Tyler Buchner made a huge play for Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon in its rivalry contest against USC.

The former Fighting Irish quarterback is now a walk-on with the program. He’s played a big role on scout team this season for the Fighting Irish, but Saturday marked his first big chance of the year to have an impact on game day.

Notre Dame ran a fake punt early in the second quarter and used Buchner’s arm to pull it off. He found tight end Mitchell Evans for the first down to keep Notre Dame’s drive alive:

Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, that play did not result in points on that drive. Notre Dame missed a field goal later in the drive, keeping the score at 7-7.

This game has massive College Football Playoff implications for Notre Dame and a handful of other teams across the country. The Fighting Irish are looking to finish the season with an 11-1 record, which would likely see them comfortably make the 12-team Playoff field. However, a loss to the Trojans on Saturday would put their CFP aspirations in serious jeopardy.

Notre Dame’s last win over USC in Los Angeles came back in 2018.