Steve Angeli tossed three scoring passes and Notre Dame’s defense smothered an undermanned Oregon State squad as the Fighting Irish rolled to a 40-8 victory over the Beavers in the Sun Bowl. Notre Dame out gained OSU by 448-197, including a 236-2 advantage on the ground. Jordan Faison, Jayden Thomas and Jeremiah Love had receiving touchdown while Jadarian Price ran for a score on the way to a game-high 109 yards.

The Irish dominated from the start. After forcing a Beaver punt on the opening series, Angeli led a 96-yard scoring march for a 7-0 lead. His pass to Faison covered 55-yards and set up an eight yard scoring strike to Thomas. The defenses dug in from that point until Oregon State attempted an ill-advised fake punt near midfield. Josh Burnham and Jaden Mickey stuffed the play to set up the offense in OSU territory.

As time ticked down in the second period, Notre Dame moved methodically toward the goal. Price covered the last yard and the Irish had a 14-0 lead at intermission. The Beavers had five offensive possessions in the first half. The results were three punts, a failed fake punt, and an interception by Ben Morrison.

Notre Dame kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter. Spencer Shrader added a field goal, the defense produced another three and out, and Angeli found Faison for a 13-yard score to make it 24-0.

After another unsuccessful fourth down play by Oregon State, the Irish were on the move again as the game entered the final period. The drive came up inches short and the ball went over to the Beavers inside their one yard line. A run up the middle by DeShaun Fenwick failed to clear the end zone and Notre Dame tacked on two more points with the safety.

The Beavers were then forced to kick the ball back to the Irish. On the first play from scrimmage, Price took a handoff from Angeli and streaked 54 yards to the OSU 18. Two plays later, Love caught a short pass, spun out of a tackle and burst into the end zone for a 33-0 Irish lead. With 10:55 still remaining, Coach Marcus Freeman cleared the bench.

Quarterback Ben Gulbranson remained on the field for Oregon State and managed to get his team on the scoreboard against Notre Dame’s reserves. Jimmy Vaslin made a fine diving catch near the pylon for a 33-yard score. Tyler Voltin, a 372-pound reserve lineman, ran in a two point conversion.

Trailing 33-8, the Beavers inexplicably attempted an onside kick. Notre Dame easily recovered it at the OSU 40. Reserve tailback Devyn Ford carried the Irish into the red zone, and walk-on Chase Ketterer completed the scoring with a six yard burst.

The victory was a positive end to a season that will be remembered as much for its three gut-wrenching losses as the ten wins. The Irish demonstrated there are many reasons for optimism heading into 2024 as a number of young players performed extremely well. Among them were freshman tackle Charles Jagusah, cornerback Christian Gray, Faison and Love. It was also good to see the veteran wideout Thomas play extremely well after an injury-plagued fall campaign.

Angeli also staked his claim for the starting job next season. He was a cool 14 of 18 for 212 yards and added a few impressive runs to move the chains. On the other hand, Freeman is bringing in graduate transfer Riley Leonard this spring to essentially replace Sam Hartman and possibly take over as the starter. We’ll have to wait until April before this competition is resolved.

Riley’s main advantages over Angeli are game experience and the ability to extend plays when the pocket breaks down. He is not a better passer than Angeli, however, and the current players responded well to Angeli’s leadership throughout the bowl practices and the game itself.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Which team will establish and maintain a productive rushing attack? 236-2 is all one can say about that.
• Will Watts once again be a difference maker in the Notre Dame secondary? Watts had a relatively quiet day but still tied with Jordan Botelho for the team lead in tackles. He and Jack Kiser also shared a sack.
• Which new pair of offensive tackles will best protect their quarterback? Gulbranson was harassed all day, while the Irish had only a couple of leaks while protecting Angeli. Jagusah was particularly impressive on the left side.
• Will previously injured Irish receivers return to make plays for Angeli? Thomas looked great and was dominant early in the game. Jaden Greathouse had a pair of receptions but Deion Colzie did not catch a pass.
• Can the Notre Dame special teams exploit their apparent advantage? Definitely. They blew up a fake punt by OSU and recovered an onside kick. Also, Shrader’s booming kickoffs kept the ball away from Silas Bolden.
• Which young Irish players will make the most of their opportunity? Have I mentioned that Jagusah looks like the left tackle of the future for the Irish?
• Will Guidugli’s offensive game plan contain any inspired new wrinkles? The most obvious improvement was the effective red zone passes that resulted in easy scores. New Receivers Coach Mike Brown has emphasized separation techniques for his troops and his impact was evident today.
• Is it a mortal sin to root for Alabama? Everyone gets special dispensation this weekend.

Notre Dame returns a deep base of talented players next season. A number of incoming freshman will enroll early and participate in spring practice. As we enter Year 3 of the Marcus Freeman era, expectations will be justifiably high. Earning a spot in the 12-team playoff should be a given but what happens after that will define the next season.

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