Brindza kicked a 34-yard field goal to
make it 10-3 for the Irish.
Oklahoma answered with a 66-yard
drive of its own, with Hunnicutt nailing a 30-yard field goal in the final
minute of the opening half for a 10-6
Irish halftime lead. The Sooners managed only three net rushing yards in
the first 30 minutes, despite running
18 more plays than Notre Dame.
Neither team scored in the third
period, with Brindza misfiring on a
35-yard field-goal attempt at the 8:06
mark. Notre Dame drove from its own
3 to the Oklahoma 27, where Brindza
found the mark from 44 yards out five
plays into the final period for a 13-6
advantage.
Oklahoma's only TD of the night
came on a 52-yard drive, with backup
quarterback Blake Bell scoring from
the 1. Jones' 35-yard completion to
Saunders marked the biggest play of
that march. That tied it at 13 before the
Irish dominated the rest of the contest.
Saunders finished with 15 catches
for 181 yards. TJ Jones had five receptions for 55 yards for the Irish. Against
the Sooners aerial attack, Irish cornerbacks KeiVarae Russell and Bennett
Cierre Wood's 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter staked Notre Dame to an early lead — and the
Irish went on to dominate the ground battle, out-rushing the Sooners 215-15 yards.
photo by Bill Panzica
