It was cold. El Paso is usually better than that, but for the 2023 Sun Bowl, the wind just sort of sliced through Sun Bowl Stadium while Notre Dame put a definitive exclamation point on Marcus Freeman’s second season. If you missed the Notre Dame last game against Oregon State, you missed a 40-8 beatdown that felt a lot more like a statement than a meaningless postseason exhibition.
People love to complain that bowl games don't matter anymore. They say the transfer portal and NFL opt-outs have turned these matchups into glorified spring games. Honestly, they aren't entirely wrong, but for the Irish, that 40-8 win was different. It wasn't just about the trophy. It was about seeing what the post-Sam Hartman era looked like before it even officially started. Steve Angeli stepped into the spotlight and, frankly, played like a guy who had been waiting his whole life for that specific four-quarter window. He went 15 of 19. That's efficiency you just don't see from a backup in a high-pressure spot, especially with a depleted wide receiver room.
The Reality of the Notre Dame Last Game Roster
Look at the depth chart from that day. It was a mess, at least on paper. Audric Estimé was gone. Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, the literal bookends of the offensive line, had already started their prep for the NFL Draft. Most teams would have crumbled under that kind of personnel loss. Instead, we saw the emergence of Jordan Faison.
Faison is a fascinating story. He's a lacrosse player. Literally. He was on a lacrosse scholarship before he started torching secondaries. In the Notre Dame last game, he caught five passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. It was one of those "a star is born" moments that the Sun Bowl is actually kind of famous for. The way he found soft spots in the Oregon State zone made it clear that the Irish coaching staff had found a diamond in the rough. You could see Marcus Freeman on the sidelines just beaming. That win pushed the Irish to a 10-3 finish, which sounds a lot better than 9-4 when you're out on the recruiting trail trying to convince five-star kids that South Bend is the place to be.
The defense? Absolute lights out. Al Golden has this unit playing a brand of physical, suffocating football that reminds people of the old-school Lou Holtz era, but with modern blitz packages. They held Oregon State to a measly 2 yards per carry. Two yards. You can't win football games when you're constantly in 3rd-and-long situations, and the Beavers found that out the hard way.
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Why the Quarterback Performance Mattered So Much
Steve Angeli wasn't supposed to be "the guy" long-term, especially with Riley Leonard coming in from Duke. But his performance in the Notre Dame last game gave the fan base something they haven't had in a while: peace of mind. For years, Irish fans have been terrified of the "one injury away from disaster" scenario.
Angeli didn't just manage the game. He took shots. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Thomas was a pro-level throw. He stood in the pocket, took a hit, and delivered. It changed the narrative around the quarterback room from "we need a savior" to "we have a system that works." It’s a subtle shift, but in the world of high-stakes college football, that kind of stability is worth its weight in gold.
Breaking Down the Statistical Dominance
If you look at the box score, it’s almost comical. Notre Dame had 22 first downs compared to Oregon State’s 10. The Irish held the ball for nearly 40 minutes. 39:58, to be exact. That is ball control at its most clinical. It was a masterclass in how to use a depleted roster to execute a specific, conservative-yet-aggressive game plan.
- Total Yards: Notre Dame 448, Oregon State 197.
- Third Down Efficiency: Irish went 8-of-14.
- Red Zone: 4-for-4 on scoring chances.
You don't just stumble into those numbers. That’s coaching. That’s Jerry Parker and Al Golden coordinating a game where they knew they had the physical advantage in the trenches, even with freshman offensive linemen getting their first real snaps. Tosh Baker and Charles Jagusah stepped in for the departing NFL tackles and held their own. Was it perfect? No. There were some holding calls and some shaky footwork early on. But they grew up during those 60 minutes of football.
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The Impact on the 2024 Recruiting Class
Recruits watch these games. They really do. When a high school kid sees a "lacrosse guy" like Faison winning the Sun Bowl MVP, they realize that at Notre Dame, if you're good, you play. It doesn't matter what your stars were or what your primary sport is. The Notre Dame last game served as a massive commercial for the program's developmental culture.
Freeman has been adamant about building through the trenches, and seeing a makeshift offensive line pave the way for 236 rushing yards proved his philosophy works. It wasn't just about winning a bowl; it was about validating a blueprint. Jadarian Price looked like a future superstar, averaging nearly 9 yards a carry. Every time he touched the ball, you felt like he was one broken tackle away from a 50-yard house call.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Post-Season
The biggest misconception is that these games are "meaningless." Tell that to the seniors who wore the gold helmet for the last time. Tell that to the young guys who finally got to see their names on the jersey instead of just being "Scout Team Player of the Week."
The Notre Dame last game showed a level of "buy-in" that isn't universal in college sports right now. You see teams like Florida State or Ohio State sometimes struggle with motivation in non-playoff bowls. Notre Dame didn't. They played with a chip on their shoulder. They played like they had something to prove to the committee that left them out of the New Year's Six.
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Actionable Insights for the Upcoming Season
If you're tracking the Irish heading into the next cycle, there are a few specific things you should take away from that Sun Bowl performance. First, the receiver room is much deeper than the national media gives them credit for. Between Faison, Jordan Greathouse, and the incoming transfers, the "lack of weapons" narrative is officially dead.
Second, the defensive line rotation is elite. Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills returning is huge, but the depth shown in the Notre Dame last game suggests they can rotate eight or nine guys without a drop-off in production. That’s how you win in November when everyone else is banged up.
Finally, keep an eye on the offensive line's continuity. The Sun Bowl was the first real test for a unit that will be the backbone of the offense for the next two years.
Next Steps for Followers:
- Watch the condensed replay of the 2023 Sun Bowl to see Jordan Faison’s route running; it's a blueprint for the "slot" role in this offense.
- Monitor the injury reports for the incoming transfer class, specifically how they integrate into the schemes Al Golden showcased in the bowl game.
- Pay attention to the snap counts of the freshman tackles; their development is the single biggest factor in Notre Dame's playoff aspirations.
The era of Marcus Freeman is no longer in "transition" mode. It is fully established. The last game proved that the culture is set, the talent is deep, and the standard is nothing short of dominant.