Notre Dame Football: Top 10 Wins Of The Brian Kelly Era
By Chase Eyrich
![SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leaves the field after a game against the Temple Owls at Notre Dame Stadium on September 2, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish won 49-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leaves the field after a game against the Temple Owls at Notre Dame Stadium on September 2, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish won 49-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/1d3cb0183db6a098f2b597e7ef5987cb765a90cc6225ff6bdfc79e58ee6e84c2.jpg)
No. 2: Utah, 2010
Fresh off of an embarrassing upset loss to Tulsa, Notre Dame bounced back in a huge way. After losing starting quarterback Dayne Crist early in the Tulsa game, Notre Dame’s season looked bleak with a 4-5 record.
It was a season where nothing seemed to be going the Irish’s way. Student videographer Declan Sullivan was killed as a tower he was filming in fell over in the wind just a couple of weeks before the game. The Irish wore a helmet decal with the initials “DS.”
TJ Jones was dealing with injuries as well. In came Duval Kamara, who had just seven catches all season leading up to the game. Kamara quickly became Tommy Rees’s best friend in his first career start.
Those two would connect for two touchdowns on the day.
For Utah, it was the story of their Fall. After starting out the season 8-0, things looked great. Despite taking a stomping from TCU, the Utes still were averaging 41 points per game coming to South Bend.
They wouldn’t find the end zone in this game.
There was a feeling that things were going to go Notre Dame’s way. Robert Blanton blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown
With a 14-3 lead, Notre Dame took all the momentum in the third quarter.
That was when Rees and Kamara began their work together. First, it was a 26-yard touchdown pass to start out the third quarter. On the next drive, Michael Floyd came away with a 24-yard reception to set up Kamara once again. With 9:09 remaining in the third, Notre Dame took a 28-3 lead.
The defense took care of business for the rest of the game. Each drive for the Utes ended in a turnover on downs as Notre Dame ran away with the win that got things back on track that season. Irish win 28-3.