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Osceola News-Gazette
CAMPING WORLD BOWL
Game MVP Chase Claypool caught seven passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, and Tony Jones Jr. rushed for 135 yards and a score, but in the end it was a stifling Notre Dame defense that proved the difference in the Fighting Irish’s 33-9 drubbing of Iowa State in the 30th annual Camping World Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
The win pushed Notre Dame to a final record of 11-2 on the season; while Iowa State fell to 7-6 in a game played before 46,948 fans last Saturday.
Notre Dame’s defense was outstanding for much of the game, limiting the Iowa State offense to a season low in points and total yards. Even when Cyclones were able to crack Notre Dame’s 30-yard line, they had to settle for three Conner Assaley field goals.
“All three phases of our game were outstanding today,” Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly said. “Our defense was really a key. When you hold an offense that scored 40 points against a playoff team (Oklahoma) to no touchdowns, you can’t hide from that. Iowa State has a prolific offense and did not score a touchdown today and they had plenty of time to prepare. We were also missing some key players today on defense, so I can’t say enough about their performance.”
While the Fighting Irish defense was holding Iowa State at bay, its offense was doing more than enough to insure the victory.
Claypool’s team-high 146 yards included a 24-yard touchdown reception.
He also had a key fumble recovery on a muffed punt in earning the Camping World MVP Award. Projected as a sixth round pick or free agent, the 6-4, 229-pound senior has seen his draft stock rise considerably during his senior year and many experts now consider him a second round talent.
“I appreciate everyone, speaking to my family and friends, everyone who supported me throughout the years to get me to this point,” Claypool said in the post-game news conference. “For the longest time, something like this was a dream, a dream that could not be reached, but I hope I’m an example of someone who if you just keep dreaming and that dream will come true.”
Claypool’s fumble recovery set up a 39-yard Jonathan Doerer field goal to give Notre Dame a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter.
One possession later, Claypool made it 10-0 on a 24-yard pass from Ian Book.
After trading field goals with Iowa State, Notre Dame would all but put the game away with 2:25 remaining in the second quarter, as running back Jafar Armstrong capped off a 4-play, 45-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 20-3.
Iowa State would never threaten in the second half.
Jones would put the game totally out of reach on the Irish’s second play from scrimmage in the third quarter when he took a straight handoff up the middle, juked a linebacker and raced past the entire Cyclone defense on an 84-yard touchdown run to up the lead to 27-6.
Doerer would later tack on two more field goals for the final margin of victory.
Kelly noted that this 11-2 Notre Dame team would go down as one of his favorites in his tenure with the Fighting Irish.
“I will always remember this group as a bunch of guys that loved to play football. They had a strong brotherhood that never listened to what the naysayers had to say about them. All they cared about was playing the game and getting better. We were not a perfect team this year, but we never claimed or pretended to be perfect. But we always strived for excellence and that is why this group will always be special to me.”
Camping World
Bowl notes:
If there was ever any question that Notre Dame recruits on a national level, consider this. The 115 Notre players on their bowl roster (scholarship players plus 30 walk-ons), come from 29 different states, Washington D.C. and one from Canada… The Camping World Bowl was first played in Miami at Pro Player Stadium from 1990 to 2000.
When the bowl was experiencing financial difficulties, Florida Citrus Sports purchased the bowl certification from the Miami group and moved the game to Orlando for the 2001 season, where it was originally re-branded the Florida Tangerine Bowl. That acquisition gave FC Sports a second bowl game (they also run the Citrus Bowl game)… Colorado, Florida State, Boston College, West Virginia, Miami, and NC State hold the distinction of being one of six schools to play in the game at both the Miami and Orlando locations… Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy’s father Shawn Purdy pitched for St. Cloud High School, played college baseball at Valencia CC and for the University of Miami, and played minor league baseball for eight seasons…Now living in Arizona, Shawn attended the game with about 50 friends from the St. Cloud area…The 24-point loss by Iowa State was the first time since the 2016 season that the Cyclones has lost a game by more than 14 points…Notre Dame’s 33 wins over the last three years, ties for the most wins in a three-year period, equaling the accomplishment of the 1988-90 teams.... The Irish scored on all four red zone trips in the game and finished the season with points in 51 of 55 trips to the red zone in 2019.
