Luck or Irish? Stanford and ND to clash in finale

Associated Press

Stanford, Calif.

Andrew Luck has had unparalleled success in college football the last three seasons, so it’s only fitting that Stanford gives the most sought after NFL prospect a rare sendoff.

The celebrated star on Senior Day will be the redshirt junior.

In what will likely be his last game at Stanford Stadium, Luck leads the fourth-ranked Cardinal against streaking No. 22 Notre Dame to night, giving the regular-season finale a national stage for both teams — and the quarterback — to leave a lasting memory and perhaps provide a launching point for bigger things ahead.

“I don’t want to get caught up thinking, ‘Oh, last time here’ and then go out and play a terrible game,” said Luck, the NFL draft’s projected No. 1 overall pick who has insisted he won’t return. “My only focus is beating Notre Dame.”

How the finale goes will likely define each team’s season.

Stanford (10-1, 8-1 Pac-12) has a chance to secure a BCS bowl berth and keep alive its slim chances of a national title. The Fighting Irish (8-3) can improve on last year’s win total and show progress in coach Brian Kelly’s second season.

Luck or the Irish?

In the end, only one will feel satisfied.

“It’s not a referendum on our season, but it’s another step towards where we want to be in consistency in November,” Kelly said. “We’ve done very well in November and we want to continue to build on that in this game against Stanford.”

Emotions will be pouring all over the field.

Stanford is including fourth- and fifth-year players in Senior Day celebrations before the game to honor several starters with a year of eligibility remaining who will likely not be back, including Luck, left tackle Jonathan Martin and guard David DeCastro. All are expected to be first-round picks in the NFL draft.

The celebration also has some special twists.

Stanford will be wearing the Nike Pro Combat uniforms for the first time, featuring a deeper version of Cardinal red from top to bottom and replacing white helmets with black ones. The tomahawks helmet stickers are gone.

And if No. 9 Oregon loses to Oregon State earlier in the day, Stanford would host the Pac-12 title game next week.