PALO ALTO, Calif. — At the moment the ball went through the uprights, the Stanford players, coaches and fans spilled onto the field as the weight of disappointment dropped many of the gold-helmeted players of Notre Dame to their knees.
After giving up a lead with 30 seconds left, Stanford quickly moved into field-goal position for kicker Conrad Ukropina, whose 45-yard attempt sailed through the uprights, giving Stanford a wild 38-36 victory on Saturday and upending the race for the College Football Playoff.
In a game in which the defenses felt like inconveniences, Stanford (10-2) likely knocked Notre Dame (10-2) out of the national title chase on a cool and cloudless evening at Stanford Stadium.