Notre Dame makes jaw-dropping history in Fiesta Bowl

Notre Dame has a love-hate relationship with the New Year’s Six bowls and the BCS era. No stat better explains that relationship than the one ESPN released Saturday afternoon during their Fiesta Bowl meeting with Oklahoma State.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, the 2022 Fiesta Bowl marks the first New Year’s Six or BCS halftime lead for Notre Dame in the BCS era. Since 1998, the Fighting Irish have appeared in either a New Year’s Six Bowl, BCS National Championship or College Football Playoff seven times and trailed by at least seven points at the midway point each time.

To make matters worse, Notre Dame has trailed by at least 14 points at halftime of four games in that span. Their 0-7 record shows how important early success can be, bringing optimism to fans watching the 2022 Fiesta Bowl lead grow to 14 before halftime.

Marcus Freeman gives first halftime interview

It’s hard to script a better head coaching debut for Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish put on quite an offensive display in the first half of the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State. Jack Coan went 24 for 33 for 342 yards and four touchdowns as Notre Dame took a 28-14 lead into halftime.

Freeman spoke with ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden to assess his team’s performance, and — understandably — was pretty happy.

“I think they’re just taking what the defense is giving them,” Freeman said. “I think Tommy’s doing a great job of spreading the ball around and giving them different formations [and] different personnels. It’s obviously working.”

Now, he has to give his first halftime speech as a head coach. What will that message be?

“It’s 0-0,” Freeman told Budden. “I don’t love the way we finished the half. We don’t want to be in a two-minute situation [and] give up seven points, so we’ve got to be better on all three phases of the ball. So we’ve got to keep this thing going. It’s 0-0.”

Quarterback Jack Coan is having a great day for Notre Dame. The fifth-year senior is 24 for 33 for 342 yards and four touchdowns for a Fighting Irish offense that’s leaning heavily on the passing game. Notre Dame went into halftime with just 16 rushing yards.

That’s impressive considering Oklahoma State came in with the No. 12 passing defense in the country, holding teams to 187.6 passing yards per game. Notre Dame looked good in the first half and appears to be in the driver’s seat.