Notre Dame football vs. Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl: 3 Surprises

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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Nov 27, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Football quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) rushes for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Football quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) rushes for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

The Notre Dame football team lost a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl, and here are three big surprises from the loss.

Going into their matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the expectation was that the Notre Dame football team would come away with the victory. They had won seven straight games since losing to Cincinnati at home months ago, and have looked dominant throughout.

Despite a big lead early on, the Irish were unable to put the Cowboys away, and here are some surprises from the 37-35 loss inside State Farm Stadium.

Notre Dame football vs. Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl: 3 Surprises

No Tyler Buchner

While Jack Coan was the unquestioned starting quarterback all season long, the Irish also got some great production from true freshman Tyler Buchner. Buchner played in nearly every game for Notre Dame, but against Oklahoma State, he was not utilized at all.

That was a bit surprising, especially in the second half, when Coan was struggling to get this Notre Dame offense going. Sure, Coan set a Fiesta Bowl record for passing yards, but the added wrinkle of Buchner could have been just what this team needed to jumpstart the offense after halftime.