Fiesta Bowl preview: Key players and matchups for Notre Dame and Oklahoma State

For Oklahoma State, a loss to Baylor in the Big 12 championship game knocked the Cowboys out of contention.

Motivation for a game like this, after narrowly missing out on a playoff spot, can often be concerning.

In a matchup between two teams meeting for the first time, these are truly two teams that have no reason to be disappointed in this matchup.

5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs.

Foskey has been a key player for Notre Dame’s defense all season and he’ll be an important piece in this matchup as well.

Warren had five 100-yard rushing games this season, but had just 284 yards in five games in November and December while dealing with injuries.

The Cowboys’ D has been stellar all season, but particularly against the run, including holding Baylor, the best rushing team in the Big 12, to just 62 yards and 1.9 yards per carry on the ground.

Given how Kelly ran his program, though, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and Freeman, as the defensive coordinator, should still be able to come up with a game plan and strategy in contest as they normally would.

…Read the full story