Ezekiel Elliott Leads Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl Rout of Notre Dame
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 149 yards and a bowl record-tying four touchdowns as Ohio State blew out Notre Dame, 44-28, in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes rolled up 496 yards of offense and found the end zone on four of their first five drives to put the game away early. By midway through the first quarter, Notre Dame already trailed by two touchdowns and would never pull closer than ten points the rest of the way.
Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett threw for 211 yards and a touchdown while adding 96 rushing yards. Notre Dame’s star receiver Will Fuller had a big game in the loss with six catches for 113 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown reception—the second-longest touchdown pass in Fiesta Bowl history.
Unfortunately, most of the game was played without two of its biggest stars. Notre Dame’s Butkus Award-winning linebacker Jaylon Smith left the game early in the first quarter with a knee injury. Just a few minutes later, Joey Bosa, the Buckeyes’ All-American defensive end, was ejected following a targeting penalty after leading with his helmet into the chest of Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer.
With the win, Ohio State’s seniors completed a 50-4 run, tying Boise State’s record (2008-11) for the most wins in a four-year stretch.