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Notre Dame Football: 20 biggest wins of the Brian Kelly era

By Daniel Morrison

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 12: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly looks on during a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 12, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated USC 30-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 12: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly looks on during a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 12, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated USC 30-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly.  Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Before Brian Kelly leaves the Notre Dame football program, he will be the winningest coach in Notre Dame history. He’s currently at 100 wins, only five behind Knute Rockne, who has the most wins all-time.

Even if you deduct the 21 games vacated due to sanctions, Kelly still has 79 wins, and plenty of time to pass that mark of 109. It’s simply going to happen.

That’s a pretty amazing career. Yes, Kelly benefits from longer seasons than his predecessors did, but Kelly is far and away one of the best coaches in Notre Dame history. Sure, there aren’t any major bowl wins yet, but he’s rebuilt a program that was on its heels and taken them to the edge of elite success.

In doing so, there are going to be more than a few great wins. That’s what this list is for, remembering those great wins through the first eleven years of the Brian Kelly era. Obviously, with three unbeaten regular seasons, there has been magic in certain years, but these great wins can be found in pretty much any season.

You know, except 2016. Nothing good came from 2016, except teaching Kelly how to fix his issues.

There is also the question of what makes a win great. Is it a milestone? Is it a special occasion? Could it just be that it’s a close game with a great finish? Does it have an impact on the season as a whole?

Well, there aren’t any true rules to this kind of thing. However, context does matter. Rivalries, rankings, impact on the season, and prestige are all important factors to consider, and it doesn’t hurt if the game was a thriller either.

So, here are the twenty biggest wins of the Brian Kelly era:

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