PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 27: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team takes the field before an NCAA football game against the Stanford Cardinal on November 27, 2021 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California, visible players include Aidan Keanaaina #92, Matt Salerno #29, DJ Brown #2.. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
Sure, it started out well with a Notre Dame passing attack that was moving the ball as well as they can. Unfortunately, the game changed in the second quarter.
It started after Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders escaped a sack and converted a first down instead of putting the Cowboys in second and long against an Irish defense that was getting consistent pressure.
Momentum slowly flowed in the direction of OSU, and a quick score before halftime – and the lack of aggression from the Irish when the coaches decided to let the clock run out instead of taking a shot downfield to set up a field goal – helped rev up the previously reeling Cowboys.
But it was coaching adjustments for Oklahoma State, and lack of the same from Notre Dame, that helped the Cowboys keep the momentum right up until Notre Dame failed to recover an onside kick that would’ve given the Irish one last gasp of hope.
Notre Dame is going to learn from this Fiesta Bowl going into the 2022 season.
OSU figured out how to better cover the Irish pass-catchers while also stuffing a running game that was already mostly non-existent, in part because stud running back Kyren Williams opted out. Oklahoma State also figured out how to get Sanders going and the Irish had no answer for wide receiver Tay Martin.
It’s easy to point fingers in the wake of a loss, especially one that features an epically blown lead. And with Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman working his first game in that role, it will be easy to suggest that the coaching is the main reason the Irish feel apart.
There does seem to be some truth to that – the Irish didn’t seem to adjust as well as Oklahoma did. Even with Williams out, I don’t understand why the Irish didn’t run the ball more after jumping out to the big lead – it’s not like Chris Tyree is incapable.
Even accounting for the fact that fellow RB Logan Diggs struggled, the Irish could’ve found more usage out of the ground game, especially while still leading. Asking QB Jack Coan – or anyone – to throw the ball 68 times in one game is not a recipe for success, usually.
Then again, one of the issues was poor execution on the part of the players. Coan missed a few easy throws in the second half, and a few other passes were dropped. I also think the momentum shifts right back to the Irish if a Coan didn’t just miss on a long bomb in the second half.
Back to the coaching – I’m willing to cut Freeman slack since it’s his first game as the head man, though I do remember being frustrated by his adjustments (or lack thereof) as the defensive coordinator in the season opener against Florida State – a game the Irish nearly lost.
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