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

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish takes the field before the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

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

Loss No.1 for Marcus Freeman

Going into this game, many thought that Marcus Freeman taking over would get this team so fired up that they would roll over the Cowboys. In fact, for most of the first half, that is exactly what it looked like, as Notre Dame was punishing Oklahoma State on defense, and the offense was clicking with Jack Coan throwing the ball all over the field.

However, in the end, the Irish blew a huge lead to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, losing their tenth big-time bowl game in a row. This is a program that has struggled on the big stage for some time now, and the thought was, especially after the strong start, that Freeman would help end that drought, and finish off the season with a New Years Six bowl game victory.

Nov 6, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) celebrates with wide receiver Braden Lenzy (0) after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

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It is only one game, but there were a bunch of questionable decisions by Freeman in his first game at the helm. It was his first time as a head coach, and playing one of the best teams in the country in one of the biggest bowl games on the season slate, but it was surprising that the game ended the way it did, with the Irish losing by two points.

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