The Ohio State Buckeyes were just too much for a depleted Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes' offense came out firing and never let up, rolling to a 44-28 victory over Notre Dame. OSU (12-1) racked up 489 yards of total offense, while the Fighting Irish (10-3) had just 386. The Buckeyes never trailed in the contest.
The Buckeyes were once again led by star RB Ezekiel Elliott, who had a monster game. He racked up 149 yards and 4 TDs on 27 carries. QB J.T. Barrett had a strong game as well. Barrett completed 19 of 31 passes for 211 yards, a TD and a pick. He racked up 96 yards on 23 carries. Ohio State recorded an impressive 285 yards on the ground.
DeShone Kizer was okay for Notre Dame, but it was far from enough. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 284 yards, 2 TDs and a pick. He also added 21 yards and a score on the ground. Will Fuller was the top target for the Irish, as he caught six passes for 113 yards and a TD.
Both teams lost their best defensive player early. Ohio State DE Joey Bosa was ejected for targeting after he drilled Notre Dame QB Kizer in the chest with the crown of his helmet. Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith left with a leg injury.
The Buckeyes were the only team to find the end zone in the first quarter, scoring twice. Notre Dame cut the lead to 14-7, but the Buckeyes added two more scores to extend the advantage to 28-7. The Fighting Irish added a TD at the end of the first half and the start of the second. However, that's as close as they would get. The Buckeyes closed the game on a 16-7 run to seal the victory.
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