Notre Dame football: Naming the top-5 Shamrock Series games
By Ryan Shanko
Notre Dame football: Naming the top-5 Shamrock Series games
3. 2021 — #12 Notre Dame 41, #18 Wisconsin 13
Of course, last season ended with some questionable decision making and some disappointment, but the Shamrock Series game itself was a success. I didn’t believe it until I saw it, but the Irish only rushed for 3 total yards on 32 carries and still won the game by 28 points. How did they do that? The short answer is the fourth quarter began. The longer answer is below.
The fourth quarter of this game was one of the greatest overall performances I have ever seen in a single 15 minutes of play. The Irish scored 31 points in the final frame, including a Chris Tyree kickoff return touchdown and not one but two pick-sixes off of Wisonsin’s Graham Mertz. 3 non-offensive touchdowns in one game is a rarity, but to do it in one quarter is almost impossible.
The wheels really fell off for Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz when he threw not one but two pick sixes in a one minute and twelve second stretch. We also saw the legend of Drew Pyne be born, as he came in for a struggling Jack Coan and threw for 81 yards and a touchdown, igniting what had been a stagnant offense to that point.
It took awhile, but Notre Dame dominated this game against the Badgers. This is the third best Shamrock Series game the Irish have played, not just because of the insane fourth quarter played by the Irish, but also because of the way Notre Dame dominated the crowd; there was a huge amount of green in the crowd at Soldier Field.