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

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Jan 1, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Justin Ademilola (9) pressures the throw by Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders (3) in the first half in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona RepublicNcaa Football Playstation Fiesta Bowl Oklahoma State At Notre DameSyndication Arizona RepublicSyndication The Indianapolis Star /

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

Defense struggled in a big way

Down the stretch of the 2021 regular season, the Notre Dame defense was dominant, not allowing a touchdown for three straight games heading into their regular-season finale against Stanford. Despite not having Kyle Hamilton since the USC game, the defense did not skip a beat and was a big reason why the Irish made the climb up to No. 5 in the country.

With defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman taking over as head coach, Mike Elston was tasked with calling plays for the Notre Dame defense, and he struggled throughout. The Irish looked very good early on, and many thought they would take a three-score lead into halftime, only to see the Cowboys drive down the field and find the end zone right before the half.

The defensive struggles continued in the second half, as Spencer Sanders picked apart the Irish secondary, specifically picking on Clarence Lewis in the process. For a team with a defensive genius at head coach, and veterans on all three levels of the defense, them allowing nearly 40 points was a big surprise on Saturday afternoon.

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