Heartbreak: The Irish Fall as Time Expires in a Classic

By Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter @LiamFarrell_IT

Via Notre Dame Football

This stings. The dictionary definition of a bend, but don't break game tonight in the Top 10 Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup. Both teams in the first half had opportunities to score, but ultimately, the game was 3-0 coming into half. In the second half, both teams went back and forth and Notre Dame fans were stunned as Kyle McCord led Ohio State with 1:26 left and pulled off the come from behind victory. This is the closest thing I have had in my generation to the Bush Push game.

Offense

Sam Hartman. Hartman had the offense grooving on their first two drives of the game, where Mitchell Evans was clearly his favorite target. Hartman got confused a couple times, in which the Ohio State defense disguised blitz and rattled Hartman into throwing in bad spots. Sam did all he could in the 2nd half, and the Notre Dame offense had the opportunity to end the game.

Run Game. The running game for the first two drives of the game was nowhere to be found. The Irish found something as the game progressed, especially with the improved play of Rocco Spindler. All five in the running-back stable were involved in this one. Estime was the leading rusher with 70 yards on 14 carries. Jeremiyah Love also displayed his true speed with a couple rushes off the tackle.

Offensive Line. The O-Line was pretty impressive in the grand scheme of things. The running backs had a hard time finding space in the first couple drives, but for the most part Hartman had time in the pocket to find his target. As I mentioned earlier, Coogan and Spindler really picked up their play as the game went on, and got used to what Ohio State was showing them on the defensive line.

Tight Ends. Mitchell Evans had the best game of his season in this one, making a couple of extremely impressive catches to keep Notre Dame drives alive. The other option at TE, Holden Staes, went silent and didn't have a catch in the first half, as well.

Defense

Secondary. Benjamin Morrison vs Marvin Harrison Jr. was the storyline all week, and it lived up to the hype. The two stars went back and forth, going blow-for-blow. Cam Hart and the safety unit also played extremely well. The one big thing at the end of the first half was DJ Brown dropping an interception in the back of the end zone, and he also dropped a game-ending interception during the last drive of the game.

Linebackers. The Notre Dame linebackers played extremely well in this one. The defense limited the Notre Dame run game, and JD Bertrand's return to the field was certainly felt. Marist Liufau made great plays in space, but as the primary blitzing linebacker, he couldn't get home against McCord. One of the biggest plays of the game was Jaylen Sneed, on the 4th and 1, breaking up the pass intended for Cade Stover. A phenomenal play, keeping OSU off the scoreboard.

Defensive Line. Javonte Jean-Baptiste played his best game of the season, BY FAR. The Notre Dame run defense showed out, in the first half, but the first possession of the second half was a 61 yard touchdown run. However, the tale of the lack of pass rush reigned true in this one. The Irish were lacking pressure on McCord after the first two drives of the game.

Miscellaneous

Coaching. I love Marcus Freeman and his aggressive playing style. On the 4th&1 on the first drive, I was also yelling at my television to go for it. Hindsight is always 20/20, so it's frustrating when in a low-scoring game we leave points on the board. However, on the 4th&1 to open up the second half, we didn't get the look we should've had. A questionable 2nd and 15 screen pass left more time on the clock for Ohio State to score on their last drive.

Kicking. I don't care if Spencer Shrader can make an 80-yard FG, if he can't hit the 47-yard field goal right down the middle, it puts us behind the 8-ball. The missed FG was definitely a back-breaker in this one, especially because of how low-scoring this game was.