provides reliable versatility as a pass catcher, hauling in 26 receptions for 274 yards and 3 scores with an 81.3% catch rate and 10.5 yards per grab. Whether pounding between the tackles or slipping out of the backfield, Love’s all-around explosiveness has made him the Irish’s most dynamic offensive playmaker.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defense
Notre Dame’s defense has reestablished itself as a topflight unit after a slow start against Miami and Texas A&M, ranking 11th nationally in SP+ and allowing only 4.63 yards per play (14th) and 1.48 points per drive (16th). The Irish combine disruptive pressure (7.8% sack rate, 16th) with elite playmaking in coverage, generating a +12 turnover margin (5th) and holding opponents to a 34.6% passing success rate (15th). They excel situationally, allowing touchdowns on just 52.2% of red zone trips (22nd) and thriving on early downs with a 39.3% rushing success rate allowed (38th). Built on disciplined tackling (86.6% success rate) and one of the nation’s stingiest explosive-play defenses, Notre Dame’s unit is balanced, opportunistic, and playoff-caliber.
Notre Dame Player to Watch on Defense: Edge Boubacar Traore
Boubacar Traore has been a dominant edge presence for Notre Dame, producing 34 tackles, 8 havoc plays, and 7.5 sacks across 10 games while maintaining a stellar 91.9% tackle rate. His combination of length and twitch shows up in pass-rush metrics — generating 22 pressures on 224 rushes (9.8%), with four sacks created and a 2.60-second time to first pressure. Traore’s ability to win one-on-one matchups and collapse pockets from the edge makes him the Irish’s most consistent disruptor up front.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStanford Cardinal
Head Coach: Frank Reich2025 Record: 4-7 (3-5)Offense Ranking: 118Defense Ranking: 80Strength of Schedule: 40
Stanford’s 2025 season under Frank Reich has been another year of rebuilding, with the Cardinal sitting at 4-7 (3-5 Pac-12) and ranked 107th in SP+. The offense has struggled to find consistency, ranking 118th in Offensive SP+ and averaging just 4.72 yards per play (128th) while converting only 37.2% of their snaps into successful plays (121st). Defensively, the unit has shown flashes but remains overmatched against top competition, ranking 80th in Defensive SP+ and allowing 5.82 yards per play with one of the nation’s lowest red zone touchdown rates at 46.3% (13th). The team’s few bright spots have come in short-field defense and occasional big-play strikes, but with just 3.2 second-order wins, Stanford remains mired in transition. Reich’s staff has shown incremental progress from last season’s baseline, but the Cardinal still lack the depth, trench play, and potency to compete in the ACC.
The Stanford Cardinal Offense
Stanford’s offense has been one of the least efficient in the country, ranking 118th in Offensive SP+ and managing only 4.72 yards per play (128th nationally) with a 37.2% success rate. The Cardinal struggle mightily to sustain drives, posting a 39.4% three-and-out rate (130th) and averaging just 1.40 points per drive (126th), largely due to an offensive line that allows pressure on 3.9% of dropbacks (129th) and ranks near the bottom nationally in blown block percentage. Their rushing attack has been stagnant at 3.9 yards per carry (132nd) with a negative yards-before-contact mark, while the passing game generates little explosiveness with only 5.4 yards per dropback (121st) and a 58.1% completion rate (109th). Despite flashes of creativity under Frank Reich, this offense remains hamstrung by inefficiency, field position issues, and an inability to finish drives, scoring touchdowns on just 44.1% of red zone trips (130th).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStanford Player to Watch on Offense: WR CJ Williams
CJ Williams has been Stanford’s most reliable offensive weapon, leading the team with 94 targets, 58 receptions, 735 yards, and 6 touchdowns. His 61.7% catch rate and 12.7 yards per reception highlight his consistency as a possession receiver, while a 69% first-down rate makes him the go-to option in critical situations. Williams creates steady intermediate production with 9.8 air yards per target and a balanced route tree, 47% short, 29% intermediate, and 24% deep, operating primarily on the perimeter (67% of receptions out wide). Despite Stanford’s offensive struggles, Williams has remained efficient and dependable, posting a 52.1% success rate while keeping drop rate low at just 4.7%.
The Stanford Cardinal Defense
Stanford’s defense has shown modest improvement from past seasons but still ranks just 80th in Defensive SP+, allowing 5.82 yards per play and a 41.9% success rate to opposing offenses. The front seven remains a liability against the run, giving up 4.3 yards per carry with one of the nation’s lowest tackle success rates (83.4%, 121st) and minimal disruption, producing a 13.4% havoc rate (103rd). While the unit has been surprisingly stout in the red zone, allowing touchdowns on just 46.3% of opponent trips (13th nationally), it lacks consistent pressure generating sacks on only 5.0% of dropbacks (100th) and ranking 104th in pressure rate. Overall, the defense bends early and often but occasionally stiffens in scoring territory, masking structural issues in tackling, pass rush, and explosive play prevention.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStanford Player to Watch on Defense: LB Matt Rose
Matt Rose has been the backbone of Stanford’s defense, leading the team with 78 tackles, including 29 solo stops, while generating 12 havoc plays and 8 tackles for loss. He’s been a force in the box with an 85.7% tackle success rate and has added valuable pressure as a blitzer, producing 3.0 sacks, 9 pressures, and a 16.1% pressure rate on limited pass-rush snaps. Rose has also shown solid coverage instincts for a linebacker, allowing just 47 yards on 9 targets (5.2 yards per attempt) with three pass breakups and a Defensive QBR of 83.5 against him. His versatility and consistency make him the unit’s most dependable all-around defender, capable of producing impact plays in both run defense and pass situations.
Notre Dame and Stanford team stats, betting trends
Notre Dame has won its last 5 games
Notre Dame is 6-5 ATS this season
Stanford is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games as a home underdog
Stanford is 4-7 ATS overall this season
The average total game score (55.7) in Notre Dame's last 10 road games is over the Total (51)
The OVER has cashed in 5 of Stanford’s 11 games this season (5-6)
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEric Froton (@CFFroton): CJ Carr UNDER 0.5 Interceptions
Notre Dame has been running white hot since dropping their first two contests, ripping off nine straight wins in dominant fashion to reestablish their candidacy for the CFP Playoff. ND QB CJ Carr has been a revelation in his first year as the Irish’s starting signal caller, earning a rock solid 83.5 PFF Overall grade. While Carr has had some miscues against the better defenses he’s faced, throwing interceptions against teams like Miami/Texas A&M/Pittsburgh/USC. However, against the lower echelon teams, Carr has been flawless. In fact, last week he only threw 10 passes against the morose Syracuse defense. With Stanford ranking a ghastly 133rd in Interception rate (0.7%) and ND likely to be on cruise control by halftime with backup QB Nate Minchey all but assured of taking the garbage-time reps, I’m taking CJ Carr to go Under his 0.5 interceptions line and laying the -170 as ND turns the page to their upcoming CFP Playoff appearance.
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the college football calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, stadium information and weather forecasts.
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Best bets our model is projecting for this week’s game between Notre Dame and Stanford:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Stanford Cardinal at +31.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the OVER on the Game Total of 49.5.
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