Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer (14) leaps near the end zone during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN
Ezekiel Elliott tied a Fiesta Bowl record with four rushing touchdowns, as Ohio State dominated Notre Dame 44-28 in a game more defined by who it was lacking than who it featured.
Ohio State immediately put to rest speculation that it would lack motivation for the non-playoff bowl with an up-tempo 80-yard scoring drive that ended in junior running back Elliott steamrolling Jaylon Smith at the goal line.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, looked impotent early on offense – managing just eight yards in its first two series. Ohio State’s defensive line, anchored by future top NFL draft pick Joey Bosa, dominated the Irish in the repeated fight for hard yards on the ground.
As if ceding points and yards to the defending champions wasn’t enough cause for concern, the injury-ravaged Irish saw its ranks depleted further when Smith, the team’s leading tackler, suffered a knee injury midway through the first quarter. The Buckeyes scored on the very next play, with quarterback J.T. Barrett finding Michael Thomas for a 15-yard score.
Smith did not return, and his replacement, freshman Tevon Coney, left the game soon after with an undisclosed injury. The Irish were already heavily substituting to cover the pre-game suspensions of junior safety Max Redfield and freshman defensive tackle Jerry Tillery for unspecified violation of team rules. (Redfield disclosed his punishment was for repeatedly missing curfew.)
Ohio State had its own issues with missing personnel. With defensive tackles Adolphus Washington suspended and Tommy Schutt injured, the Buckeyes were already trying to plug holes on the inside. That was further complicated when Bosa was ejected for targeting, nullifying an interception by redshirt freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer.
With three full quarters left to play, the Fiesta Bowl was lacking its two top defensive players.
The Irish, which had faced similar struggles earlier in the season against Clemson, finally forced its first Buckeye punt early in the second quarter. The offense finally ignited, orchestrating a 13-play, 70 yard drive that included a risky 4th-and-1 conversion from the team’s own 39 yard line.
Kizer seemed to find his rhythm on the drive, completing short passes to wideouts Torii Hunter Jr., Chris Brown, Will Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe before Josh Adams punched it in from 3 yards out.
The Buckeyes appeared unphased, keeping the depleted Irish defense on its heels with two quick scores by Elliott before halftime.
“They don’t want to be here no more!” the junior running back barked to his linemates after the Buckeyes took a 28-7 lead. Elliott would finish the game with 149 yards rushing on 26 carries.
Kizer and seldom-used wideout Corey Robinson did not seem to agree, hooking up three times before the redshirt freshman quarterback scampered untouched for a 1-yard score to return the game to a 14-point deficit. It was Kizer’s 10th rushing touchdown on the season, a new single season record for Irish quarterbacks.
Jarron Jones, returning from a MCL tear and playing in his first game all season, provided a spark early in the third quarter by tipping a J.T. Barrett pass into the hands of a waiting Joe Schmidt.
Kizer capped the ensuing 7-play, 58 yard drive with a perfect fade to senior wide receiver Chris Brown, narrowing the game to a single score for the first time since early in the first quarter.
Every time the Irish closed the gap, the Buckeyes would re-extend their lead. Elliott found a large hole in the Irish line and exploded for 47 yards to put Ohio State ahead, 35-21. Buckeyes kicker Sean Nuernberger connected from 37 yards out to extend the lead to 17. It was Ohio State’s first made field goal since mid-October.
Kizer connected with junior wide receiver Will Fuller on an 81-yard TD for the pair’s 11th score of the year – and Fuller’s eighth of more than 45 yards. The Buckeyes responded with a second Nuernberger field goal to make it 41-28 after the Irish sacked Barrett on a critical third down.
In addition to the Redfield and Tillery suspensions and the Smith and Coney injuries, the Irish defense played today without senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell, junior cornerback Devin Butler, freshman cornerback Shaun Crawford, sophomore safety Drue Tranquill and 5th year senior safety Avery Sebastian. Senior defensive tackle Sheldon Day, who suffered a foot injury earlier in the week, played, as did hobbled sophomore Daniel Cage.
Barrett completed his first seven passes, threw for more than 200 and rushed for almost 100 yards. Kizer threw for 284 yards and added 21 yards on the ground, but fumbled to effectively seal the game for Ohio State. Freshman running back Josh Adams, playing in place of still-injured C.J. Prosise, had 78 yards.
The Irish finish the season at 10-3, losing their final two games. Ohio State closes at 12-1.
Notre Dame graduate, class of '02 (the Davie years!). A former newspaper and TV reporter, andrewwinn is now professionally involved in something far less fun to discuss than college football. A dad, a husband and a wannabe data nerd.
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