Suddenly, the possibility of Notre Dame dropping its home opener to a Mid-American Conference team is very real. While the Irish defense has held its own against a Toledo offense that still can’t find the end zone, the Irish offense still is searching for answers after three quarters. Those lingering questions better be answered quickly as the Rockets still have a 16-14 lead.
The Rockets went three-and-out on their first two possessions of the second half, and it didn’t matter. Although the Irish got a first down the first time they touched the ball, they moved backwards after that on a sequence that included back-to-back sacks of Tyler Buchner and Jack Coan. The Irish’s second possession began near midfield before stalling out at the Rockets’ 37-yard line. Jonathan Doerer came on to attempt a 55-yard field goal and put his team back in front, but the kick that would have given him his career long went wide left.
The Rockets finally got a first down on their next drive but nothing more. Back on offense, the Irish converted on a pair of third downs to hold onto the ball, and that’s where we stand. Hold onto your hats, folks. This is gonna be quite a finish.