Notre Dame Football: Top 10 Wins Of The Brian Kelly Era
By Chase Eyrich
No. 9: LSU, 2018
The most recent Notre Dame football game might be one of the most exciting of Kelly’s tenure.
A season that at one point looked like it could have resulted in a playoff appearance was derailed in the regular season. Those bumps landed the Irish in the Citrus Bowl — one that will be remembered for a while. When you watch this game as a classic, you’ll have to almost skip forward to the fourth quarter.
The first half was bad, so bad that it looked like both teams might go scoreless — making this bowl game a bust. Instead, Justin Yoon put the Irish on the board with a field goal just before halftime.
The second half needed a change and Kelly made one that could have altered his career with the Irish. He pulled Brandon Wimbush in favor for sophomore Ian Book. That move changed the whole atmosphere of the game.
Away from the offensive side of the ball, the defense seemed to be the X-factor. Tevon Coney came away with a ridiculous 17 total tackles with seven solo. Behind him, Drue Tranquill also stepped up his game with 11 total tackles and four solo.
With the offense still running slow, Yoon showed off his strength once again with a 49-yard boot after LSU found a way to put up seven points.
In the fourth quarter, the Irish were down eight and in need of a touchdown, so that’s what Book provided. With a third and goal situation, Book found Michael Young. Down two points, Kelly put the ball in the hands of his trusted running back, Josh Adams. Initially, Adams was called down before crossing the goal line. After review, the game was all tied up at 14 apiece.
An LSU field goal would not only put the Irish behind, but it would set up one of the most iconic catches of the season.
With the game on the line, Book stepped back and threw a pass that only Miles Boykin could get his hands on — or rather one hand.
After shaking off two tackles, the Notre Dame faithful were screaming at Boykin to get out of bounce with less than 90 seconds remaining. But they couldn’t see what Boykin saw — nothing but green grass ahead.
Boykin trotting into the end zone sealed the 21-17 Citrus Bowl victory as well as the bowl MVP for himself as the Irish bounced back with a 10-3 season.