11 a.m. MT/12 p.m. CT | Jan. 1, 2022 | State Farm Stadium (72,000)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notes
Fiesta Bowl – Last Time Out
January 1, 2016 – Ohio State 44, Notre Dame 28:
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 149 yards and matched a Fiesta Bowl record with four touchdowns to close the curtain on his college career, sparking No. 7 Ohio State’s prolific offense in a 44-28 win over Notre Dame on Friday. The Fighting Irish had some good offensive moments behind DeShone Kizer but just couldn’t keep up with the blistering Buckeyes after a string of injuries, including do-everything linebacker Jaylon Smith to a knee injury in the first quarter. Kizer was the key, moving the Irish down the field to set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Josh Adams and on another drive that he capped himself with a 1-yard score. It was his 10th rushing TD, most by a Notre Dame quarterback in one season. After a quiet first three quarters, Will Fuller finally got a chance to show off his speed, using a quick move to create space before racing off on an 81-yard touchdown. The second-longest TD reception in Fiesta Bowl history pulled the Fighting Irish within 38-28, but they got no closer. Kizer threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-37 passing, but had an
interception and lost a fumble.
Creating Havoc
• Under Marcus Freeman’s tutelage, the Irish defense has been one of the nation’s best at creating havoc plays this season, as Notre Dame has totaled 40.0 sacks this season, which ranks eighth in the NCAA.
• The Irish are sixth in the nation in sacks per game with 3.33.
• The 40 sacks are the most in a single season since 1996, when the Irish set the program record for most sacks in a single season with 41.
• 15 different players have recorded a sack this season after Isaiah Pryor and Alexander Ehrensberger got their first sacks of the season against Georgia Tech.
• Notre Dame has been stingy in allowing points this season. They rank ninth in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 18.2 points per game this season.
• The Irish defense has also been adept at taking the ball away with 23 takeaways, a number that ranks 14th in the NCAA.
• Of those 23 takeaways, the Irish have tallied 15 interceptions from nine different players after Ramon Henderson tallied his first career interception against Virginia.
• The 15 interceptions are tied for 10th in the NCAA. It is the most interceptions since 2014 when the Irish had 16 that season.
• The nine players with an interception is the most since 2014 when they also had nine different players with interceptions.
• The defense has also been able to find the endzone this season with four defensive scores. The four touchdowns are tied for sixth nationally.
• The Irish also rank in the top-20 in third down conversion percentage defense (17th – 32.9%) and first down defense (18th – 211).
• Kyle Hamilton and DJ Brown both lead the team with three interceptions each.
• Hamilton and Cam Hart both had two interceptions in a game this season, the first time since 2018 that the Irish have had two players with two interceptions in a game in the same season (Jalen Elliott and Alohi Gilman).
• The depth of the defense has been on full display as 21 different players have recorded a tackle-for-loss this season.
BE LIKE MIKE
• Tight end Michael Mayer is one of the best tight ends in the country, as he ranks first among Power-5 tight ends in receptions and receiving yards per game. He is first in receptions (64), receiving yards (768) and first in receiving yards per game (69.8).
• Mayer set the program record for most receptions in a single season by a tight end (64) after his nine receptions, 105 yards and a touchdown in the win over Stanford.
• He also tied the Notre Dame record for most receptions in a single game by a tight end. He tied his previous mark against Florida State and Cole Kmet’s that was set against Georgia in 2019.
• It was the sixth game this season he has brought in seven or more receptions and also the sixth game he has led the team in receptions.
• For the season, 37 of Mayer’s 64 receptions have resulted in a first down for the Irish.
• Mayer hauled in his fifth touchdown of the season on a career-long 52-yard pass in the home finale win over Georgia Tech.
• Mayer led the Irish with team-highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (84) while adding one score in the road win over Virginia.
• Mayer joined Ken MacAfee and Tyler Eifert as the only Notre Dame tight ends with 50 or more catches in a single season.
• He notched five receptions for 54 yards in the home win over Southern Cal. He has totaled at least five receptions in seven of his 11 games this season.
• Mayer led the Irish against Cincinnati with eight receptions and 93 yards on the afternoon.
• Mayer had seven catches for 61 yards in the win over Wisconsin at Soldier Field.
• In the win over Toledo, Mayer finished the game with team-high marks in receptions (7), receiving yards (81) and receiving touchdowns (2). It was the first time in Mayer’s career that he has had a multi-touchdown game.
• Dating back to last season, Mayer collected seven or more receptions in three-straight games (Alabama, Florida State and Toledo). The last Irish receiver to have three-consecutive games with seven or more receptions was Michael Floyd in 2011 (Maryland – 8; Boston College – 10 and Stanford – 8).
• In just his second collegiate season, Mayer is already climbing the ranks in the Notre Dame Record Book:
Oklahoma State Cowboys Notes
Oklahoma State Under Mike Gundy
• Since 2010, Oklahoma State has six seasons with at least 10 wins, an outright Big 12 title (2011) and a share of the Big 12 South title (2010). OSU reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021.
• Gundy has coached the Cowboys to five New Year’s Six bowl games since 2010. The Pokes appeared in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, the 2014 Cotton Bowl, the 2016 Sugar Bowl and the 2022 Fiesta Bowl.
• Oklahoma State is one of only seven teams to post a winning season every year from 2010-20, joining Alabama, Boise State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Washington and Wisconsin. It is one of only three Power Five teams with winning seasons each of the past 16 years, joined by Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
• Including the 2021 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 12 of the past 14 seasons and reached the top 10 in 10 of those 14 years.
• Since 2017, Gundy has coached the FBS leading passer (Mason Rudolph in 2017), leading receiver (James Washington in 2017)
and leading rusher (Chuba Hubbard in 2019).
• OSU has seven total selections to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team since 2016, tying Stanford for the most among Power Five
schools during that timeframe.
Game Notes
The Basics
Playing in its 16th consecutive bowl game and its fifth New Year’s Six game since 2010, the No. 9 Oklahoma State football team (11-2 overall; 8-1 Big 12) faces No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1 overall) in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at 11 a.m. MT/12 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 1, in State Farm Stadium.
On the Air
The game will be televised by ESPN with Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden on the call. It will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-by-play, John Holcomb, Clint Chelf and Deion Imade providing analysis and Robert Allen reporting from the sideline. Fans outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through
The Varsity Network app.
In the Rankings
Oklahoma State is No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings, marking its fifth consecutive week in the top 10. OSU has been included in 17 consecutive CFP polls dating to November 5, 2019, and the Cowboys have been in the CFP rankings in six of the past seven seasons.
OSU is No. 9 in this week’s AP Top 25 and has been ranked at least once for 14 consecutive seasons in the poll. The streak, which began in 2008, is the 10th-longest active streak in the nation. Including this season, OSU has appeared in the top 15 of the AP poll in 12 of the past 14 seasons. It has had a top 10 ranking in the AP poll at some point in 10 of those 14 years. The Cowboys are also No. 9 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
Notre Dame is No. 5 in the CFP rankings and is also No. 5 in the AP Top 25 and the coaches poll. The Cowboys Return to the Fiesta Bowl
This season’s appearance in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl marks the third time that Oklahoma State has played in the game. The first was December 28, 1974, with the Cowboys scoring 16 unanswered points in the final three quarters to defeat No. 17 BYU, 16-6. The game was played in front of 50,878 fans at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. OSU’s second appearance came January 2, 2012, as the No. 3 Cowboys won a thriller over No. 4 Stanford. OSU kicked a walk-off field goal in overtime to win 41-38 in front of 69,927 fans at then-named University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Another Top-10 Matchup
When No. 9 Oklahoma State faces No. 5 Notre Dame in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, it will mark the third consecutive game where OSU’s opponent is ranked in the AP top 10. The only other time in school history that OSU has had to face three straight AP top-10 teams in one season was from Oct. 23 – Nov. 6 of 1976, when the Cowboy beat No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 10 Missouri before falling at No. 9 Nebraska. OSU also faced three straight top 10 teams in the final game of 1962 and the first two games of 1963. The game also marks the first time in school history that the Cowboys have played in three straight matchups between AP-top 10 teams. The matchup against Notre Dame will mark the 14th overall time in OSU history that the Cowboys have played a game with both teams ranked in the AP top 10. OSU’s wins in those games:
12/28/1984 No. 9 OSU vs. No. 7 South Carolina W, 21-14
9/24/2011 No. 7 OSU at No. 8 Texas A&M W, 30-29
1/2/2012 No. 3 OSU vs. No. 4 Stanford W, 41-38 (OT)
11/27/2021 No. 7 OSU vs. No. 10 Oklahoma W, 37-33
The Series
Saturday’s game marks the first ever meeting between Oklahoma State and Notre Dame, and the
first time the Cowboys have faced one of the current FBS independent schools since the Cowboys defeated BYU in the 1976 Tangerine Bowl. OSU’s other previous matchups with current FBS independents
are a 1974 win over BYU in the Fiesta Bowl, a 1962 win at Army and a 1939 win over New Mexico State.
Coach Mike Gundy has never faced Notre Dame or an FBS independent, and Notre Dame’s Marcus
Freeman is making his head coaching debut against Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State from a Distance
Oklahoma State heads into the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl with an 11-2 overall record and as the No. 9
team in the FBS. The Cowboys finished the regular season alone on top of the Big 12 standings but fell
inches short of a win in the conference championship game and potential spot in the College Football
Playoff. To put what OSU has accomplished this year into perspective, it is joined by Georgia, Alabama
and Baylor as the only teams with four wins over teams in the AP top 25 at the time of the game.
The Oklahoma State defense has performed at a historic level this year. Entering Bowl Season, OSU
leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss and is also among the FBS leaders in third down defense
(No. 2), total defense (No. 3), rushing defense (No. 5), fourth down defense (No. 6), scoring defense
(No. 8), first downs defense (No. 8), passing yards allowed (No. 12) and more.
The Cowboy offense has also made consistent improvement and has taken its game to another level
in the second half of the season. Over the past six games, the Cowboys have averaged more than 36
points and more than 435 yards per game. On the season, the Cowboys now rank No. 1 in the Big 12
and No. 18 in the FBS in first downs offense. When it came to play in conference games only, Oklahoma
State ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 in rushing offense, No. 2 in total offense and No. 3 in scoring offense.
Continued Success
The 2021 season is just the latest chapter in a long story of success for the Oklahoma State program. Consider the following:
• Oklahoma State is making its 16th consecutive bowl appearance and has secured its 16th consecutive winning season, both of which are school-record streaks. OSU’s bowl streak is the seventh-longest active streak in the FBS, and the is longest active streak for any school with the same head coach.
• Mike Gundy has coached the Cowboys to five New Year’s Six bowl games since 2010. The Pokes appeared in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, the 2014 Cotton Bowl, the 2016 Sugar Bowl and now the 2022 Fiesta Bowl.
• Since 2010, Oklahoma State has six seasons with at least 10 wins, an outright Big 12 title (2011) and a share of the Big 12 South title (2010). OSU reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021.
• Oklahoma State is one of only six teams to post a winning season every year from 2010-21, joining Alabama, Boise State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Wisconsin. It is one of only three Power Five teams with winning seasons each of the past 16 years, joined by Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
• Including the 2021 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 12 of the past 14 seasons and reached the top 10 in 10 of those 14 years.
• OSU has finished in the top three of the Big 12 in three straight seasons and has finished in the top three nine times in the 11 seasons since the conference moved to a full round robin schedule in 2011.
An Oklahoma State Win Would …
• Give OSU a 21-11 all-time record in bowl games, ranking among the top three in bowl winning percentages among teams with at least 20 appearances.
• Mark its fifth bowl win in the past six seasons, its sixth bowl win in the past eight seasons and its ninth bowl win in the past 12 seasons.
• Give the Cowboys five wins this season over teams ranked in the AP top 25 at game time, matching the school record of five set in 2011. Only Oklahoma State, Georgia, Alabama and Baylor have four AP top 25 wins heading into Bowl Season.
• Mark the Cowboys’ sixth win over an opponent with a winning record this season.
• Mark the Cowboys’ eighth win over an opponent who reached a bowl game this season.
• Tie the school record for most wins in a season. OSU also won 12 games in 2011.
• Make it 1-0 all-time vs. Notre Dame.
• Mark Mike Gundy’s first win over an FBS independent.
• Make it 4-2 all-time in New Year’s Day games.
• Improve OSU to 5-0 all-time against current FBS independents.
• Make it 19-2 in its past 21 non-conference games and 41-7 in its past 48 non-conference games.
• Improve Mike Gundy’s record in non-conference games to 58-13.
• Make it 15-6 in its past 21 games vs. AP Top 25 teams.
• Mark the Cowboys’ 10th win over an AP Top 10 team since 2008.
• Make it 14-2 in its past 16 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season.
• Mark Mike Gundy’s 36th career win vs. AP Top 25 opponents. Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney are the only other active coaches with more wins over AP Top 25 teams at their current schools.
• Mark the fifth win in school history in a game between two teams ranked in the AP Top 10.
• Make it 148-68 in its history when playing as an AP-ranked team.
• Make it 8-3 in its past 11 games when both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Improve it to 30-23 vs. AP ranked teams since the beginning of the 2011 season.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game
• OSU is averaging more than 36 points and 435 yards of offense in its past six games.
• OSU has outscored its past six opponents by a combined margin of 218-77, which amounts to an average score of 36-13.
• OSU has given up just seven offensive touchdowns in its past 24 quarters of play.
• OSU has held its last six opponents to 18-for-85 on third down (17.5 percent).
• OSU has held three of its past six opponents under 2.9 yards per play.
• OSU has held three of its past six opponents under 150 yards of total offense. No other FBS teams has held three opponents under 150 yards this season.
• OSU has held seven of its past 11 opponents under 100 yards rushing.
• OSU has held eight of its past 10 opponents under 200 yards passing.
• OSU has held 22 of its past 24 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average.
• OSU has won 79 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS and longest since at least 1980.
• OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 24 of its past 30 games.
• OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50 percent third down conversion rate in 24 straight games.
• OSU has held its opponent to fewer than 20 first downs in 11 games this season.
• Malcolm Rodriguez has recorded at least five tackles in 20 of his past 21 games.
• OSU is 31-12 in its past 43 games decided by fewer than 10 points.
• OSU is 39-6 in its past 45 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
• Dating back to 2005, OSU is 43-4 when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 69-8 when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has won three of its past four overtime games.
• OSU has forced 27 turnovers in its past 17 games.
Win Indicators
There are many things that factor into whether a team wins a game, but a long-term look at the trends during Mike Gundy’s tenure at Oklahoma State shows that winning the turnover battle and winning the run game are two of the best ways to predict an OSU victory.
Since 2005, when the Cowboys win the turnover battle, they are 79-11 (87.8 pct.). They are 43-4 (91.5 pct.) in games when they commit zero turnovers. OSU is 113-27 under Gundy when outrushing the opponent (80.7 pct.) and is 49-7 when holding the opponent under 100 yards on the ground (87.5 pct.).
History also shows that OSU is tough to beat when it takes a lead into halftime, as the Cowboys are 113-13 when leading at intermission under Gundy (89.7 pct.).
Gundy-coached teams are 71-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 20 points. OSU has won 79 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active time frame in the nation and the longest since at least 1980.
More Historic Notes on the Defense
While the season numbers speak for themselves in terms of how the Oklahoma State defense is performing, here is some added context:
• Oklahoma State’s 23-0 win over Texas Tech marked the first time the Red Raiders had been shut out since 1997 and ended TTU’s scoring streak at 302 consecutive games — a streak that was the eighth-longest in the nation at the time. It was Tech’s first time being shut out at home since 1987. The Cowboys limited Texas Tech to 108 yards of total offense in the game – its lowest output since 1990.
• OSU held TTU to 1.9 yards of offense per play, it was the Cowboys’ best performance against any team since at least 2000. The next best performance was 2.0 against FCS Savannah State in 2012.
• OSU had eight sacks vs. WVU to mark the second most in a game in school history and the most for OSU since 2004. Eight sacks matches the highest total against any Power Five conference team in a game this season.
• OSU held Kansas to 0-for-13 on third down attempts and did not allow the Jayhawks to record a first down until the 9:16 mark of the third quarter, after OSU’s starters exited the game.
• OSU held opponents without a touchdown over 11 consecutive quarters from the first quarter vs. Kansas through the third quarter vs. TCU.
• OSU’s 55 quarterback sacks mark a single-season school record and are four more than any other team in the FBS this season. The most team sacks in a season since 2000 is 57, set by Stanford in 2012.
Keep it Under 100
The OSU defense has held opponents to under 100 yards of total offense in a half in 12 of its 26 halves played this season.
Secondary Starts
Oklahoma State’s secondary is one of the most experienced groups in the nation. With six players who have started double-digit games (CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse, S Kolby Harvell-Peel, S Tre Sterling, CB Christian Holmes, S Tanner McCalister and safety Jason Taylor II) and eight players who have started at least one game in their career, OSU’s defensive backs have the second-most starts of any secondary in the FBS.
