Three key, Saturday game predictions

Notre Dame football plays six opponents where a trophy is at stake. One of those comes Saturday when the No. 12/11 Fighting Irish (4-1) face Stanford (2-3) for the Legends Trophy (3:30 p.m., NBC). Notre Dame owns a 22-14 all-time record against the Cardinals, including a 56-23 win at Northern California to close out the regular season last year.

This will be the Irish's first game since a top-15 win over Louisville on Sept. 28, 31-24. Can Notre Dame maintain the positive momentum it has built over the past few months? Here are three keys that will determine Saturday's matchup inside Notre Dame Stadium and the South Bend Tribune staff's picks.

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Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels' health

Cardinals coach Troy Taylor said Tuesday that Daniels will be available this week. He injured his leg in the fourth quarter against Clemson on September 28, causing him to miss last week's contest against Virginia Tech.

Daniels is the best option for Stanford, because of his running ability. Despite a lackluster game, Daniels led the Cardinals with 250 rushing yards. His passing stats were okay, completing 59% of his throws for 633 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions, the latter of which was one of the highest scores in the nation.

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If Daniels is limited or gets injured again, Justin Lamson (18-for-33, 159 yards, two touchdowns) will step into the quarterback position.

Riley Leonard has to take advantage of the Stanford pass defense

Although Stanford's defense allows 27 points per game, it has been effective in slowing down the run. The Cardinals allow 88 yards per game on the ground, 12th best in the nation. That could slow down a high-octane Notre Dame rushing attack that averages 214 yards per game, one of the tops in Division I.

Where Stanford has struggled is pass defense, as it ranks 122nd out of 134 teams with 270 yards through the air. That's why Saturday presents a great opportunity for Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard to surpass 200 passing yards in a game for the first time this season.

The dual-threat graduate transfer is starting to feel more comfortable in offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock's offense, throwing three touchdown passes in the last two games after zero in the first three contests. He will have a chance to continue that upward journey this weekend.

How Notre Dame is coming off a lazy week

Not playing last week was convenient for the Irish. Five of the top 11 teams in the Associated Press poll have lost, allowing them to move from No. 14 to a tie for No. 11 in that poll. It made Notre Dame's College Football Playoff chances even more vibrant.

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The last time the Irish had serious CFP buzz, they lost to Northern Illinois five weeks ago. Have they learned their lesson from the NIU crash? Only time will tell.

South Bend Tribune staff predictions for Game 6 against Stanford

Mike Berardino: Notre Dame 52, Stanford 6. Where have you been, Andrew Luck?

Tom Noe: Notre Dame 31, Stanford 10. It's time to see more of the Notre Dame team we thought we'd see post-Texas A&M and less of what we've seen over the next four weeks. Is there an Irish team? somewhere? Hello?

Austin Howe: Notre Dame 28, Stanford 3. Riley Leonard finished with 220 passing yards and two touchdowns as the Irish cruised toward a potential CFP appearance.