Quick Recap: Notre Dame survives Toledo, 32-29

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played a football game against the Toledo Rockets — at least that’s what it was supposed to look like — and in the 4th quarter it became one.

Notre Dame came out firing and opened the game with a 75 yard drive that ended in a Michael Mayer touchdown. Toledo stayed in it early with a pair of field goals — but more importantly — the Rockets owned the line of scrimmage for most of the day.

One of the few big plays on the ground from Notre Dame was a 43 yard Kyren Williams touchdown run (after Tyler Buchner landed 32 yards on the ground and 15 in the air) to make it 14-6. Toledo quickly answered with another field goal to make it 14-9 late in the 2nd quarter. On the next possession for Notre Dame, a 3rd down throw to the flats was intercepted by Chris McDonald and returned for a touchdown to put Toledo up 16-14 at halftime.

Notre Dame and Toledo played a scoreless 3rd quarter with sack after sack on Jack Coan becoming a normal thing to see.

Notre Dame was finally able to crack the scoreboard in the 4th, with a Jonathan Doerer 47 yard field goal to put them up over Toledo, 17-16. Notre Dame got the ball back quickly, and a one play drive that consisted of a Tyler Buchner to Kyren Williams pass that went 55 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-16.

Toledo had answers. After a long 1st down run to get inside the redzone, Toledo was finally able to punch it in — but failed the 2 PAT to make the score 24-22 Irish, with under 8 minutes of play.

Tyler Buchner came back out at quarterback and helped lead the Irish down the field — until a Kyren Williams fumble gave the ball to Toledo on the 30 with 3:26 left in the game.

Toledo took the opportunity and drove down the field and punched in another 4th quarter TD to go ahead 29-24.

Notre Dame brought out Jack Coan to help lead Notre Dame down the field and a big pass play to Kevin Austin and two defensive penalties put the Irish on the 18. On the very next play Coan found Michael Mayer for the touchdown to go up 30-29. A reverse Avery Davis pass to Kyren Williams for 2 succeeded and Notre Dame went up 32-29.

Toledo fumbled on the next drive — game over.

more to come on IFD.