SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Riley Leonard threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead No. 11 Notre Dame to a 49-7 victory against Stanford on Saturday.
Leonard was 16-of-22 passing for 229 yards and three scores and rushed six times for 31 yards and a TD.
The game was stopped at the end of the third quarter because of lighting in the area, with Notre Dame ahead 42-7. Play resumed after a delay of about an hour.
Steve Angeli replaced Leonard at quarterback when play resumed.
Notre Dame (5-1) shut down Stanford’s offense, posting eight tackles for a loss and four quarterback sacks and forcing a fumble. The Fighting Irish also stopped Stanford three times on fourth-down attempts.
Stanford (2-4), which was making its third trip to the Eastern time zone in four weeks, scored first. The Cardinal drove 63 yards on their first possession and took a lead when quarterback Justin Lamson scored on a 1-yard run.
That advantage didn’t last long. Leonard and Notre Dame responded with a 75-yard drive. Leonard scored on a 6-yard run to even the score.
Notre Dame built a 21-7 lead by halftime, cashing in on two failed fourth-down attempts by Stanford. Jayden Thomas grabbed a 15-yard toss from Leonard for one score, and Kris Mitchell caught a 5-yard touchdown pass.
Notre Dame’s defense set up the next touchdown, putting the Fighting Irish firmly in command at 28-7. Defensive end Joshua Burnham deflected a pitch from Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels and hauled it in before rumbling 15 yards to the Cardinal 17. Two plays later, Jadarian Price raced 16 yards for a touchdown.
Ashton Daniels went 8-for-13 for 74 yards and rushed 14 times for 42 yards. Lamson was 2-for-4 for 13 yards. Chris David Jr. carried 10 times for 45 yards.
The takeaway
Notre Dame: The Irish flexed their muscles offensively and defensively and put themselves in prime position to finish the regular season strong and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Stanford: After an impressive scoring drive on its first possession, the Cardinal struggled offensively. In its last three games, Stanford has scored four touchdowns.
Up next
Notre Dame: Travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Stanford: Plays host to SMU on Saturday.
