Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 JANUARY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: OKLAHOMA STATE NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. OKLAHOMA STATE PASS DEFENSE With its running game trending upward during a seven-game winning streak to finish the regular season, Notre Dame hasn't needed much from its passing offense. Graduate student quarterback Jack Coan became more of a game manager during the season's sec- ond half and completed 124 of 168 throws (73.8 percent) with 11 touchdowns and only three inter- ceptions during the winning streak. With 64 catches, sophomore Michael Mayer al- ready holds the single-season record for receptions by a Notre Dame tight end, and his 768 receiving yards is second on the team. Senior wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. has re- mained a healthy and consistent target all season. He leads the Irish with 783 receiving yards and six touchdown grabs, and is tied for second on the team with 42 catches. As if the rushing defense for the Cowboys wasn't stingy enough, Oklahoma State led the nation in sacks (54) and tackles for loss (113) through its 13 games. The impressive pressure from its defensive front hasn't necessarily translated into turnovers as Oklahoma State was tied for 87th nationally with eight interceptions before the bowl season. Senior safety Kolby Harvell-Peel, a first-team All- Big 12 player, leads the Cowboys with three picks. Redshirt junior safety Jason Taylor II has added two interceptions. Defensive end Collin Oliver — the Big 12 Fresh- man Defensive Player of the Year — leads the unit with 11.5 sacks. Oliver is supported by redshirt senior defensive end Brock Martin (a first-team all-conference player) with seven sacks. Oklahoma State's defense has been terrific at getting off the field, holding opponents to only a 26.1-percent third-down conversion rate, the second-best mark in the country. The Cowboys also headed into the bowl season ranked No. 8 in scoring defense at 16.8 points per game. Advantage: Even SPECIAL TEAMS Heading into the bowl season, Oklahoma State ranked second in the country in kickoff returns at 30.6 yards per attempt, a mark that includes two returns for touchdowns — a 100-yarder by Presley and a 98-yarder by redshirt senior running back JD Brown. The Cowboys also rank second nationally in punt coverage, allowing a remarkable seven total yards on 16 returns. Through the regular season, Notre Dame ranked No. 48 in punt return defense, No. 38 in punt re- turns, No. 62 in kickoff return defense and No. 30 in kickoff returns. Tyree brought a kickoff back 96 yards for a touch- down against Wisconsin Sept. 25, making him one of only 11 players in the country to score on a kickoff return. As a side note, former Irish special teams coach Brian Polian recently left the program to join Brian Kelly's staff at LSU. Senior defensive analyst Nick Lezynski has been tapped with leading the Irish special teams in the bowl game. Advantage: Oklahoma State COACHING Working his 17th season at Oklahoma State, head coach Mike Gundy — the 2021 Big 12 Coach of the Year — has been here before. The former Cowboys quarterback turned program head coach hasn't suffered a losing record since his rookie season at Stillwater, Okla., in 2005, and he's been to 16 straight bowl games, of which he's won 10. For Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman will be making his head coaching debut under unique circum- stances and in a big-time setting with plenty of surrounding hype. Other important coaching news surrounds Okla- homa State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who after the regular season decided to leave the program to take the same position at Ohio State. Knowles — whose defense ranks among the top 10 nationally in both total yardage and points allowed — is reportedly stepping aside and won't coach the bowl game. Advantage: Oklahoma State INTANGIBLES Two teams that were on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff, No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 9 Oklahoma State will meet for the first time in an intriguing game that the Irish are listed as about a 2.5-point favorite. With not much to play for after narrowly missing a place in the national semifinals, motivation for this game could be a concern for both teams. But given what appears to be a smooth transition from the Kelly to Freeman head coaching eras, the Notre Dame players seem plenty focused on help- ing their rookie skipper win his first career game as a head coach, while at the same time, they look to snap an 11-game, 28-year drought since the program won its last elite bowl game. Advantage: Even Senior safety Kolby Harvell-Peel, another first-team All-Big 12 defender for the Cowboys, has notched a team-high three interceptions. PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA STATE ATHLETICS