SOUTH BEND — That was unfair.
In each quarter. In each facet. Once more.
That has been a typical thought now midway via the 2026 common season for No. 3 Notre Dame soccer, which rolled to consecutive victory No. 16 courting to final season (all by double digits) d.
This one was over earlier than halftime, when it was 37-0.
Every of the three most important Irish operating backs scored within the first half in spotlight vogue – a 31-yard run by Nolan James, a 70-yard catch and run down the sideline from Aneyas Williams and a 97-yard burst from Jonaz Walton, who was mainly untouched. Nothing improper with the run recreation or these guys this week.
One play early within the second quarter underscored how foolish this one was going to get if it wasn’t already there. A defensive name provided by coordinator Chris Ash required Boubacar Traore to drop into move protection from his defensive finish spot.
Not 5 or 10 yards down the sphere, however extra like 20. Traore intercepted Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren, then changed into operating again Boubacar Traore. Are you able to think about attempting to sort out that man? At 6-foot-5, 253 kilos? Yikes. Come on. Unfair.
The Cardinal lastly did 18 yards after the decide, which arrange a Spencer Portah subject purpose. Traore was all over the place early on this one.
He had loads of firm.
Earlier within the half, on their own on the market cut up broad proper, Notre Dame soccer receiver Jaden Greathouse raised his hand as soon as, then twice, then waved it round for all to see.
He appeared to be saying to quarterback CJ Carr, snap the ball and snap it now with the closest Stanford defender someplace close to Elkhart. Darrius Davis rushed over from his security spot to cowl Greathouse simply earlier than the snap, however it didn’t matter.
Carr hit Greathouse, who had himself a season within the first quarter (three catches on 4 targets, 30 yards receiving and a rating), for a three-yard landing slant, the second of two for the Irish in a decisive – sure, decisive – first quarter.
It was that sort of day for Greathouse. It was that sort of day for No. 3 Notre Dame in one other beatdown of an overwhelmed opponent.
Bear in mind when Stanford was once good? When this sequence was once good? Aggressive? Now the Cardinal appear like an overmatched junior varsity staff. However, hey, not less than they’re within the Atlantic Coast Convention. Common supervisor Andrew Luck has one other lengthy flight again to the West Coast to surprise why.
The nice and cozy-up video games of the primary half are over. Lastly. Now it will get actual. Now it will get troublesome. Not a second too quickly for a Notre Dame staff that was practically a 40-point favourite in what was as soon as a aggressive sequence.
Stanford wasn’t Syracuse-level sorry, however it was shut.
How accountable for this one was Carr? The quarterback let the play clock, and the primary quarter, expire with the Irish offense backed to its 3. First play of the second quarter, after a change of ends and one other spherical of seemingly infinite commercials, Walton ran via a semitruck-sized gap on the fitting aspect and didn’t cease till he was ultimately zone 97 yards later.
Similar to they dialed it up.
This one was anticipated to go sideways nearly from the beginning and it did. Like 12 seconds in when Traore (him once more!) overwhelmed the Cardinal operating again and whacked Warren. Ball on the bottom. Ball recovered by Jaiden Ausberry on the Stanford 18.
James obtained the walk-in landing 4 performs later to make it 7-0 and the Irish have been off and operating on this one. Operating away, that’s. That’s the sort of day this was for the Irish. The sort of six video games.
Let the actual common season begin subsequent week at evening, in opposition to BYU and within the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains. Can’t wait.
Comply with South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (previously Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
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