JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Notre Dame slugged back at South Carolina on Saturday at the Gator Bowl.

Again. And again.

A few times, the Irish missed and punched themselves in the face instead.

But it all added up to a 45-38 victory that never would have happened if the Irish hadn’t packed an abundant supply of resilience for this road trip. They needed every last bit of it, too.

The Irish trailed 21-7 after the highest-scoring first quarter in the history of this game. They were victimized by a flurry of gadget plays including a touchdown pass thrown by South Carolina’s punter. Quarterback Tyler Buchner, playing for the first time since the second game of the season, threw not one but two pick-sixes, the second of which was run back 100 yards to tie the game 38-38 in the fourth quarter.

But one last drive — 12 plays, 80 meaningful yards — put the Irish on top. In a game of seemingly endless battling back, this was the best of all possible conclusions. If that’s not something to build on after a 9-4 season that could’ve been better — or worse — it’s hard to think of what would be.