Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514064
22 FEBRUARY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED TURNING POINT Clinging to a precarious 7-0 lead late in the second quarter, the Notre Dame defense forced the Oregon State offense into a fourth-and-6 from its own 49-yard line. Instead of punting and making the Fighting Irish offense work a long field, the Beavers attempted a fake punt on a direct snap to senior up-man Jesiah Irish, who was imme- diately tackled by Notre Dame sophomore defensive end Joshua Burnham for a 5-yard loss. The play brought a change of possession, a change in momentum and a first-and-10 for the Irish at the Oregon State 44-yard line. Seven plays later, Notre Dame was in the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Jadarian Price. That pushed the lead to 14-0 at halftime. This turning-point play changed the course of what was a defensive tussle before the failed fake punt and turned a close game into a blowout Irish win. STATS OF THE GAME The most telling stat from Notre Dame's dominating vic- tory was that Oregon State ran only one offensive play in Fighting Irish territory before fourth-quarter mop-up time when the Beavers trailed 33-0. Dismal third-down conversions kept Oregon State from ever finding any offensive rhythm or building any sustained drives. The Beavers went only 1 of 9 (11.1 percent) on third downs while Notre Dame was 8 of 13 (61.5 percent), which led to an Irish advantage in time of possession, 40:23 to 19:37. Need more evidence of Notre Dame dominance? The Irish won the total yardage battle 468-197 and it held Oregon State to only 2 rushing yards in the game, which was obviously and easily the lowest output on the ground this season by a Notre Dame opponent. And while Oregon State never moved the ball inside the Notre Dame red zone, the Irish scored 5 touchdowns on their seven trips inside the Beavers' 20-yard line, in what became the largest margin of victory in Notre Dame bowl history. DEPTH MATTERS The numerous player opt-outs, transfers, NFL Draft en- trees, etc., for both teams made the Sun Bowl more a mea- sure of youth and depth than it did front-line talent. And Notre Dame delivered. The Irish were missing starting quarterback Sam Hartman, top running back Audric Estimé, both star offensive tackles, along with their four leading receivers from the regular season. Oregon State played without both its top two quarter- backs, its leading tailback, its leading tackler on defense and its second-leading wide receiver. It didn't take long for the Irish to prove which team was impacted more by the player shortages. Both making their first career starts, Irish sophomore quarterback Steve Angeli efficiently went 15-of-19 passing for 232 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, while freshman wide receiver Jordan Faison recorded 5 catches for 115 yards and 1 score. In the ground game, Notre Dame sophomore tailback Jadarian Price earned the first extensive workload in his career and responded with 13 carries for 106 yards and 1 touchdown. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY TODD D. BURLAGE QUARTERBACK STEVE ANGELI Making his first career start, the Irish sophomore managed the game well and efficiently finished 15-of-19 passing for 232 yards with 3 touchdowns — an 8-yarder to junior wide receiver Jayden Thomas, a 13-yarder to freshman wideout Jordan Faison and a 13-yarder to freshman running back Jeremiyah Love. Angeli also added a 17-yard run in the third quarter on a second-and-15 play that gave Notre Dame a first down and kept a touchdown drive alive. WIDE RECEIVER JORDAN FAISON With Notre Dame playing without its four top pass catchers during the regular season, the Irish freshman enjoyed the best game of his young career — and earned Sun Bowl MVP hon- ors — with 5 catches for 115 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter that pushed the Irish lead to 24-0. Faison's fine day was also highlighted by a nifty 33-yard over-the-shoulder catch in the third quarter, and a 55-yard reception that set up an Irish touchdown in the first quarter. Faison entered the game with 14 catches for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns. THE NOTRE DAME DEFENSE The fact that no one particular Irish defensive player stood on the stat sheet speaks vol- umes to what a terrific collective effort this unit put together in the biggest rout in Notre Dame bowl history. Senior safety Xavier Watts and senior lineman Jordan Botelho led the Irish with 5 tackles apiece. Botelho added 1 sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Graduate student defensive linemen Howard Cross III and Javontae Jean-Baptiste both added 2 tackles and 1 sack. With 3 tackles and 0.5 sacks, Irish graduate linebacker Jack Kiser also enjoyed a fine game to cap his 2023 season. GAME BALLS BY TODD D. BURLAGE Graduate student defensive tackle Howard Cross III was part of a relentless Irish defense that recorded 4 sacks and shut down the Beavers' offense. PHOTO BY MARCELL GORDON