Stanford vs. Notre Dame: Cardinal WR Ty Montgomery unlikely to play

The Stanford Cardinal fought hard to secure their 54-48 win over Arizona, but it came at a cost. Their top wide receiver Ty Montgomery suffered a lower body injury. According to ESPN Chicago, Stanford coach David Shaw has said it's unlikely that Montgomery will play on Saturday against undefeated No. 7 Notre Dame. Jamal-Rashad Patterson is likely to make the start in his place.

Montgomery has caught 18 passes for 168 yards on the season and is Stanford's top receiving target. That is to say, he's their top receiving wide receiver, as they still boast strong tight ends in Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Patterson has caught four passes for 100 yards this season and would be making his first start.

It unquestionably hurts No. 17 Stanford, given that Notre Dame's rush defense is so strong and their reliance on being a down-field passing team. Notre Dame's weakness on defense is definitely in the secondary and without Montgomery, exploiting that weakness is going to be much harder.