SOUTH BEND ― We know where.
If it’s the end of the regular season in an odd-numbered year, No. 9 (US LBM Coaches poll) Notre Dame football (8-2) ends in Northern California against Stanford (4-7).
We know when.
No thanks to the Atlantic Coast Conference and its ESPN television partner, this one kicks at 10:30 p.m., eastern time, which means it will end somewhere close to 2 a.m. It’s the latest an Irish football game has started since the November 30, 1991, visit to Hawaii. That one in Honolulu started at 10:47 p.m. South Bend time and ended at … 2:08 a.m.
What we don’t know is how, as in how it’s going to go for a Notre Dame team that has won nine straight each by double digits, most of those comfortably, since starting 0-2. A 10th straight win, likely by at least 10 points, awaits the Irish as they look to close strong and make their case for inclusion next month in the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
Here are four players to watch Saturday if you can keep your eyes open through all four quarters of the final regular-season Irish game.
No. 9 NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (9-2)
TE Eli Raridon (9)
The time has come for the senior tight end from Des Moines, Iowa.
Time to highlight Raridon, who has not been one to watch through September, October and until now, November. Time, too, for the 6-foot-7, 252-pounder to find the end zone for the first time this season. Seriously.
Raridon has had a career year in terms of catches (30), yards (473) and single game productions. Like three catches for 59 yards at Boston College. Or the six for 67 yards at Pittsburgh. Or the seven catches for 109 yards at home against North Carolina State. Raridon has played a lot and caught a lot and done a lot, but he has yet to score.
The only tight end to have a touchdown catch for the Irish this season? Ty Washington against Navy in a game where Raridon had zero catches. Same for Syracuse. Zero catches. It’s time for coordinator Mike Denbrock to draw up something near the goal line for Raridon, who likely will be a mismatch on the outside or the in the middle of the field. Get him into the end zone in the final regular season game of his college career.
S Jalen Stroman (7)
What does it mean to be a team guy? To put team glory before anything you want to do as an individual? There have been myriad examples recently for Notre Dame football and the latest is the 6-1, 201-pound Virginia Tech transfer.
A native of Bristow, Virginia, Stroman was expected to have a big season, which started with nine tackles at Miami (Fla.) in his first game at Notre Dame. Second game, he was exposed by a quicker group of Texas A&M receivers. Out went Stroman and in came freshman phenom Tae Johnson as an Irish defense that was back on its heels the first two weeks found its footing.
Stroman kept working, kept believing he’d get another chance. When Johnson was ruled out for the Syracuse game, Stroman stepped in and delivered. Boy, did he deliver. He intercepted the game’s first pass for a 44-yard score. He deflected a punt that was returned for another score. He finished with eight tackles, a pick and a blocked/tipped punt.
He played like a veteran guy. He played like a team guy.
With Johnson questionable, Notre Dame could use another performance like that from Stroman this weekend.
STANFORD CARDINAL (4-7)
LB Matt Rose (35)
Middle linebackers, by trade, are tacklers. Multiple stops a game-type guys who are often the leading tacklers on their team. That’s true with Rose, a 6-2, 230-pounder redshirt junior from Brecksville, Ohio, but what he’s done this season is downright ridiculous.
Rose leads the Cardinal with 97 tackles in 11 games. Those 97 are 45 more than the next Cardinal defender. Having sat out his freshman year, Rose’s previous season high for tackles was 32. To say that Rose is all over the place on Saturday afternoons/evenings, is an understatement. He’s basically been everywhere. Rose also has eight tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Rose made just one tackle in the September 27 win over San Jose State. Since then, his tackle totals have read seven, nine, 12, seven, eight and a season-high 14 last time out in the rivalry game against Cal.
The youngest of five, all boys, Rose set the record for solo stops at his high school, Broadview Heights, with 134. He also has a Notre Dame connection. His grandfather, Chuck Lima, was an Irish fullback who graduated in 1958.
WR C.J. Williams (5)
Had college football taken the 6-1, 205-pound senior from Mission Viejo, California, down a different road, we might be highlighting Williams here as one to watch for Notre Dame.
On August 8, 2021, Williams, then a four-star prospect from prep powerhouse Mater Dei, became the highest-ranked recruit (No. 86 nationally) to commit to Notre Dame’s 2025 class.
Williams eventually decommitted from Notre Dame, signed with USC and spent one season in Los Angeles before transferring to Wisconsin, where he played two years. In his only season at Stanford, Williams has shown what Notre Dame saw in him.
Williams came into this season with 35 career catches over three seasons at two schools. He leads Stanford with 58 catches for 735 yards and six touchdowns. In his last three games, Williams went for seven catches for 122 yards and a score against Pittsburgh, six catches for 61 yards and a touch against North Carolina and five catches for 76 yards and a score against Cal.
In an anemic offense – Stanford ranks second to last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense (306.0 per game) and last in scoring (18.6 ppg.) ― Williams has been a revelation.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Four to watch when Notre Dame football visits Stanford long after dark
Reporting by Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
