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

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

5. Notre Dame 21, LSU 17 (2017)

To this day, the Citrus Bowl is the biggest bowl win for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. Unfortunately, that means the Citrus Bowl is the biggest bowl that Notre Dame has won under Brian Kelly. Still, beating LSU in a bowl game that most people consider just a step below the New Year’s Six is certainly a good thing.

Both teams entered the game at 9-3. For the Irish, it was three ranked losses that kept them from a better bowl. For the Tigers, it was surprises against Troy and Mississippi State, along with the near-annual Alabama loss, which led to the Citrus Bowl.

These were two good teams, just a step away, who ended up playing in a poor weather Citrus Bowl, technically the 2018 Citrus Bowl as this is a New Year’s Day game.

It was 3-0 at the end of the first half, with Notre Dame leading due to a Justin Yoon kick. The third quarter saw LSU take the lead on a Derrius Guice touchdown, with the Irish bringing it within one on another field goal from Yoon. Needing a spark, Brian Kelly sat Brandon Wimbush after a slow start, making the move to Ian Book.

Eventually, Ian Book would find Miles Boykin late in the fourth quarter for a touchdown that would be the game-winner. In a way, this was a preview to Wimbush being benched for Book in 2018, leading to a College Football Playoff run. It likely gave Kelly the confidence in Book to make that move, despite being unbeaten with Wimbush.