Notre Dame football vs. Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl: 3 Studs, 3 Duds

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 01: Michael Mayer #87 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second 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 vs. Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl: 3 Studs, 3 Duds

Studs

Jack Coan

It is difficult to call any offensive player a “stud” after the poor offensive performance in the 2nd half. However, Jack Coan also set a Fiesta Bowl record for passing. Coan finished the contest with 509 passing yards on 38 of 68 passing with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. His 509 passing yards fell just short of the record set by quarterback Joe Theismann against USC in 1970.

Coan’s valiant effort could not help Notre Dame snap its New Year’s Six losing streak. The game plan was somewhat doomed if the Irish did not knock out the Cowboys immediately. They certainly were close but, as the adage goes, that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Lorenzo Styles

If there was a bright spot for the Notre Dame football team on Saturday, it was the number of young players who played well. On the offensive line, Joe Alt and Blake Fisher held their own against a defense that led the nation in sacks. Logan Diggs and Audric Estime contributed significantly at the running back position despite not producing statistically.

The brightest freshman star was Lorenzo Styles. Styles caught 8 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown to lead all Irish receivers. Depending on who remains in South Bend for the 2022 season, Styles could be the No. 2 receiver when the Irish kickoff against his brother in Columbus.

Michael Mayer

Several other Notre Dame football players compiled more yards than the Sophomore tight end from Independence, Kentucky. However, Mayer surpassed the single-season record for touchdowns by a Notre Dame tight end. His touchdown receptions helped him surpass Ken MacAfee’s record of 6 touchdowns.

The record stood from 1977 until Jan. 1, 2022. What is particularly impressive about Mayer’s record-setting performance is the tight ends who failed to break that record. Multiple future NFL players including Anthony Fasano, John Carlson, Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Troy Niklas, Ben Koyack, Durham Smythe, and Cole Kmet all failed to surpass the touchdown record set by a future dentist.

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