AP Photo/Phil Sears
No. 9 Notre Dame held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from host Florida State to beat the Seminoles 41-38 in overtime on Sunday evening from Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
Notre Dame scored 21 straight third-quarter points to take a 38-20 lead, but FSU responded with 18 points, capped by a 43-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald.
During that span, FSU quarterback Jordan Travis left the field after his helmet came off, and McKenzie Milton came into the game. Milton, the former UCF star, suffered significant leg injuries in Nov. 2018. He completed 5-of-7 passes for 48 yards.
In overtime, Fitzgerald’s 37-yard field goal sailed wide. That opened the door for Notre Dame, and Jonathan Doerer nailed a game-ending 41-yard field goal in overtime for the win.
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan tossed four touchdowns in his Fighting Irish debut after transferring from Wisconsin.
Notable Performances
Notre Dame QB Jack Coan: 26-of-35, 366 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams: 18 rushes, 42 yards; 6 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD
Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer: 9 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD
Florida State QB Jordan Travis: 9-of-19, 130 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 1 rushing TD
Florida State QB McKenzie Milton: 5-of-7, 48 yards
Florida State RB Jashaun Corbin: 15 rushes, 144 yards, 1 TD
Florida State WR Ja’Khi Douglas: 3 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD
Jack Coan Dominates in Notre Dame Debut
Coan couldn’t have done much better in his Notre Dame debut, completing 26-of-35 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He had one pick, but it was the result of a desperation Hail Mary heave at the end of regulation.
Coan was stellar, though. On a night where the defense struggled late and the running game couldn’t get much of anything going, Notre Dame needing its passing attack to thrive.
The ex-Badger made sure of that.
He’s already established a great rapport with tight end Michael Mayer, who finished as Notre Dame’s leading receiver with nine catches and 120 yards. He opened the scoring with this 41-yarder:
Coan later launched a 23-yard touchdown to Joe Wilkins Jr., who made a great adjustment to haul the pass down in traffic:
Coan’s best throw of the day occurred on his third touchdown when he launched a beautiful 37-yard sideline pass to Kevin Austin Jr. for six:
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For good measure, he added a fourth score thanks to some great work from Kyren Williams:
Overall, it was a great season opener for Coan, who set a Notre Dame record along the way:
There were other bright spots, too, such as Kyle Hamilton’s two interceptions and Doerer’s clutch field goals from 48 and 41 yards out.
There were other bright spots, too, such as Kyle Hamilton’s two interceptions and Doerer’s clutch field goals from 48 and 41 yards out.
But Coan’s performance stands out the most as the Fighting Irish survived and advanced to Week 2 with a win.
FSU Nearly Pulls Off Miracle Comeback
The Seminoles were reeling with 4:37 left in the third quarter after Notre Dame’s Chris Tyree plunged into the end zone from one yard out to help give his team a 38-20 edge.
To their credit, FSU never gave up, answering with a 15-play, 75-yard drive capped by an Andrew Parchment eight-yard touchdown catch. Treshaun Ward and Jashaun Corbin led a ground attack that accounted for 50 of those yards.
FSU then forced a Notre Dame punt and marched down the field yet again, this time for 88 yards on 12 plays. During this drive, Travis was forced to come out of the game, and Milton took over. It was remarkable to even see Milton on the field after he suffered horrific injuries just three years ago.
“Milton suffered a knee dislocation where the thigh bone and the lower leg bone were completely dislocated,” Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel wrote after speaking with Dr. Bruce Levy, an orthopedic surgeon working out of the Mayo Clinic.
“He also tore ligaments in that knee as well as some tendons and damaged the main artery that feeds blood to the leg.”
Milton’s determination, resilience and perseverance led him all the way back to the football field, and he looked great in limited action. His first pass was complete for 22 yards to Ja’Khi Douglas, and he later connected with Keyshawn Helton for 15 yards on a 3rd-and-11. Ward carried the ball over the goal line from two yards out to help cut the lead to 38-35.
After another Notre Dame punt, Milton led FSU 46 yards down the field in 10 plays, including a 12-yard pass to Darion Williamson on 3rd-and-2 from the Seminoles’ own 37-yard line. Fitzgerald’s field goal tied the game.
The Milton-led miracle finish and storybook ending didn’t happen, but FSU could still enjoy a moral victory. They almost pulled off an 18-point comeback against a Top Ten team, doing so with a quarterback who overcame injuries that nearly ruined his football career.
There’s a lot of fight in this Seminoles team, to the point where it looks like it will break a four-year cold spell of being outside the year’s final Associated Press poll. Look for FSU to be a tough and pesky team for anyone to beat on a weekly basis.
What’s Next?
Both teams will play at home on Saturday.
Notre Dame will host Toledo at 2:30 p.m. ET, and FSU will welcome Jacksonville State at 8 p.m.
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