Clausen’s check is good for Irish

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Jimmy Clausen completed a career-best 29 passes for Notre Dame against Stanford, and none pleased his coach more than a throw that went about three yards.

“It’s a miracle,” Fighting Irish Coach Charlie Weis said.

That Armando Allen turned Clausen’s dump-off pass into a 21-yard touchdown wasn’t what had Weis rejoicing. He was just thrilled to know all the time he’s spent hammering Clausen about checking down to the tailback when the deep receivers aren’t open is finally paying off.

Clausen did a good job going down the field too, passing for a career-high 347 yards and three touchdowns as the Irish held on Saturday for a 28-21 victory.

“I think it’s a major step when the quarterback doesn’t force balls down the field and is willing to throw to his flare control,” Weis said. “I think that’s a major step.”

Clausen, the most heralded recruit Weis has lured to South Bend, went 29 for 40, had his second straight three-touchdown game and his second straight career-best performance after throwing for 275 last week against Purdue.

He also had a 48-yard scoring pass to Michael Floyd and a 16-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph.

“If he weren’t having a good day, our point production would have suffered dramatically. But he was having a good day,” Weis said.

Cardinal Coach Jim Harbaugh said he was impressed by Clausen.

“He’s getting his legs underneath him and getting set to make those throws and he’s putting them on the money,” said Harbaugh, a former Michigan quarterback.

Still, Clausen said when he tried to shake Harbaugh’s hand after the game Harbaugh didn’t acknowledge him.

“He obviously didn’t want to talk to me,” Clausen said.

Harbaugh said he didn’t see Clausen because of a scuffle at the end of the game

Emotions were high because Notre Dame’s seventh straight victory over Stanford (3-3) went from being an apparent rout when the Fighting Irish (4-1) were up, 28-7, in the fourth quarter to a close game. Tavita Pritchard threw touchdown passes of one yard to Jim Dray and 10 yards to Doug Baldwin with six minutes left to get the Cardinal to within 28-21.