Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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18 FEBRUARY 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TYLER HORKA E very Notre Dame tight end huddled around Gerad Parker on the field at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. — even the injured ones, and even green T-shirt- wearing All-American Michael Mayer, who opted out of the Gator Bowl to fo- cus on the 2023 NFL Draft. Then a player from another position group joined the fray. "Y'all are forgetting something," graduate student linebacker and team captain Bo Bauer told the collection of versatile pass catchers and blockers. It was the official Gator Bowl trophy, a prop foreign to No. 21 Notre Dame (9-4) for three years until the Irish beat No. 19 South Carolina (8-5) by a final score of 45-38 in Jacksonville Dec. 30. The pro- gram hadn't secured a postseason vic- tory since claiming the Camping World Bowl crown in 2019. The celebration started right away, and it surely lasted well into the night. There were plenty more photos to be had with the hardware. "Man, what a great feeling," head coach Marcus Freeman said. "As I told these guys in the locker room, the op- portunity to finish as a champion, there's no greater feeling. And I'm so proud of the way they continued to bat- tle today, which is a great representation of what they've done all season long." Freeman said sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner was a perfect example of resolve and resilience, playing for the first time since injuring his shoulder Sept. 10. He started and accounted for 335 yards of total offense and 5 touch- downs — 3 through the air and 2 on the ground. He showed composure within the game itself, too, shaking off 3 inter- ceptions, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns by the Gamecocks. "The interceptions were tough," Bu- chner said. "That goes along with rust and goes along with making mistakes. "Just having this opportunity to go back FIGHT TO THE FINISH Sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner led the Irish to a come-from-behind, 45-38 victory over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl