Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State stuns Notre Dame in largest comeback win in school history
GLENDALE, Ariz. — It all seemed to be going to plan.
Notre Dame’s offense supplied more fireworks than the pregame national anthem production inside State Farm Stadium. Notre Dame’s defense made sure the Oklahoma State offense didn’t do the same.
The Fighting Irish were flat out rolling in Marcus Freeman’s debut as head coach in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Everything was working.
Until they weren’t. Until it wasn’t.
Freeman’s group got out to a 21-point lead near the end of the first half. Graduate student quarterback threw for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in the game’s first 30 minutes. From the last minute of the first half, though, it was all Oklahoma State. The Cowboys scored 30 straight points to spoil the inauguration of the Freeman era in a 37-35 defeat of Notre Dame.
The Pokes piled up 605 yards of total offense by the end of the Irish meltdown. Notre Dame gained 358 yards in the first half but only mustered 193 in the second. The Irish finished with 42 rushing yards on 21 carries without junior running back Kyren Williams, who opted out to focus on the 2022 NFL Draft. The Irish couldn’t get a ground game going with sophomore Chris Tyree (six carries, 18 yards) or freshman Logan Diggs (nine carries, 29 yards) even when the game went in Notre Dame’s favor early on.
Oklahoma State senior wide receiver Tay Martin torched Notre Dame defensive back Clarence Lewis in the second half. Martin had two inexplicable drops in the first half but rebounded to finish the game with 10 catches for 104 yards and three touchdowns, all three of which came during the Cowboys’ stretch of 30 straight points.
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OSU junior quarterback Spencer Sanders finished with 371 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also ran 17 times for 125 yards. Sanders connected with sophomore wideout Brennan Presley 10 times for 137 yards.
Coan set a Fiesta Bowl record with his 509 passing yards. He tied a Fiesta Bowl record with five touchdowns. But when it matters most, Coan couldn’t move the chains. Notre Dame had the ball down six with three minutes remaining but turned it over on downs in four plays. Oklahoma State cashed in with a short field goal to put the Pokes up nine with 2:16 remaining.
Notre Dame’s final drive of the game was a throwback to the first half. The Irish scored on an eight-play, 75-yard march. But it was too little, too late. The largest comeback win in Oklahoma State history had already been completed.
And for Notre Dame, a BCS/New Year’s Six bowl victory would have to wait. The Irish have now dropped 10 such games in a row dating back to the last win during the 1993 season.
