Through the first four games of the season, Notre Dame's defense was as dominant as any unit in the country. But last week, they gave up the most points they've allowed since Texas A&M in Week 3 of the 2025 season. North Carolina scored 26 points, rushed for 77 yards, passed for 208 yards and converted 50% of their 3rd down attempts. Every defense is allowed a mulligan of sorts and this weekend is a perfect 'get right' opportunity for Chris Ash's unit. 

The Stanford offense has struggled this season, and it's not due to quarterback Davis Warren's play. The rushing offense for the Cardinal has been flat out bad ranking 135th in the country in rushing yards per game, 134th in rushing yards per attempt, 122nd in the country in rushing touchdowns and 89th in the country in runs of 20 yards or more. Notre Dame's defense will have to dominate these matchups if they wish to get back on track. 

Senior Boubacar Traore has been on an absolute tear to start the season. He broke out in 2025 after returning from a knee injury he sustained in 2024. This fall, Traore looks to have picked up where he left off from last season. The 6-5, 253-pound defensive end currently leads the team in total pressures with 19. He's also recorded eight hits plus sacks on the quarterback according to Pro Football Focus and is second on the team with 4.5 tackles for loss. The Boston, Massachusetts native has been off to a tremendous start to the season and has the potential for a monster game on Saturday. 

Matchup To Watch: Stanford's offensive line has struggled this season in every way you could imagine. They've struggled in pass protection, the run game and staying healthy. One of the healthiest offensive lineman they have is right tackle Kahlil House. Unfortunately, House has struggled the most in pass protection. The 6-5, 300-pound tackle has given up a team-leading 12 pressures and five hits plus sacks on the quarterback. Defensive lineman in years past have put up monster numbers against Stanford. This Saturday will be Traore's opportunity to eat. 

There's a good chance that we don't see All-American cornerback Leonard Moore this weekend. Could he return from concussion protocol this week? Most definitely, but there's no need to rush him back, especially when Jayden Sanders, a former Michigan transfer, has proven to be a quality player that can step up in the boundary. Sanders is still a young player, with his best football in front of him. At the end of the day, with matchups against BYU, Miami and SMU in the near future, there's no need to rush Moore back, especially against Stanford. This will be Sanders' opportunity to shine if he gets the nod. 

Matchup To Watch: Stanford wideout Jordan Onovughe has played the most snaps on the outside than any other receiver on Stanford's roster. He's also one of the few Cardinal receivers who has yet to record a drop this season. The 6-2, 210-pound pass catcher has been targeted 14 times this season, has 10 receptions for 98 yards. He has yet to have a breakout performance, but I'd be willing to bet that Stanford will be looking to target the player replacing Moore in the starting line (if he's not going to play on Saturday). Sanders will have the opportunity to have a big game in a rivalry matchup this weekend.  

Senior defensive tackle Armel Mukam is coming off his best game in a Fighting Irish uniform against North Carolina. His numbers on the stat sheet won't blow people away. Mukam finished the afternoon with zero pressures but was dominant against the run. He finished the afternoon with three tackles and three run stops according to Pro Football Focus. When you pop in the film, Mukam was strong at the point of attack, played with great leverage and had his most consistent performance against the run since arriving at Notre Dame. Saturday, he'll have the opportunity to continue building off of that performance. 

Matchup To Watch: It's no secret that Stanford's run game has been bad through the first window of the college football season. One major reason for that is the interior of the offensive line. Right guard Simione Pale has played 70 run blocking snaps this season according to PFF and is Stanford's lowest graded run blocker. A major reason for the Cardinal ranking 135th in the country in rushing yards per game and 134th in yards per rush attempt is a lack of interior push. Mukam will have the opportunity to pick up where he left off against the Tar Heels and play a major role in shutting down the Stanford rushing attack. 

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