The Cardinal Got a Taste of Their Own Medicine
For this week’s Throwback Thursday, I’m revisiting a pivotal moment in Notre Dame football history — a remarkable redemption from one of the most frustrating losses the Irish had endured. In 1998, Notre Dame faced Stanford, a team that had embarrassed them the year before both on the field and off. The 1998 rematch, however, marked a dramatic turnaround. Written by Tom Repetto, today’s featured article captures the Irish’s journey from humiliation to redemption with their commanding 35-17 victory in Notre Dame Stadium. Let’s take a trip down memory lane with this thrilling role reversal.
The below excerpt is from the 1998 Notre Dame Football Review, in the Scholastic Magazine, written by Tom Repetto.
A Role Reversal
by Tom Repetto
What a difference a year makes. Last year, Notre Dame traveled to Palo Alto, Calif., to suffer its fourth consecutive loss at the hands of the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford embarrassed the Irish with 322 yards rushing and the Stanford band insulted the school, mocking Catholics and Irish people. Notre Dame sought to avenge last year’s humiliation and did so with a convincing 35-17 victory over unranked Stanford in Notre Dame Stadium.
Coming off a 31-30 thriller against Purdue, Notre Dame put the game away early and beat Stanford in convincing fashion. Stanford was already having a disappointing season, losing the previous week to Oregon 63-28, and they dropped to 1-4 after the loss to Notre Dame.
The key to the game was the stellar play of Jarious Jackson. In his finest game yet as an Irish quarterback, Jackson ran for 100 yards and scored three touchdowns. He became the first Irish quarterback since Tony Rice to eclipse 100 yards rushing, and his three touchdowns were the most by a Notre Dame quarterback since Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung in 1956.
Jackson also completed 11 of his 15 passes for 163 yards. His execution and hard-nosed running paved the way for an impressive offensive display.
“Basically, we just came into the game pretty much focused,” Jackson said. “I came out today and just threw the ball like I was in practice.”
The Irish started the game more effectively than in their first three games. After the opening kickoff, Autry Denson and Jackson ran through the Stanford defense to move the Irish downfield. A key play in the drive was a fourth-down completion from Jackson to Malcolm Johnson, who had an impressive seven receptions for 113 yards. The Irish took the opening drive 65 yards and with a 22-yard touchdown run by Jackson the traditionally slow-starting Irish were ahead 7-0 just three minutes into the game.
Notre Dame scored again on its second possession. After a Stanford punt, the offense drove down to the two-yard line with help from a long 30-yard dash by Denson. He then finished off the drive with the two-yard plunge that made the score 14-0. On the whole Denson had another strong game, gaining 88 yards on 20 carries.
Stanford, already in a 14-0 hole, was forced to rely on its passing game. But quarterback Todd Husak had trouble penetrating the Irish defense and often felt pressure in the pocket. With more than seven minutes still left in the first quarter, Deveron Harper sacked Husak and forced a fumble deep in Stanford’s territory. Brad Williams recovered on the Stanford 16-yard line, to set up another scoring drive.
“I was glad that we played with more personality on defense,” Davie said. “We came up with some big plays and showed some enthusiasm.”
The two-play scoring drive was capped by a six-yard touchdown from senior fullback Jamie Spencer. He rushed for a career high 80 yards on 10 carries and extended the lead to 21-0.
“We knew we had to come out physical this week,” Spencer said after the game. “When I got the ball, I just found my holes and went to the creases.”
Down 21 points halfway through the first quarter, the Stanford offense did not give up. Husak threw short passes and advanced the team up the field. A 28-yard screen pass to wide receiver DeRonnie Pitts brought the Cardinal to the Irish I5-yard line. Notre Dame held Stanford in check after that, preventing a touchdown that would have kept Stanford in the game. Kevin Miller kicked a 25-yard field goal, and the score was 21-3 after one quarter.
The first quarter marked the return of Notre Dame’s brand of run-it-down-your-throat football. The Irish dominated on the offensive line and pounded the ball with several running backs, a confusing variety of running plays and strong blocking. Not the least of these running backs was the quarterback Jarious Jackson. “He’s so good with that football,” Davie said of Jackson. “He’s … what all of us thought he could improve to be.”
The Irish extended their lead late in the second quarter. Spencer keyed the drive with a 37-yard scamper to the Cardinal 14-yard line. Then from seven yards out, Jackson scored for Notre Dame’s fourth rushing touchdown of the day.
The defense held Stanford scoreless in the quarter, preserving a 28-3 halftime lead.
Known throughout the early part of the season as a second-half team, the Irish’s first half outburst paved the way for an easy win with a comfortable lead before the second half even began.
“Maybe we did something right in practice this week or maybe it was the extra 15 minutes,” Davie said, referring to the extra 15 minutes the players were allowed to sleep before the game. Whatever the reason, the team started the game stronger than any other game during the season.
Bobby Howard played impressively for the Notre Dame defense, leading the team with 11 tackles. Defensive backs also stepped up to stop the three-receiver and four-receiver alignments used by the Cardinal. Tony Driver played well again at strong safety, recording eight tackles, while Brock Williams made five tackles and successfully defended several passes in his first career start.
“Brock brings a lot of fire to us,” Irish defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said. “You almost have to border on showboating. I would never want our kids to showboat, to taunt, but you’ve got to play with some emotion. If you can’t play with emotion, you can’t play defense.”
That emotion allowed the defense to shut down a Stanford offense that one year ago racked up 514 yards against them. While the Irish were overmatched by Anthony Bookman and Mike Mitchell’s 277-yard rushing tandem last year, the Irish managed to limit Stanford’s rushing total to 63 yards in this year’s contest.
“One of the things that helped us stop their running game is we were more aggressive,” Mattison said. ”It wasn’t so much calling blitzes and calling defenses. We just turned it loose.”
Notre Dame sealed the game in the third quarter with one of its most impressive drives of the season. Starting on their own one-yard line, the offense picked up first down after first down. After seven minutes and 10 seconds elapsed, the Irish scored with Jackson’s third touchdown of the day. After eating up much of the third quarter play clock, the Irish sealed the fate of the Cardinal by going up 35-3.
The fans in Notre Dame Stadium began the wave in the third quarter, but Stanford did not rollover and die. Against a Notre Dame defense that tried to prevent big plays, Stanford orchestrated two fourth-quarter scoring drives. Their first touchdown drive started after Jackson’s only interception of the day. Stanford, in good field position, drove 30 yards and scored on a five-yard pass from Husak to Russell Stewart.
Randy Fasini came into the game as the quarterback for the Cardinal. He marched the offense 72 yards and capped the four-minute drive with a one-yard scoring run. After the two-point conversion was completed to Dave Davis, Stanford reduced the gap in the final score to 35-17.
As the clock ticked to 0:00, there was no mad rush by students onto the field. Fans stayed where they were, cheering on the Irish and signaling the return of the Irish of the past, when winning was expected, not a surprise.
Two teams went in opposite directions as a result of the game. Stanford, at 1-4, looked at the rest of the season as a rebuilding experience. Notre Dame, at 3-1 after the game, was poised to make a run at a major bowl game.
The Irish orchestrated the kind of victory that converted doubters into believers — a far cry from last year’s Stanford game.
The victory over Stanford was more than just a win—it was a statement. As Tom Repetto’s article reminds us, Notre Dame’s performance converted doubters into believers, proving that the Irish could still dominate the gridiron with grit and determination. While Stanford struggled to rebuild, the Irish were well on their way to a season filled with promise. This game is a testament to the power of resilience and serves as a reminder of Notre Dame’s enduring spirit.
Cheers & GO IRISH!