SOUTH BEND – Everett Golson saved his best for last Saturday.

That was just enough too to give his Notre Dame football team a hard-fought 17-14 win over Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium.

Golson connected on a 23-yard touchdown toss to tight end Ben Koyack with just 1:01 to play for the win. The game winning touchdown pass came on a fourth-and-11 play.

The No. 9 Irish held off the No. 14 Cardinal in a sloppy affair played in cold, rainy and windy conditions.

Golson threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns versus the nation’s top-rated defense.

Notre Dame improves to 5-0, while Stanford falls to 3-2.

Golson drove the Irish 65 yards on the game winning drive. His heroics came after Stanford had taken a 14-10 lead with 3:01 to play on an 11-yard touchdown run by Remound Wright.

The Cardinal took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter before the Irish forged a 7-7 tie at halftime. Golson hit Chris Brown with a 17-yard touchdown strike.

The Irish took a 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard field goal by Kyle Brindza.

Notre Dame won despite two turnovers by Golson and a pair of botched field goal attempts.

The Irish defense held the Cardinal to just 205 total yards, including only 47 rushing. Notre Dame piled up 370 yards of total offense.

Brown led the offense with four receptions for 60 yards. Cole Luke had two interceptions for the Irish.

The Cardinal also had nine penalties in the game to just one for the Irish.

Notre Dame hosts North Carolina next Saturday.