Notebook: ND freshman Styles finishes with a flourish

Lost in a second-half offensive funk Saturday, was a breakthrough party for Notre Dame freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles.

He had eight catches for 136 yards — both team highs — and a touchdown in No. 5 ND’s 37-35 Fiesta Bowl loss to ninth-ranked Oklahoma State at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. And that was nearly enough to make him the most prolific first-year wideout in the 12-year Brian Kelly/Marcus Freeman Era.

Kevin Stepherson (25 catches, 462 yards, 5 TDs in 2016) still holds that distinction. Styles is right behind him, finishing with 24 receptions for 344 yards and a TD.

He is the first ND freshman receiver to amass 100 or more receiving yards in a game since Michael Floyd in 2008.

“Zo, he's a special player,” outgoing Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan said after throwing for an ND bowl record 509 yards. “I've known him since day one.

“He's been an extremely hard worker. He's an amazing athlete. The fact that he's going to be back, too, is scary for other defenses.”

Since 2010, just 10 freshman receivers have amassed as many as two catches in their inaugural seasons at ND. Fellow freshman Deion Colzie (4 for 67 yards) is one of them. Only three of the 10 recorded double digits catches for the season, with TJ Jones (2010) being the third.

“If a freshman doesn’t play as a freshman, then he’s just not good enough,” senior Braden Lenzy said in the days leading up to the Fiesta Bowl in explaining those numbers. “The first freshman I saw that was ready to play was Zo (Styles). Zo played.

“I think people who think we aren’t trying to play freshmen are mistaken. Like realistically, who’s spot was going to be taken? I understand the fans. You want to get young guys acclimated and all that. It’s starting to happen, especially with the portal. Obviously, times are adjusting.

“So I don’t know. I couldn’t play as a freshman. Y’all saw.”

For the first time since freshman eligibility was permanently restored in 1972, Notre Dame on Saturday started two freshman offensive lineman in the same game. They had previously never started two in the same season.

And Oklahoma State defensive end Brock Martin, for one, was impressed with left tackle Joe Alt and right tackle Blake Fisher, the latter seeing his first game action since injuring his knee in the Sept. 5 season opener.

“That right tackle is a good tackle,” Martin said. “They both (are) really good tackles. The offensive line is a good unit. But that right tackle is an extremely large human being. I think his roster (size) is 6-7, 340 or whatever he is.

“He had been hurt all year … so really didn't have a whole lot of film on him. Kind of just had to rush how I normally rush. I like to power, long-arm the guy. And he was just a little too big to do that.

“So I kind of adjusted my pass rush; kind of hit him with a stab, stab and flip. And it worked out. I passed-rushed against him probably 10 times throughout the game. I lined up on the right most of the game. Finally got him on that one.”

Oklahoma State came into bowl season leading the nation with 55 sacks and had six or more in each of their last five regular-season games. The Cowboys got two in a school-record 68 Notre Dame pass attempts, with Martin recording them both.

Notre Dame sophomore tight end Michael Mayer broke two single-season school records on Saturday. His two TD receptions pushed him past Cole Kmet into first place for tight ends in a season with seven. And his 72 receiving yards nudged him past Ken MacAfee and Tyler Eifert to a record 840 yards.

Mayer added to his single-season receptions record with seven against Oklahoma State, giving him 71 in 2021.

• Notre Dame’s 551 total yards was a season high. It came against the nation’s No. 3 team in total defense.

• Chris Tyree’s career-high 115 yards on six catches marked the first time since 2015 (C.J. Prosise) that an Irish running back hit triple digits in receiving yards.

• And Tyree and wide receivers Kevin Austin Jr. (105) and Styles (136) became the first trio to have 100 yards or more each in the same game.

• Junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey recorded his 11th sack of the season Saturday, and finished third on the Notre Dame all-time, single-season sack list behind Justin Tuck (13.5) and Stephon Tuitt (12). As a team, the Irish tied the school record for sacks in a season, with 41 (first set in 1996).