
Notre Dame defeated South Carolina 45-38 to win the 2022 Gator Bowl on Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Fighting Irish scored the kickoff with 1:38 remaining when quarterback Tyler Buchner connected with Mitchell Evans for a 16-yard pass.
- The Gamecocks scored two pick-sixes, courtesy of DQ Smith for 47 yards and O’Donnell Fortune for 100 yards.
- Notre Dame finished the 2022 season with a 9-4 record while South Carolina finished 8-5.
the athleteInstant Analysis:
Notre Dame performance appraisal
For a game that didn’t get much national notice, Notre Dame must take a lot of its comeback win over South Carolina, a game in which the Irish felt like they were blowing up in the first half, only to take control of the second, then bring it back to the second with a Buchner pick. in the game, before finally relying on the offensive line to knock the Gamecocks down for good.
For Freeman to get Notre Dame over the line without All Americans Michael Meyer and Isaiah Fusky while replacing quarterback Drew Payne, it was a powerful moment in program management for the first-year head coach. The Alligator would have been mounting at Notre Dame. Freeman did not allow it. The fact that the Irish rushed to win while relying on the offensive line was just the performance Freeman wanted, even if the game itself felt crazy most of the night. – Sampson
Game highlights
Buechner to Evans
7️⃣ Backup#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/59Slvz5F9K
– Notre Dame Football (NDFootball) December 31, 2022
Pick 6⃣!!!!
O’Donnell Fortune ran it 100 yards into the endzone!
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/1fNEcDfGTe
– Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) December 30, 2022
Key stats
Friday’s win is Notre Dame’s 19th win in program history. The Fighting Irish are now 2-2 in Gator Bowl history.
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(Photo: Matt Pendleton/USA Today)
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