Spencer Sanders gets an A for his performance in OSU's win vs. Notre Dame

[OKSTATE1]

Fiesta Bowl report card: Spencer Sanders gets an A for his performance in OSU's win vs. Notre Dame​

Berry Tramel
Oklahoman

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Oklahoma State's rousing, 37-35 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday included ups and downs, but overall, the Cowboy report card glitters after one of the biggest victories in school history.

Spencer Sanders: A​

What a game for the lightning rod quarterback. Sanders was outstanding with his throws and decision-making. Despite a decent amount of pressure from Notre Dame’s pass rush, Sanders completed 34 of 51 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns. Sanders also rushed for 125 yards, with a virtually equal amount on called run plays (67) and scramble/sacks (58).

Defensive gameplan: D​

Notre Dame won the first-half game of X’s and O’s. The Cowboys seemed unprepared for the Irish’s variety of short passes and imaginative pass routes. Notre Dame caught OSU in a blitz, and quarterback Jack Coan dumped a little pass over the middle to tailback Chris Tyree, who was dozens of yards clear of any Cowboy in any direction, making for an easy 53-yard touchdown play. OSU’s defensive backs mostly played well off the Irish receivers, and Coan was more than content to take the easy gains. At halftime, Coan had completed 24 of 33 passes for 342 yards.

Defensive adjustments: A​

Much like in OSU games at Boise State and Texas, the Cowboy defense flipped a switch at halftime. The defensive backs shut off the easy passes, and the Cowboy pass rush got much more severe. Brock Martin had two sacks. Seldom-used tackle Xavier Ross had two of OSU’s six quarterback hurries. Coan in the second half completed just 14 of 35 passes for 167 yards, but 57 of those yards came in the final two minutes, when the Irish trailed 37-28.

Conditioning: A​

The Cowboys wore down Notre Dame. In the final 31:16 of the game, OSU outscored the Irish 30-7 and outgained the Irish 448-163 in total yards. Mike Gundy said OSU’s conditioning allowed the Cowboys to play uptempo, which countered Notre Dame’s superior length on the lines. Early, the Irish’s long arms made passing lanes difficult on Sanders and kept OSU’s pass rush at bay. But that Notre Dame advantage withered the longer the game went.

Uniform matchup: A​

The iconic Notre Dame look — gold helmets, with navy blue jerseys — is fabulous. It can only be ruined by a similarly-colored opponent. Which doesn’t describe OSU. The Cowboys wore orange pants, white jerseys and their matte-black helmets with “Cowboys" in script. Excellent OSU look, and when paired with Notre Dame, divine.

Killer instinct: D​

The Cowboys didn’t make it easy at the end. Tied at 28-28, OSU’s final five drives reached or started with first downs at the Notre Dame 15-, 1-, 14-, 11- and 15-yard lines. The Cowboys got nine points out of those chances, settling for three field goals and losing two fumbles.

Run defense: A​

Notre Dame didn’t even try to run. Not early in the game, and not after the passing game fizzled after halftime. The Irish called only 17 running plays out of 89 total and managed just 46 yards rushing.

Crowd: C​

The announced attendance of 49,550 was small by Fiesta Bowl standards. OSU didn’t sell all of its allotment of 12,500, perhaps due to COVID, but the Cowboys had more fans than that in State Farm Stadium and significantly more than did Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish didn’t even bring a pep band due to weather issues. The Cowboy marching band performed pregame and at halftime.

Running game: A​

OSU’s running prowess never became a dominant part of the game. But in 35 called running plays, OSU gained 183 yards. Tailbacks Jaylen Warren, L.D. Brown and Dominic Richardson combined for 112 yards on 23 carries, and Sanders gained 67 yards on 10 called running plays.