After being bounced from bowl contention last week against Washington State, Stanford football will look to refocus on a pair of key rivalry games after a bye this weekend.

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Alvin Chow

Leading Cardinal rusher Anthony Kimble should be ready to return to action next week against the Irish.

But as students begin streaming back to campus next weekend, Notre Dame will arrive for a showdown on Nov. 24, looking to salvage an utterly disastrous season.

In his third season at the helm of the traditional national powerhouse from South Bend, Ind., coach Charlie Weis’ Notre Dame squad has collapsed in epic fashion, going 1-9 in what will be the school’s worst finish since at least 1963, when the Irish went 2-7. Given the team’s historic level of futility this year, it’s safe to say Irish eyes are no longer smiling.

Notre Dame will be desperately looking to get back on track this weekend against Duke before traveling to Stanford to close out its season.

“We’ve been there, you know, having a struggling season like that, and I know their backs [are] against the wall,” said fifth year senior wideout Mark Bradford. “Having a season like that you’re trying to scratch and fight and do everything [you] can to win, and we’re the same way right now. So you’re going to see two teams [next Saturday] giving it all they got.”

As for Stanford’s motivation following the loss to the Cougars, which ensured yet another losing season for the Cardinal, it shouldn’t be too hard for Jim Harbaugh’s team to get fired up for a final stretch that includes a match-up with the Irish and a battle for the Stanford Axe with rival Cal.

“It probably helps that it’s probably two of the most hated teams coming in here,” said junior running back Anthony Kimble. “That’s definitely going to help the emotion level.”

And as for the bye week separating the Cardinal from its post-Thanksgiving battle for pride with the Irish, there are plenty on Stanford’s roster grateful for the chance to heal.

“I think [the bye-week] will help us mostly by getting some guys healthy who are banged up,” Bradford said. “Other than that, this is a time where we can get plays in and go back to the fundamentals and just shore up the things that we know we can do.”

Kimble, sixth-year senior center Tim Mattran, senior cornerback Nick Sanchez and redshirt sophomore linebacker Clinton Snyder should all be ready to go against Notre Dame after missing time in recent weeks. Kimble’s return in particular could help to bolster a rushing attack that has had to lean on freshmen like fifth-stringer Tyrone McGraw and converted cornerback Corey Gatewood in recent weeks.

The Cardinal could also get sophomore receiver Richard Sherman back for next Saturday. Sherman was forced to sit out the contest against Washington State after he was suspended by Harbaugh for a televised sideline blow-up against the Huskies two weeks ago. Although the talented wideout practiced this week, Harbaugh stopped short of confirming whether or not Sherman would play against the Irish.

“From the beginning, that’s a matter for the team and Richard and myself,” the Stanford coach told the San Jose Mercury News. “Like anybody on the team, what’s required of Richard is no more or no less than anybody else in terms of the standard of play that we’re looking for and the attitude and the behavior.”

The Irish have struggled in all phases of the game in 2007, and have been outscored by an average of 17.6 points per game. Perhaps most glaringly, though, on the ground, Notre Dame has managed a paltry 1.6 yards per carry. Their opponents, in contrast, are enjoying a robust mark of 4.4.

Still, Kimble was adamant that the Cardinal would be foolish to take the Irish lightly.

“Notre Dame’s always going to be Notre Dame,” Kimble said. “They’ve had some shortcomings this year, some almost games. But they still have some great personnel — they just haven’t made it work this year. So they’re still a team that’s very capable of coming out and putting up a good showing — we’ve just got to come out, perform and make plays when we have the chance to.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PST on Nov. 24. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN 2.