Tyler Buchner Leads Notre Dame To Record Setting Gator Bowl Win Over South Carolina
Quarterback Tyler Buchner was not perfect in his first start in nearly 16 weeks, but perfection from Notre Dame’s sophomore quarterback was not needed Friday afternoon. Buchner was good enough and in the end that was enough to help propel the Fighting Irish (9-4) to a record setting 45-38 win over South Carolina in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Buchner turned in a gritty performance in his first game back after suffering what was originally thought to be a season-ending shoulder injury in early September to lead the Irish to victory. He was 18 for 33 for 274 yards passing, 61 rushing and combined for five total touchdowns in his first career win as a starting quarterback.
All of Buchner’s passing numbers are career highs. His three touchdown passes are his first of the season. He added two touchdowns on the ground as well. It all helped offset three interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns, in what turned into the highest scoring Gator Bowl ever.
South Carolina wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. The Gamecocks darted 75 yards downfield with a series of short passes by Spencer Rattler. The only time he faced a 3rd down on the drive was after a Jordan Botelho sack on 2nd down.
Rattler eluded a blitz on 3rd and 8, turning a short pass to Nate Adkins into a 24-yard catch and run. Xavier Legette scored from 13 yards out on another short pass from Rattler to complete a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took just 3:12 off the clock on the game’s opening drive.
The Irish went three and out on their first drive, but caught a break when South Carolina fumbled at midfield on the fourth play of their next drive.
The ensuing Notre Dame drive started slowly, as Buchner completed just one of his first five passes in the game. Facing 3rd and 15, Buchner connected with Mitchell Evans for an 18-yard gain and then followed that with an 11-yard catch and run by Jayden Thomas to move the ball to the Gamecock 16.
The Irish moved the ball just a yard on its first two plays and faced 3rd and 9 from the 15. Buchner took the shotgun snap from Zeke Correll and bolted through the middle of the line to the end zone to score his first touchdown since September and to tie the game at 7-7.
The Gamecocks scored two touchdowns quickly to go up 21-7. First, punter Kai Kroeger hit Hunter Rogers with a 27-yard pass on a fake kick after it looked like a South Carolina drive had stalled.
The Irish took the ball at their own 25 and after short gains on three straight plays, Buchner’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by DQ Smith, who raced 53 yards to the end zone to give South Carolina a two-touchdown lead with :44 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Fighting Irish settled for a 37-yard Blake Grupe field goal to make it 21-10. A 21-yard designed run by Buchner gave the Irish 1st and goal at the nine, but a 12-yard loss after a 3rd down sack set up the Grupe kick at the end of the 12-play, 56-yard drive.
South Carolina added a 45-yard field goal by Mitch Jeter, his 11th in as many tries this season, to make it 24-10 with 5:22 left in the first half. Rattler completed his first five pass attempts and completed a pair of 3rd downs on the 10-play drive before his final two attempts were incomplete in the end zone.
It didn’t take the Irish long to respond. Buchner hit Logan Diggs on a short wheel to the quarterback’s right. Diggs hit the sideline and raced 75 yards to the end zone on the only play of the drive. It was Notre Dame’s longest play of the season.
After the teams traded punts, South Carolina took possession at its own 20 with 2:33 left in the half. The Gamecocks pushed to midfield, but Benjamin Morrison intercepted Rattler on the final play of the half. It was the sixth interception of the season for the Irish Freshman All-American cornerback.
Both teams went 3 and out on their first drives of the second half. Buchner then hit his second touchdown run of the game, this one from 11 yards out, at the end of a 68-yard drive that took just five plays. Audric Estime covered 30 of the yards on a pair of runs with a 25-yard pass to Jayden Thomas in between. The Buchner run made it a 24-24 game early in the third quarter.
The Gamecocks went back on top when Rattler hit Legette with a 42-yard touchdown catch on the left side of the end zone. Legette was able to tap his right foot inbounds for the score.
Buchner threw his second interception when he tried to shovel a pass to Thomas on 3rd and 4 on Notre Dame’s next drive. The ball deflected off Thomas’ hands and into the arms Keenan Nelson Jr, giving South Carolina the ball at the Irish 41. Notre Dame’s defense forced a crucial 3 and out.
The Fighting Irish scored on the first play of a drive again and tied the game again when Buchner connected with Braden Lenzy on a 44-yard pass. Buchner used a play fake and Lenzy reeled in the deep ball to make it 31-31 with :31 seconds left in the third quarter.
Notre Dame’s defense forced a third consecutive punt when they forced a 3 and out on South Carolina’s next drive, which ended with a Jordan Botelho sack. Botelho was making his first start of the season at defensive end after Isaiah Foskey’s bowl opt out.
After forcing a third consecutive Gamecock punt, Notre Dame broke out its own trick from special teams coordinator Brian Mason’s bag. The Irish faced 4th and 4 at their own 33 and lined up in punt formation when Lenzy took a pop pass from up man Davis Sherwood and raced around the right end for a 20-yard game. Diggs raced 39-yards three plays later to give the Irish their first lead of the game at 38-31.
The Irish were on the verge of possibly putting the game away when misfortune struck. Notre Dame had run the ball six straight times for 53 yards to set up 1st and goal at the seven.
Buchner set up in the pocket and fired to the middle of the end zone and into the arms of O’Donnal Fortune, who bolted 100 yards in the opposite direction for the second pick-6 of the day for the Gamecocks. It tied the game at 38-38 with 7:42 still on the clock. The 76 combined points set a new Gator Bowl scoring record.
Notre Dame’s offense regrouped quickly, driving 80 yards in 12 plays to regain the lead 45-38 with 1:38 to play. The Fighting Irish ran the ball on all but three plays of the drive.
The final play was a 16-yard TD from Buchner to Mitchell Evans. Buchner used a play fake and made a short roll to his right then turned back to his left to float the ball to a wide-open Evans, who walked into the end zone.
South Carolina started its final drive at its own 13 after a blind side block penalty on the kickoff. They faced 4th and 36 on their last play when Rattler’s final desperation pass was knocked to the ground to seal Notre Dame’s ninth win of the season.
Notre Dame ran for just 56 yards in the first half, but finished the game with 264. The Gamecocks managed just 15 rushing yards and 100 total yards in the second half after taking a 24-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Estime ran for 95 yards on 14 carries while Diggs had 13 totes for 89 yards. Thomas led the Irish with five receptions for 67 yards, while Lenzy chipped in with four catches and a season-high 89 yards.
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