Jacksonville, Fla. Notre Dame’s defense forced five three-and-out punts in the second half and likewise overcame two interception touchdowns thrown by Tyler Buchner as the Irish twice rallied from 14 points down to claim a thrilling Gator Bowl victory Friday night, 45-38 against South Carolina.
The start wasn’t pretty. In fact it was a bit ugly as it appeared the Irish would not be able to match South Carolina’s speed, aggressiveness and creativity. But over the course of 60 minutes, Notre Dame took control, out-played the Gamecocks and even out-coached them throughout most of the second half.
The Notre Dame and South Carolina match up in Friday’s Gator Bowl is probably one of the best matchups among all the bowl games, save the two semifinal national championship contests.
The Irish and Ga.