Stanford routed 58-7 at No. 3 Notre Dame as Freeman's tough practices pay off

Stanford never had a chance Saturday night in South Bend. No. 3 Notre Dame beat the Cardinal 58-7 on NBC, and the Irish stayed unbeaten in the most lopsided way they could.

The score is the obvious story. Eric Hansen of On3's Blue & Gold argues the more important one happens out of public view. He writes that the practice-field "bloodbaths" Marcus Freeman runs behind closed doors are lifting Notre Dame's ceiling, and that they should worry the opponents still left on the Irish schedule. Hansen's view is that the hardest tests are still ahead. Beating Stanford by 51 points shows the method is working, but it doesn't settle much on its own.

Quarterback CJ Carr led the way. Blue & Gold reports he threw three touchdown passes and also took part in the running game. Notre Dame's offensive line gave Stanford's front problems all night, and the outlet's game coverage credited that line with making everything easier for the offense. Lineman Nolan James Jr. got one of the outlet's postgame game balls. Jonaz Walton and Boubacar Traore got the others. Traore also had an interception.

That defensive performance was the most useful sign for Notre Dame. According to Blue & Gold, the Irish defense played without what were arguably its two best players and still held Stanford to a single score. Holding up through those absences matters more over a full season than one more blowout on the scoreboard.

Stanford leaves with a lot to fix. The Cardinal could not run the ball against Notre Dame's front, could not protect against the pass rush and could not keep the game within reach by halftime. A seven-point night against a top-three team doesn't say much about how Stanford stacks up in the ACC. It does show how far the program is from the teams at the top of the national rankings. Stanford gets a week of film study that will be uncomfortable, then returns to conference play, where its remaining schedule offers more realistic chances to compete.

For Notre Dame, the night supports the identity Freeman has been building: physical practices that are meant to make Saturdays feel easier. Hansen frames that approach as what makes the Irish dangerous from here. On this night, the gap between the teams was obvious from early on.

The longer-term question is whether that edge holds up against tougher opponents. Notre Dame will face better teams than this Stanford group, and that is where Freeman's demanding approach will really be tested. If Hansen's read is right, the work on the practice field will matter more in those games than any single result in October.