Notre Dame football: Marcus Freeman's key decisions in the Fiesta Bowl

Notre Dame football: Breaking down Marcus Freeman’s key decisions in the Fiesta Bowl

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish takes the field with his team for the start of the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Football reacts in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Breaking down Marcus Freeman’s key decisions in the Fiesta Bowl

1st Quarter

Punt

1st Quarter, 4th and 1, 4:23 remaining
Notre Dame 14 Oklahoma State 0

Approaching midfield, with a comfortable lead and the defense playing well, Marcus Freeman could have chosen to try and convert a 4th and very short. The idea is that you trust the offensive line to get the push and try for an early kill shot.

However, with the Oklahoma State defensive line playing well and the Irish defense even better, Freeman chose to punt the ball away.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma State’s offense woke up, starting to counter the pressure Notre Dame’s defense had been bringing to drive downfield. The drive ended with an Oklahoma State touchdown to make the game 14-7. Still, this was probably the right decision, given the information available.

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