“I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now”: Ryan Day slams Notre Dame HC for calling Ohio State soft after a thrilling 17-14 win over Notre Dame
The Ohio State Buckeyes overcame their biggest hurdle of the season by beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 17-14 on Sunday. The clash was a close one, with only three points being scored in the first half, thanks to a Buckeyes field goal.
In hindsight, the field goal proved to be the difference between both teams. Sam Hartman gave the Fighting Irish the lead with eight minutes left, but the Buckeyes scored a walk-off touchdown with a second remaining.
Coach Ryan Day seemed unhappy regarding the treatment the media gave his team, with a general consensus that his team wasn't ready for the big stage. Doubts were fueled by the lack of experience of quarterback Kyle McCord, who was in only the fourth start of his career.
Day seemed particularly angry at the comments of former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz, who guided the Irish to their last national title. Holtz came on the "Patt McAfee Show" and said that Ohio State wasn't a physical enough team, and that was the reason for many high-profile losses in Day's tenure with the Buckeyes. He also said that Notre Dame was the better team.
The Buckeyes coach called out Lou Holtz in the aftermath of the game on Sunday:
"I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now, what he said about our team, I cannot believe.
"This is a tough team right here! We’re proud to be from Ohio! It’s always been Ohio against the world, and it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world! ... I love those kids, and we got a tough team!"
Ohio State vs Notre Dame by the numbers
Sam Hartman had the quietest game of his season, with only 175 yards and one touchdown pass.
Crucially, the signal caller was stopped by inches in two fourth down attempts that would have put the Fighting Irish in scoring position.
Audric Estime managed 70 rushing yards for Notre Dame, while the collective effort brought in 176 rushing yards. The Irish were unable to capitalize, only getting one touchdown in the ground game.
Kyle McCord threw for 240 yards but with no touchdown passes. While Ohio State recorded fewer rushing yards, with only 126, what they lacked in production, they made up for in effectiveness with two rushing touchdowns.
TreVeyon Henderson was a key player with 104 rushing yards with one touchdown in 14 carries.