STANFORD, Calif. -- The moment Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer gave the Irish a 36-35 lead with only half a minute left on Saturday, Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan scanned his surroundings on the sideline.
He saw Christian McCaffrey, limbering up for the critical kick return ahead. He saw Conrad Ukropina, already booting balls into the practice net. There was calm preparation happening at a time when panicked desperation might have been the natural course of action.
And then Hogan sensed his father, Jerry -- who passed away after a bout with cancer last year -- joining this vibe of surreal tranquility.