Notre Dame football vs. Toledo live updates: Recapping highlights from Saturday afternoon
Michael Wanbaugh
The eighth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting escaped Saturday with a 32-29 win over Toledo at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend in their 2021 home opener.
ND Insider beat writers @EHansenNDI, @TJamesNDI and @tnoieNDI were covering the game along with South Bend Tribune photographers @TheRobFranklin and @MLCaterina.
Here is how it all unfolded:
► Analysis: Five plays that defined Notre Dame's 32-29 victory over Toledo
► Notebook: Linebacker JD Bertrand finds himself in the middle of everything for ND defense
► Noie column: Living on the college football edge is where No. 8 Notre Dame is - for now
►Late-game heroics can't camouflage O-line regression and a QB puzzle as Irish escape, 32-29
► How did they score? Here's your recap of Notre Dame vs. Toledo
FINAL: Notre Dame 32, Toledo 29
FOURTH QUARTER
► Notre Dame 17, TOLEDO 16
Score: Doerer 48-yard field goal at 12:25
Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 6:11 elapsed time following a Toledo punt
Key plays: Coan 10-yard pass to Avery Davis on third and 5. Coan 16-yard pass to Williams on third and 14 and the ND 36. Buchner 15-yard rush
► Notre Dame 24, TOLEDO 16
Score: Chris Tyree 55-yard pass from Tyler Buchner at 10:57 (Doerer kick)
Drive: One play, 55 yards, 0:09 elapsed time following at Toledo punt
► Notre Dame 24, TOLEDO 22
Score: Bryant Koback 8-yard run at 7:48 (conversion failed)
Drive: 6 plays, 89 yards, 3:03 elapsed time following a Notre Dame touchdown
Key plays: Bryant 67-yard run to the Notre Dame 22-yard line
► TOLEDO 29, NOTRE DAME 24
Score: Dequan Finn 26-yard run at 1:35 (Cluckey kick)
Drive: Seven plays, 73 yards, 1:51 elapsed time following Notre Dame fumble
Key plays: Toledo takes over at its own 27 after ND fumble.15-yard pass from Carter to Isaiah Winstead on third and 12 from the 50 yards line
► Notre Dame 32, TOLEDO 29
Score: Mayer 18-yard pass from Coan at 1:09 (Williams pass from Avery Davis)
Drive: Three plays, 75 yards, 0:26 elapsed time following Toledo touchdown
Key plays: Austin 34-yard pass from Coan to the Toledo 41 on first play of the drive.
5:46 p.m. — Coan to Mayer: Notre Dame 32, Toledo 29
Two-point conversion puts Notre Dame up 3 with 1:09 left
5:39 p.m. — Toledo 29, Notre Dame 24
Dequan Finn with a 26-yard touchdown to give Toledo the lead
5:31 p.m. — Toledo gets ball back
Kyren Williams loses fumble at the Toledo 27-yard line at 3:36 left in the game.
5:19 p.m. — Notre Dame 24, Toledo 22
Toledo answers right back on an 8-yard run by Bryant Koback. Drive set up by Koback's 67-yard run. Two-point conversion fail
5:14 p.m. — Notre Dame 24, Toledo 16
Tyler Buchner with his first career touchdown pass, a 55-yard strike to Chris Tyree
5:05 p.m. — Notre Dame 17, Toledo 16
Jonathan Doerer puts the Irish back in the lead.
4:57 p.m. — End of third quarter: Toledo 16, Notre Dame 14
Pretty uneventful third quarter as No. 8 Irish continue to trail. Buchner is back in to start the fourth.
4:45 p.m. Jonathan Doerer misses 55-yard field goal attempt
Would have been a career long, but Toledo continues to lead Notre Dame 16-14 with 6:03 left in third quarter. Rockets have the ball.
4:28 p.m.
Buchner comes in on second and 12 and loses five yards. Coan back in and sacked. Irish punt
4:25 p.m. — Second half in South Bend is underway
Irish fans get first glimpse of quarterback Tyler Buchner
The freshman from California played one series in the second half before starter Jack Coan returned, leading the Irish 96 yards in five plays capped by a 43-yard TD run by Kyren Williams.
► More:Notre Dame vs. Toledo: Freshman QB Tyler Buchner subs for Jack Coan, leads touchdown drive
Halftime: Toledo 16, Notre Dame 14
SECOND QUARTER
► Notre Dame 14, TOLEDO 6
Score: Kyren Williams 43-yard run at 9:21 (Doerer kick)
Drive: Five plays, 96 yards, 2:13 elapsed time following a Toledo punt
Key plays: QB Tyler Buchner makes college debut and immediately rushes for 26 yards and 11 yards on his first two plays. Buchner 15-yard pass to Braden Lenzy.
► Notre Dame 14, TOLEDO 9
Score: Cluckey 23-yard field goal at 1:04
Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 2:00 elapsed time following a Notre Dame turnover on downs
Key plays: Toledo takes over at Notre Dame 40-yard line after turnover on downs.
► TOLEDO 16, Notre Dame 14
Score: Chris McDonald Jr. 27-yard interception return at 0:46 (Cluckey kick)
3:57 p.m. — Toledo takes the lead on pick-six: Toledo 16, Notre Dame 14
Chirs McDonald Jr. picks off Jack Coan and returns it 27 yards for a touchdown with :46 left in the half.
3:54 p.m. — Notre Dame 14, Toledo 9
Toledo's Thomas Cluckey now has field goals of 31, 32 and 23 yards after the Rockets took over on downs at the Notre Dam 40-yard line.
3:32 p.m. — Notre Dame 14, Toledo 6
Sparked by Buchner's first appearance, RB Kryen Williams busts 43-yard TD run.
3:28 p.m. — Tyler Buchner makes his Notre Dame debut at QB
3:20 p.m. — End of first quarter: Notre Dame 6, Toledo 6
FIRST QUARTER
► Notre Dame 7, TOLEDO 0
Score: Michael Mayer 4-yard pass from Jack Coan at time 12:45
Drive: Six plays, 75 yards, 2:15 elapsed time following opening kickoff
Key plays: 28-yard pass from Coan to Mayer and 14-yard pass to Avery Davis.
► Notre Dame 7, TOLEDO 3
Score: Thomas Cluckey 31-yard field goal at 10:06
Drive: Seven plays, 69 yards, 2:32 elapsed time following ND kickoff
Key plays: 66-yar pass from Carter Bradley to Davin Maddox on third and five from the Toledo 23.
► Notre Dame 7, TOLEDO 6
Score: Cluckey 32-yard field goal at 4:14
Drive: Six plays, 42 yards, 2:49 elapsed time following a Notre Dame fumble.
Key plays: 23-yard pass from Bradley to Maddox, 14-yard rush by Bryant Koback.
3:05 p.m. — Notre Dame 7, Toledo 6
Following a Notre Dame turnover, Cluckey boots his second FG of the game, a 32-yarder.
2:53 p.m. — Notre Dame 7, Toledo 3
Thomas Cluckey boots a 31-yard field to get the Rockets on the board. Key play in the drive was a 66-yard catch by Devin Maddox
2:40 p.m. — Notre Dame 7, Toledo 0
That was fast. Quarterback Jack Coan hits TE Michael three times on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive. It's the second consecutive game that Mayer has caught a touchdown pass on the game's opening drive.
2:36 p.m. — And we're off. Notre Dame ball to start the game.
2:30 p.m. — Who's the new guy? Drew Brees joins the NBC broadcast crew today
► More:Drew Brees replaces Tony Dungy in the NBC broadcast booth at Notre Dame football
2:12 p.m. — The new voice of Notre Dame Stadium is Chris Ackels
For the first time in 39 years, someone not named Mike Collins is settling into the public address announcer chair at Notre Dame Stadium for an Irish football game.
► Noie column:Noie: Chris Ackels ready for the ride as new voice of Notre Dame Stadium
1:47 p.m. — Notre Dame takes another hit at linebacker depth
More:Notre Dame down to six scholarship linebackers for Notre Dame-Toledo without Prince Kollie
Getting you started
Here are a few golden nuggets to whet your whistle before today's kickoff:
► Toledo at Notre Dame: Four players to watch
► How does No. 8 Notre Dame beat Toledo? By following these four keys to the game.
► Noie: Before settling into rhythm of football season, it's a sprint for No. 8 Notre Dame
Want to watch, better have Peacock. Here's how you get it
When the Notre Dame-Toledo game starts Saturday after 2:30 p.m. EDT, the only places to view it will be inside Notre Dame Stadium or behind the Peacock Premium paywall.
The Peacock agreement between Notre Dame and television partner NBC Sports was greeted by groans from Irish fans last month.
► How to watch:Time to make the Peacock Premium plunge to watch Notre Dame football Saturday
Remembering 9/11 at Notre Dame Stadium
The University of Notre Dame will mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States in several ways Saturday (Sept. 11), including a commemoration at Notre Dame Stadium immediately prior to the Notre Dame-Toledo football game.
At halftime, the Notre Dame and University of Toledo marching bands will combine to play “Amazing Grace,” a performance similar to that of the Notre Dame and Michigan State University bands in the first football game following the terrorist attacks.