Of every player that stepped up in Ohio State’s 17-14 win over Notre Dame, perhaps none deserve a greater bow than quarterback Kyle McCord, who helped engineer the 65-yard, game-winning drive.
McCord converted a pair of long third downs on the drive in addition to a game-extending fourth-and-7, and while the ball was not in his hands for the final play – that honor belonged to running back Chip Trayanum, who took in the 1-yard, game-winning score – it was still a big moment for the signal caller.
“It was surreal,” McCord said Wednesday. “I went back and watched the TV copy of the game. I’m sitting there and watching that last drive and my heart’s pounding like I don’t know what’s about to happen. That’s about as tough as a win you can get. I’m just proud that we were able to pull it out. I’m excited to keep building off it.”
McCord said it was a different experience watching the game on TV compared to playing in it, noting that the game appears slowed down when he’s on the field, as well as a sense of calm despite the raucous crowd that is evident when watching the broadcast.
But that calm approach – one that McCord’s coaches and teammates have commended this season – helped lead the quarterback on the game-winning drive, specifically on his third- and fourth-down completions to extend Ohio State’s final chance to win the game. Despite the pressure that came with the situation, McCord said he just felt calm when taking the field.
“Practice is the toughest look I’ll get knowing that I’m going up against the best defense in America every single day in practice, and if you can have success in practice, I think that gives you so much confidence walking out there on the field, regardless of who you’re going up against,” he said. “At that point, just executing a two-minute drive. I said it on Saturday, just reverting back to our training, something that we’ve done hundreds of times since I’ve been here, and now getting an opportunity to go out on a big stage like that and execute it. So, just calm and sticking to my rules, my training.”
McCord said the win – echoing his head coach’s statements – displayed toughness, both for himself and the rest of the team. But for as much as the game might have proved about McCord’s ability to deliver under the lights, he gave credit to his teammates for helping him to rise to the occasion.
“I think a lot of the questions maybe around me or was I built for that moment or not (were answered), and I think the team rose to the occasion,” he said. “It wasn’t just me, I think it was the guys around me. (If) you turn on the last four minutes of that game, there’s not one guy who stepped on that field that didn’t go as far as he could and give us a great chance to win.
