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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) /
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – SEPTEMBER 12: Wide receiver William Fuller #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish catches the game-winning touchdown pass in front of cornerback Maurice Canady #26 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won, 34-27. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – SEPTEMBER 12: Wide receiver William Fuller #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish catches the game-winning touchdown pass in front of cornerback Maurice Canady #26 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won, 34-27. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

No. 6: Virginia, 2015

If there was ever a game that showed the resilience of Notre Dame football under Brian Kelly, it would have been this one.

Notre Dame came into Virginia after losing top running back Tarean Folston the week before. Ranked ninth in the nation, it was up to C.J. Prosise to help carry the team. He wasn’t the only player who had to step up that day.

This game was the official comin gout party of DeShone Kizer, as Malik Zaire went down in the third quarter with a season-ending injury.

So much had gone wrong in just the first two games of the season, yet Kelly kept the team afloat.

Proving that he takes the right risks at the right time, Kelly started pulling the tricks out early. While “settling” for a field goal, Kizer was in for the hold. First, faking like he would throw the ball blindly over his head, Kizer then flipped the ball over to Durham Smythe who found the end zone.

Little did Kizer know that wouldn’t be his biggest moment of the game.

A couple field goals later, Notre Dame held onto a slight 12-0 lead after the first quarter. The second didn’t see much action from the Irish’s offense. Instead, it was Virginia who got things going. A 42-yard touchdown reception for Keeon Johnson late in the quarter would give UVA the lead, 14-12, as the teams headed in for halftime.

It took almost the entire fourth quarter for Virginia to answer the two touchdowns Notre Dame put up in the third. Once they did with 1:54 left to play, the Cavaliers failed on a two-point conversion and led by just one point.

With only one more chance to answer, backup quarterback Kizer stood in the pocket, poised. With the ball already in the air, Will Fuller beat his man and found the dime ready to drop into his arms. irish win, 34-27.

After losing two star players in the first two weeks, Notre Dame fought hard for their 2-0 start and left a highlight that will continue to haunt Virginia.

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