It came down to one play at the one-yard line with three seconds left and RB Chip Trayanum was able to squeeze into the endzone with one second left to give the Buckeyes the victory, just a thrilling win on the one-yard line!
On the game-winning drive, QB Kyle McCord made several key throws to multiple receivers, WR Emeka Egubka, WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and WR Julian Fleming. McCord really grew up in this game in a big way, huge steps forward for him as a quarterback.
TreVeyon Henderson had a tremendous night in South Bend with a big 61-yard touchdown run and 104 yards total on the day. Just a career day, and there’s no more questioning about Henderson, he is back to the all-world running back!
Notre Dame was on a drive that looked like they were going to run out the clock with 2:28, and the Buckeyes made big stops on QB Sam Hartman, led by DE JT Tuimoloau, who came up big on the final defensive plays of the game.
What a wonderful game on Saturday night with Ohio State and Notre Dame, and both teams deserved to win with how well both teams played. Head Coach Ryan Day got a huge road victory and again can’t say enough for the big throws by McCord at the end of the day.
In an exciting clash between two college football powerhouses, Ohio State, ranked No. 6, secured a thrilling 17-14 victory over No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday. The game reached a dramatic climax when DeaMonte Trayanum scored a 1-yard touchdown with just one second left on the clock, lifting the Buckeyes to their memorable win.
Ohio State initially held a 10-0 lead deep into the third quarter. However, Notre Dame fought back with a determined effort, scoring 14 unanswered points. It was Ohio State’s junior quarterback, Kyle McCord, making only his fourth career start, who rose to the occasion. He orchestrated a game-winning drive in the final two minutes of the contest.
McCord’s crucial plays included a 21-yard connection with Emeka Egbuka down the center of the field, positioning the Buckeyes just one yard away from Notre Dame’s end zone with a mere seven seconds on the clock and no timeouts left. Prior to this pivotal pass, McCord completed a 7-yard throw to Julian Fleming on a high-stakes fourth-down play. He followed this with an impressive 19-yard reception by Marvin Harrison Jr., who made a diving catch over the middle, bringing the Buckeyes even closer to the goal line.
At this juncture, McCord was penalized for intentional grounding with just 15 seconds remaining. This forced Ohio State to use its final timeout to prevent a 10-second runoff. Nevertheless, McCord remained undaunted and connected with Egbuka on the crucial completion that set the stage for Trayanum’s game-winning touchdown.
With this victory, Ohio State extended its remarkable streak of defeating AP top-10 teams for a 10th consecutive season. This outcome also dashed Notre Dame’s hopes of securing their first win over Ohio State since 1936, while the Buckeyes celebrated their sixth consecutive victory in this storied series.
During a critical moment in the second quarter, Ohio State faced a third-and-1 situation but couldn’t muster the single yard needed in back-to-back attempts. This resulted in a turnover on downs at Notre Dame’s 1-yard line. A similar circumstance unfolded in the fourth quarter, with Ohio State trailing 14-10 and confronted with another third-and-1, this time at the Notre Dame 11-yard line. Once again, Ohio State couldn’t convert the essential yard on consecutive rushing plays, leading to a turnover on downs with just 4:12 remaining.
These situations seemed to epitomize the “finesse” label often associated with the Buckeyes under their sixth-year coach, Ryan Day. Without a defensive stop by the Buckeyes, the offense wouldn’t have had a third opportunity. However, Ohio State managed to force a punt, and the third attempt proved to be successful.
Following an incomplete pass by McCord that left only three seconds on the clock, Day decided to place his trust in the running game for that crucial and decisive yard. Even so, Trayanum’s touchdown run was so close that it warranted a video review before confirmation that the football had crossed the goal line before his knees touched the ground.
After the game, Day expressed his frustration with comments made by former Notre Dame coach and Hall of Famer Lou Holtz earlier in the week. Holtz, at the age of 86, had questioned Ohio State’s toughness, asserting that “everybody that beats him does so because they are more physical than Ohio State.”
However, when the Buckeyes found themselves needing that critical yard to determine the outcome of the game, they displayed the necessary physicality to secure it.
“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” Day declared during an impassioned postgame interview on the field. “What he said about our team… I cannot believe it. This is a tough team right here.”
McCord’s previous appearances featured matchups against Akron, Indiana, Youngstown State, and Western Kentucky. However, facing a top-10 opponent on the road created the most electric atmosphere of McCord’s career, providing him with his first opportunity to shine as a late-game hero. Until now, he had mostly played during garbage time, backing up C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But when his team needed him the most, McCord delivered on college football’s grandest stage.
In the previous two weeks, McCord had connected on 12 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns to Harrison. However, in Saturday’s game, he relied on different targets. With the Fighting Irish tightly covering Harrison, Egbuka and tight end Cade Stover each hauled in seven passes, while Xavier Johnson made a crucial 40-yard reception in the fourth quarter. This version of the Buckeyes may not exhibit the same level of dominance as some of the program’s recent teams, but McCord rose to the occasion when it truly counted during a pivotal moment on Saturday.
The Buckeyes have a bye next Saturday. Play Maryland on October 7th
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