Instant Analysis: ND's resilience, adjustments prevail in Gator Bowl win

Officially the 78th-annual Gator Bowl will go down as the highest-scoring rendition in history.

Presumably, it was the weirdest as well.

A steady stream of trick plays, fake field goals, fake punts, pick-6s, defensive players playing on offense and wild momentum swings, ended with, of course, a defensive stand as No. 21 Notre Dame rallied for a 45-38 victory Friday afternoon at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.

Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner provided seven touchdowns to the mix — three passing TDs for the Irish (9-4), two rushing touchdowns — and two pick-6’s that contributed to South Carolina’s point total. That included a 100-yard interception return by Gamecocks cornerback O’Donnell Fortune in the fourth quarter as the Irish were seven yards away from forging a two-touchdown command.

Statistically, it’s difficult to project what Buchner’s first game action since Sept. 10 means moving forward. But his relentless resilience, coming off a long-term shoulder injury and rehab, suggests he’s ready to fight for his job if/when the Irish add from the transfer portal — presumably Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman — in the coming days.

The winning points came on a 16-pass from Buchner to tight end Mitchell Evans, who came into the game with zero receptions on the season. That came with 98 seconds left. Then it was up to the Irish defense to make it stand up.

Thanks to a relentless pass rush on the final drive, led by Rylie Mills and Justin Ademilola, South Carolina (8-5) faced a fourth-and-36 situation from its own 40. Spencer Rattler got off a pass to Antwane Wells Jr. long enough for a first down. In a crowd, the SEC’s second-most productive receiver got a hand on it before it fell incomplete.

Notre Dame tried to force its strength early and often — running and stopping the run — but it didn’t take hold until the second half. The Irish, trailing at one point 24-10 and at the half 24-17, outrushed the Gamecocks, 210-15, after halftime and 264-65 for the game.

Buchner finished with a career-high 274 passing yards, a career-high 61 rushing yards on 12 carries and Gator Bowl MVP honors a year after Hartman won it on the same field in a 38-10 romp over Rutgers.

Besides the win, Friday’s game gave head coach Marcus Freeman lots of info about how he needs to manage his roster and what schematic issues need addressing as he heads into his second season as ND’s head coach.

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Opt-outs are a big deal until the game kicks off, and then winning still means something. Freeman is still perceived by many as a question mark, and getting a victory over one of the nation’s hottest teams matters in the world of perception. He also showed he and his staff are capable of halftime adjustments. Notre Dame outgained South Carolina, 355-100, in the second half and held the Gamecocks offense to 1-of-7 on third downs.

The answers were delayed, but there is life after tight end Michael Mayer and Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame’s two All-America opt-outs. The follow-up question re Foskey, though, is whether Justin Ademilola comes back for a sixth year. The Irish could really use him.

Too many to count, but nothing that appears unfixable when you include portal solutions.

Notre Dame plunges into portal season, looking to pick up some additional talent before spring-semester classes start on Jan. 17. Then it’s winter conditioning with 12 freshman early enrollees, then spring practice. The Irish open the 2023 season with a neutral-site home game against Navy, Aug. 26 in Dublin, Ireland.

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