Notebook: Irish QB Buchner shows signs of encouragement in first start

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Not even the outcome could have revealed Tyler Buchner was making his first career college start.

Because when Buchner took the field under the Ohio Stadium lights Saturday night, first-time Irish starting quarterbacks had previously won their first career starts eight consecutive times.

But only two quarterbacks since that streak began — now offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and DeShone Kizer — had won their first starts against top 25 teams. Neither required beating the No. 2 team in the country or Ohio State.

Though fifth-ranked Notre Dame fell to the Buckeyes 21-10, Buchner did not show that the task was too tall to handle, especially early on. He completed his first eight passing attempts for 128 yards.

Under Buchner’s steady control of the offense, the Irish eventually took a 10-7 halftime lead. And the confidence and command he displayed to get the Irish there were what head coach Marcus Freeman was looking for in his starting quarterback.

“That’s why we named him the starter,” Freeman said. “I’m pleased with him. The biggest thing I’m pleased with is zero turnovers. He got hit a couple times. He hurt his ankle a little bit, continued to be tough, continued to run the ball and continued to try to throw the ball where he wanted to throw it.

“He’s going to be a really good football player and a great leader for us as we move forward.”

After the Irish gained 181 yards of total offense in the first half, the Ohio State defense limited the them to 72 yards in the second half. Buchner went 2-for-8 in the final two quarters to finish the night 10-of-18 for 177 yards and zero scores. He also added 18 rushing yards.

“The first half, we were rolling as an offense,” Buchner said. “That’s simple to say, we were executing, we were rolling. In the second half, Ohio State’s a really, really talented team. Their defense is awesome, and you can’t give the ball back to their offense.”

Where Buchner appeared to have difficulty was when targeting his wide receivers.

Of Buchner’s 10 completions, half of them went to Mayer. The junior tight end was also targeted an additional three times.

Beyond Mayer, Braden Lenzy (four times) and Lorenzo Styles (twice) were the only Notre Dame wide receivers to have a pass thrown their direction more than once. No receiver had more than one reception.

Although Mayer received the majority of attention in the passing game, Buchner still praised his wide receivers for their efforts.

“I think all the young receiving corps feel pretty good,” he said. “It’s just how games work — if they’re in the right spot, in the right route versus a certain coverage, that’s what happens.”

Freshman Tobias Merriweather and sophomore Deion Colzie were the only two scholarship wide receivers not to play. Senior Joe Wilkins Jr. participated but did not record any offensive statistics.

For an Ohio State offense that was No. 1 in the country in points per game last year, Notre Dame holding it to seven points for nearly 45 minutes was an accomplishment.

In the first half, the Irish limited the Buckeyes to 149 total yards (5.3 yards per play) and forced a missed field goal. And in keeping the Buckeyes to seven points at halftime marked the fewest points scored in a first half by any Ryan Day-led Ohio State team.

While Notre Dame forced the Buckeyes to a three-and-out and punt on their first two drives of the second half, Ohio State eventually made the plays when it mattered most.

“I thought they played really well until those last two series,” Freeman said of the defense. “The last series of the third (quarter) and that touchdown series of the fourth. I thought they played really well. To hold that offense to seven points until the end of the third quarter is a huge accomplishment.

“We’re not in for moral victories. We have to look at it and say, ‘OK, where do we have to improve at?’ They did a great job. Coach (Al) Golden did an unbelievable job. He called a great game. They played their tails off.

“But it still goes back to they scored 14 points with a quarter and seconds left in the game. That’s where our focus has to be.”

In their Irish debuts, Blake Grupe, Jon Sot and Zac Yoakam showed no major signs of concern.

Yoakam’s appearance as the kickoff specialist was a surprise, as special teams coordinator Brian Mason previously awarded freshman punter Bryce McFerson that role last month. The freshman walk-on, Yoakam, had two of his three kickoffs go for touchbacks.

Arkansas State’s former kicker, Grupe's, only moment was a successful 33-yard field goal try less than three minutes into the game.

Sot, a Harvard transfer, averaged 46.2 yards per punt, including a long of 75 yards. He also had three of his eight punts downed inside the 20.

“Grupe hit the very first field goal, which is a great confidence-booster,” Freeman said. “Sot came in and did a really good job punting the ball. He did a really good job.”

But Freeman is still looking for improvements in the return game.

“You look at the special teams units as a whole, you have to improve," he said. "You look at the kickoff coverage unit, we did a pretty good job there. But the kickoff return unit is a place we have to get better. If they’re going to put the ball in play and we’re going to return it, we have to get it outside the 20.”

Chris Tyree returned two kickoffs, totaling 22 yards.

- Eight players made their Notre Dame debut Saturday night in Columbus, including four freshmen: Blake Grupe, Brandon Joseph, Jaden Mickey (Fr.), Benjamin Morrison (Fr.), Chris Smith, Jon Sot, Junior Tuihalamaka (Fr.) and Zac Yoakam (Fr.).

- In addition to Buchner, four players made their first career start: Kevin Bauman, Audric Estime, Joseph and Marist Liufau.

- Mayer’s five receptions put him 10 away from tying Ken MacAfee for second all-time in tight end career receptions. Mayer finished with 32 yards (6.4 yards per catch). His eight targets were double the number of Notre Dame’s next targeted receiver (Braden Lenzy).

- Linebacker Bo Bauer appeared in his 52nd game for the Irish. That mark is tied for fifth all-time with former ND linebacker Drue Tranquill. Bauer and Tranquill played together for the 2018 season. Against Ohio State, Bauer registered four tackles, all of which were solo.

- With the loss, Notre Dame’s streak of winning season openers ended at five games.

- On the field pregame, it was a who’s who of former and current professional athletes. Among those at the game: Jerome Bettis, Joe Burrow, Ezekiel Elliott, Justin Fields, Sam Hubbard, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Chris Olave, Orlando Pace, Curtis Samuel, Jayson Tatum, Evan Turner, and Chase Young.

- The NFL was easily recognizable at Ohio Stadium. In total, 43 scouts across 26 NFL teams attended Saturday night’s game. The only teams not represented were the Falcons, Texans, Chiefs, Steelers, Jets and Dolphins.

BOX SCORE: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10

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