Stanford rallies to knock Notre Dame from playoff picture

STANFORD, Calif. -- Senior day can be emotional, especially against the team a player cheered for as a kid with his late father. Not so for Kevin Hogan . Hogan threw four touchdown passes and drove the No. 9 Cardinal to a game-winning, 45-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina on the last play of a 38-36 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in a playoff elimination game Saturday night. "This was the best," Hogan said. "I couldn't have pictured it going any better, having the opportunity to go down and finish the game with the ball in our hands. It seemed like whoever had the ball last would win." Stanford did just that. Hogan threw for 269 yards and calmly led the winning drive in the final 30 seconds for the Cardinal (10-2), who kept their slim playoff hopes alive with the win.