Notre Dame: 2025 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said he was trying to throw the ball into the ground. Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray dove for it anyway and — luck of the Irish — the ball ended up right in his hands.

A few seconds later, Gray and Notre Dame found themselves with a spot in the national title game after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.

Gray's snag of Allar's ill-advised pass across the middle at the Penn State 42 with 33 seconds left, set up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter's winning 41-yard field goal.

The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring their 12th title and first since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner Friday night of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.

“Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball,” Gray said about his interception. “That was going through my mind and I knew I was going to make a play.”

Penn State QB was trying to throw it away

Allar explained he saw his first two options covered on the play, then wanted to throw the ball into the dirt. But the throw, under pressure and across his body, didn't have enough zip on it to reach either receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slid in.

“Honestly, I was trying to ‘dirt’ it at his feet,” said the junior quarterback. “I should’ve thrown it away when I saw the first two progressions were not open. I didn’t execute.”

It was the most memorable play of a game that was the best of what's been a sleepy few weeks of playoff football. It featured three ties and three lead changes, along with 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.

In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. Freeman, whose mother is South Korean, also is the first coach of Asian heritage to get this far.

“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”

Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions ended the season at 13-3.

“Everyone wants to look at a specific play,” Franklin said. “But there's probably eight to 12 plays in that game that could have made a difference. I'm not going to call out specific plays or specific players. There are a ton of plays where we could have done better.”

Hit on Leonard shook up the QB and shook up the Irish

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter that sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He came back and led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half, including the last one.

“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does," Freeman said. "That’s what this team does.”

Leonard finished with 223 yards passing, including a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to convert third-and-3 on the last drive. Leonard also had 35 yards rushing, and passed and ran for a score each.

With 4:38 left in the game, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard score to tie it at 24 after a defender slipped.

The game started slow (and boring), but Riley’s injury injected life into things. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards in the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead.

At that point, the fun was just getting started.

Penn State had its chances, and Allar, considered a first-round pick by some if he leaves for the NFL, will spend the offseason reliving that last throw — or trying to forget it.

Penn State forced a Notre Dame punt and looked assured of at least going to overtime when they took over at their 15 with 47 seconds left.

After a gain of 13, Allar dropped to pass and had pressure coming. He threw across his body to the middle of the field, where Gray dove for the pick.

A review showed it was a catch, and the Irish were onto the next step on a road that looked all but impossible when they fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois back in September.

“To see how far we’ve come after the hiccup early on, just to know that we have one more guaranteed, one last one guaranteed, it’s just so exciting,” Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser said.

Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and all three Penn State touchdowns. Off target for much of the day, Allar finished 12 for 23 for 135 yards with the interception.

“He's hurting right now. He should be. We're all hurting,” Franklin said.

The quarterback didn't duck questions about the play or his role in the loss.

“We didn’t win the game so it wasn't good enough, it’s plain and simple,” Allar said. “I’ll try to learn from it, do everything in my power to get better and just grow from it.”

Cameo from Notre Dame's backup

When Leonard went out, backup Steve Angeli came in and injected life into the Fighting Irish offense on the way to its first score.

Angelli went 6 for 7 for 44 yards and moved Notre Dame to field goal range to trim its deficit to 10-3 just before halftime.

“We have a lot of confidence in Steve,” Freeman said when asked why he allowed the Irish to play aggressively when he entered.

Chilly Orange Bowl

The kickoff temperature was 56 degrees, unseasonably cool for South Florida — and making it the second-coldest Orange Bowl ever, next to the Georgia Tech-Iowa game in 2010 that started at 49 and felt like the upper 30s.

Up next

Notre Dame will face either Ohio State or Texas in the CFP national championship game on Jan. 20. Penn State opens its 2025 season at home against Nevada on Aug. 30.

Notre Dame: 2025 Sugar Bowl Champions

 

NEW ORLEANS -- — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish found the right balance of family and football to produce a memorable performance under unprecedented, emotionally trying circumstances.

Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame's defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday that sent the third-ranked Fighting Irish into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

The triumph came in wake of a deadly terror attack in the host city early Wednesday —- the day the game was supposed to have been played. The first postponement of a Sugar Bowl in the event's 91-year history followed hours later.

“We spent some time together, and I think that’s what you do in tough moments,” Freeman said in recounting how the Irish handled their unexpected down time on Wednesday. “You want to spend time with family, and that’s what we are.”

Notre Dame (13-1, CFP No. 5) came through with enough big plays, avoided major mistakes and all but sealed it with a clever move by Freeman.

“Our coaches called the game aggressive. Our players executed, put everything on the line,” Freeman said. “I’m really proud of them. Proud of the way they handled the events of the last 24 hours.”

Georgia (11-3, CFP No. 2) was in position to close within one score when Notre Dame stopped the Bulldogs on fourth-and-5 from the Irish 9-yard line with 9:29 to go.

Minutes later, Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in his own territory when Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending the offense back out. Georgia raced to match up and then jumped offside as the play clock ticked down, giving the Irish a clock-sapping first down with 7:17 to go.

“They were going to hard-count us. We prepare for that. We do it every week,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We jumped offsides.”

By the time the Bulldogs got the ball back, just 1:49 remained, and Notre Dame was on its way to a 12th straight victory and a date with No. 5 Penn State (13-2, CFP No. 6 seed) in a semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami next Thursday.

“That’s the aggressiveness in terms of our preparation that I want our program to have,” Freeman said. “That’s got to be one of our edges, that we are going to be an aggressive group and not fear making mistakes.”

Georgia played without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who injured his elbow in the Southeastern Conference championship game. He was replaced by Gunner Stockton, who was 20 of 32 for 234 yards and one touchdown.

The Bulldogs outgained Notre Dame 296 yards to 244, but Georgia was stopped on all three of its fourth-down attempts and lost two fumbles — one deep in Notre Dame territory and one inside its own 20.

“The turnovers are the difference in the game, guys,” Smart said. “I mean, you should know when you turn it over twice and they return a kickoff for a touchdown, you’re not going to have a lot of success.”

Leonard finished with 90 yards passing and a team-high 80 yards rushing, including a late first-down run in which he was sent head over heels as he tried to leap over a defender.

“We’re in the playoffs,” Leonard said. “Everybody else can put their body on the line, I’m going to do it right there with them.”

The game had been set for Wednesday night as part of a New Year's Day playoff tripleheader, but it was postponed after an Army veteran inspired by the Islamic State group drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 14 revelers. Security was increased at the Superdome — which will also host the Super Bowl next month — and arriving fans said they felt safe.

With some fans unable to alter their travel plans, attendance in the 70,000-seat stadium was announced at 68,400. There were patches of empty seats in the upper levels, but passionate supporters made no shortage of noise trying to will their teams into the next round of college football's first 12-team playoff.

The game was tied at 3-all before Notre Dame scored 17 points in a span of 54 seconds.

The unusual sequence began with Mitch Jeter’s 48-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in first half.

Soon after, Georgia paid for a decision to attempt a drop-back pass from its own 25. RJ Oben’s blind-side sack caused Stockton to fumble at the 13, where Irish defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka recovered. Leonard found Beaux Collins over the middle for a touchdown on the next play for a 13-3 lead that stood at halftime.

By the time 15 seconds had elapsed in the third quarter, Notre Dame led 20-3.

Harrison took Georgia's second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.

Georgia closed the gap to 20-10 when Stockton hit reserve running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard score before Jeter’s third field goal of the game gave the Irish their winning margin.

“Holding a team like that to 10 points, it’s a low amount, it’s pretty good,” safety Xavier Watts said. “Just really proud of the performance we put up.”

Takeaways

Notre Dame: With a dominant defense and the dual-threat nature of Leonard’s playmaking, the Irish look dangerous heading into the semifinals.

Georgia: A team trying to win big games without its starting QB can’t afford big mistakes, and missed opportunities doomed the Bulldogs and Smart, who will have to wait a year for another chance at his third national title.

Up next

Notre Dame: The Irish resume a series with the Nittany Lions that is currently even at 9-9-1.

Georgia: The 2025 season opener will be at home against Marshall on Aug. 30.

Notre Dame: 2023 Sun Bowl Champions

 

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Steve Angeli passed for 232 yards and three touchdowns, guiding No. 15 Notre Dame to a 40-8 victory over No. 21 Oregon State in the Sun Bowl on Friday.

Angeli went 15 for 19 and tossed TD passes of 8 yards to Jayden Thomas, 13 yards to Jordan Faison and 13 yards to Jeremiyah Love. The sophomore was making his first start for the Irish (10-3) in place of Sam Hartman, one of many players who opted out of the game.

Jadarian Price of Notre Dame rushed for 106 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.

Notre Dame had seven players – all starters – opt out of the game. That included Hartman and standout running back Audric Estime.

Oregon State (8-5), which finished the season on a three-game losing streak, had three starters opt out and four others enter the transfer portal — including starting quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and backup Aidan Chiles.

Jimmy Valsin III had the lone score for Oregon State, catching a 33-yard pass from Ben Gulbranson. Offensive lineman Tyler Voltin ran in the 2-point conversion from the wildcat formation. Gulbranson 16 for 27 for 180 yards and an interception.

Notre Dame: 2022 Gator Bowl Champions

 

Tyler Buchner fit a season’s worth of highlights and drama into his only start since week 2. Seven times the sophomore quarterback made a decision that directly led to a touchdown, though two of those were interception returns to the end zone for No. 19 South Carolina (8-5).

Yet he led No. 21 Notre Dame (9-4) to a comeback win in the Gator Bowl, bouncing back from each of his mistakes with better decisions. Buchner finished the day with five total touchdowns, not counting those pick-sixes, to carry the Irish to a 45-38 win in a chaotic showing.

His third touchdown pass of the day came on the drive immediately after a red-zone interception allowed the Gamecocks to tie the game at 38 late in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame had run the ball into the red zone with ease when Buchner never identified a defender on the goal line, gifting O’Donnell Fortune a 100-yard interception return touchdown.

The Irish did it all over again on the next drive and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees once again called a passing play in the red zone despite the efficient rushing. Buchner connected with sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans for the game-winning score.

He missed Notre Dame’s last 10 regular-season games after suffering a shoulder sprain in week two, but Buchner never looked worried about contact on Friday. He converted an early third-and-short on a quarterback sneak, leading with his injured shoulder, and then on the same drive took a quarterback draw 15 yards to put the Irish on the scoreboard.

His shoulder never bothered him, but his accuracy still somewhat lacked, as it did early in the season, as well. Worse yet, Buchner made three woefully poor decisions resulting in those Gamecocks’ defensive touchdowns. An impromptu shovel pass became an interception; a short, deflected pass resulted in a pick-six; and missing Fortune cost Notre Dame a ripe scoring chance in the red zone.

Buchner finished with 274 yards on 18-of-33 passing, throwing three touchdowns along with those three interceptions. He added 82 yards and two more scores on 10 rushes, sacks adjusted.

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

11:48 — South Carolina touchdown. Xavier Legette 13-yard pass from Spencer Rattler. Mitch Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 7, Notre Dame 0. (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:12)

5:54 — Notre Dame touchdown. Tyler Buchner 15-yard rush. Blake Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 7, Notre Dame 7. (10 plays, 50 yards, 3:37)

2:27 — South Carolina touchdown. Hunter Rogers 23-yard pass from Kai Kroeger. Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 14, Notre Dame 7. (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:27)

0:44 — South Carolina touchdown. DQ Smith 47-yard interception return. Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 21, Notre Dame 7.

Second Quarter

8:36 — Notre Dame field goal. Grupe 37 yards. South Carolina 21, Notre Dame 10. (12 plays, 56 yards, 7:08)

5:18 — South Carolina field goal. Jeter 45 yards. South Carolina 24, Notre Dame 10. (10 plays, 48 yards, 3:18)

5:06 — Notre Dame touchdown. Logan Diggs 75-yard pass from Buchner. Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 24, Notre Dame 17.  (1 play, 75 yards, 0:12)

Third Quarter

10:28 — Notre Dame touchdown. Buchner 11-yard rush. Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 24, Notre Dame 24. (5 plays, 68 yards, 2:21)

8:31 — South Carolina touchdown. Legette 42-yard pass from Rattler. Jeter PAT good. South Carolina 31, Notre Dame 24. (5 plays, 67 yards, 1:48)

0:31 — Notre Dame touchdown. Braden Lenzy 44-yard pass from Buchner. Grupe PAT good. South Carolina 31, Notre Dame 31. (1 play, 44 yards, 0:08)

Fourth Quarter

12:41 — Notre Dame touchdown. Logan Diggs 39-yard rush. Grupe PAT good. Notre Dame 38, South Carolina 31. (7 plays, 73 yards, 2:13)

7:42 — South Carolina touchdown. O’Donnell Fortune 100-yard interception return. Jeter PAT good. Notre Dame 38, South Carolina 38.

1:38 — Notre Dame touchdown. Mitchell Evans 16-yard pass from Buchner. Grupe PAT good. Notre Dame 45, South Carolina 38. (12 plays, 80 yards, 6:01)

Notre Dame: 2019 Camping World Bowl Champions

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- So much for the notion that No. 14 Notre Dame didn't have anything to play for in the Camping World Bowl.

A year removed from an appearance in the CFP national semifinals, the Fighting Irish closed out another double-digit win season with arguably their best all-around performance in a 33-9 victory over Iowa State on Saturday.

"I'm just so proud of our football team. 2019 will be one that I'll always remember, for a group of guys that just loved to play the game. They had such a strong brotherhood," coach Brian Kelly said.

"They did not listen to what the naysayers had to say about them. The negative tone, the negative people out there. All they cared about was playing the game," Kelly added. "It was clean. It was about competing. Always looking to better themselves."

Ian Book threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, Tony Jones Jr. scored on an 84-yard run and game MVP Chase Claypool had seven receptions for 146 yards and a TD for the Irish (11-2, No. 15 CFP), who finished on a six-game winning streak after losing to Michigan to tumble out of contention for a playoff berth in late October.

Notre Dame also lost to Georgia in September; however, Kelly said the team remained focused and continued to focus and get better.

"Even this week. `Notre Dame is not ready to play.' They used that as another form of motivation to show people wrong, They just read this team wrong," Kelly said. "It's just so satisfying that this group has been rewarded with 11 wins. ... They overcame adversity, lived the life lessons of it. They're not perfect. They never pretended to be perfect and never wanted to be, but always strived for excellence."

Book completed 20 of 28 passes without an interception, including a 27-yard TD throw to Claypool, who went over 1,000 yards receiving for the season and also recovered a fumble on special teams to set up an early field goal.

Iowa State (7-6) lost to four ranked teams -- Iowa, Oklahoma, Baylor and Oklahoma State -- by a combined 11 points this season and was hoping to end its fourth season under Matt Campbell with a signature win for a once-downtrodden program.

"You know, when we got here ... there wasn't even a thought that we could compete with teams like this. There was no thought that we could compete with the best teams in our conference," Campbell said. "And, you know, to be quite honest with you, I don't know if there was a lot of people that thought we could compete with our rival in our own state."

Brock Purdy was 17 of 30 for 222 yards and no interceptions for the Cyclones, but he was unable to get his team into the end zone after throwing for a school single-season record 27 TDs during the regular season.

The sophomore quarterback left the game in the closing minutes with what Campbell described as a high ankle sprain.

Connor Assalley kicked field goals of 41, 26 and 42 yards .

"I think why you're so disappointed is because you feel how close you really are to where you want to be," Campbell said.

"Getting over that hump, taking that next step , that's a great challenge," Campbell added. "It's a great challenge for Iowa State football, but no greater challenge, to be honest with you, that I'd rather tackle than that."

THE TAKEAWAY

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish had 26 takeaways during the regular season, including a nation-leading 17 fumbles. The defense set the tone from the start against one of the Big 12's top passing attacks and never really allowed the high-scoring Cyclones to establish a rhythm offensively. As expected, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Claypool was a difficult matchup for Iowa State's smallish secondary. The Irish also outrushed the Cyclones 208-45, with a huge chunk of that advantage being built on Jones' long scoring run.

Iowa State: After losing four games to ranked opponents by a combined 11 points during the regular season, the Cyclones were looking for a signature win against Notre Dame. Instead, they dug a hole with the early turnovers and never escaped. Until Jones' long run put the Irish up by three TDs, it was a fairly close game statistically. Notre Dame ran 33 plays and gained 207 yards in the first half, while Iowa State had gained 204 yards on 32 plays up to that point. Ultimately, the difference were the fumbles and the Cyclones' inability to get the ball in the end zone after scoring a school single-season record 53 touchdowns and 409 points during the regular season.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish have won 10 or more games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-93. Book is a senior but has a year of eligibility remaining. Coach Brian Kelly faces some tough decisions for 2020, including naming an offensive coordinator after parting ways with Chip Long earlier this month. Quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees called plays in the Camping World Bowl. The Irish open next season against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.

Iowa State: The Cyclones have won 23 games over past three seasons, one shy of the program record for a three-year span. With Purdy returning after setting single-season records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and total offense, the future seems bright -- especially if they can turn some of those narrow losses that kept them from being more successful this year into victories. The Cyclones begin next season at home against South Dakota on Sept. 5.

Notre Dame: 2018 Citrus Bowl Champions

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Notre Dame receiver Miles Boykin lived up to Brian Kelly's expectations.

The Fighting Irish's head coach told the junior during a practice leading up to Monday's Citrus Bowl game against LSU that Boykin was going to win the MVP trophy.

Boykin made not only one of the top plays of this bowl season but one of the more memorable catches in Notre Dame bowl history. He made a dynamic one-handed grab and raced down the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown with 1:28 remaining to give the 14th-ranked Fighting Irish a 21-17 victory over No. 16 LSU.

The win by Notre Dame (10-3) is its first in a New Year's Day bowl since the 1994 Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M and snaps a nine-game skid in January postseason games.

"He looked at me like I had two heads. But I felt like he had a chance," said Kelly about his prediction. "He's got the ability, if we could get him the football. And Ian got him the football and Miles made a great individual play and, lo and behold, I've got the MVP sitting next to me."

Boykin had only nine catches for 151 yards and a TD coming into the game, but he got his first start after starters Chase Claypool (shoulder injury) and Kevin Stephenson (suspension) were ruled out.

Boykin showed off his wide-catch radius on what proved to be the game-winning play. On first-and-10 from the Irish 45, Ian Book lofted a pass up the right sideline that Boykin was able to snag with his right hand at the LSU 33, eluding corner Donte Jackson. Boykin then broke a tackle attempt by Donte Jackson at the LSU 26 before finding a clear path to the end zone.

"Ian put it in place where only I could reach it," said Boykin, who finished with three receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. "It was a great pass and I was just lucky enough to pull it down on one hand. I've got pretty big hands."

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said that Boykin made a great grab but lamented his defense's other struggles on the play.

"We had our best cover guy on him (Jackson) but he's a big receiver," he said after the Tigers finished the season 9-4. "We had two guys on him and missed the tackle. That's what I'm mostly disappointed with."

Book entered the game in the second quarter after Brandon Wimbush struggled moving the offense. The sophomore was 14 of 19 for 164 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Book's first touchdown came early in the fourth quarter. With Notre Dame trailing 14-6, he found Michael Young in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard score. Josh Adams then scored on a two-point conversion to tie it.

"It was an awesome opportunity, such a surreal moment that last play with Miles," Book said. "We knew it was going to be a close game. We just had to stay composed and do what we have been doing since January."

The game lacked drama the first three quarters. It was scoreless until four seconds remained in the first half when a Justin Yoon 46-yard field goal gave Notre Dame a 3-0 halftime lead.

LSU's Danny Etling was 19 of 33 for 229 yards and a pair of second-half touchdowns to Derrius Guice. Guice, who was the MVP of last year's game, had 98 yards on 21 carries.

THE TAKEAWAY

Notre Dame: Kelly joins Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz as the only Fighting Irish coaches to have three double-digit win seasons at the school.

LSU: Guice, who said after the game that he hasn't made a decision on whether to leave early for the NFL draft, joins Charles Alexander, Dalton Hilliard, Kevin Faulk and Leonard Fournette as the only players in school history to rush for more than 3,000 yards. He has 3,065 yards in 36 games.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

The Tigers had it twice on the Irish 1 and managed just three points. In the second quarter they had fourth-and-goal before being called for a false start which resulted in a missed 22-yard field goal by Connor Culp.

In the fourth quarter a Guice 2-yard reception put the Tigers in another fourth-and-goal at the 1. Orgeron decided to go for the 3-point lead and a Jack Gonsoulin 17-yard field goal, which gave the Tigers a 17-14 lead.

"We shot ourselves in the foot too many times," Etling said. "We executed pretty well every possession, but made one or two bad plays, false starts that put us five yards back and all the sudden we're in a tougher situation."

TOUGH DAY FOR ADAMS


Adams, who came into the game averaging 115.5 yards per game, was held to 44 yards on 15 carries. In three of the Irish's last four games he was held to under 50 yards.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame: The Irish open next season with a home game against Michigan on Sept. 1. During spring practices, Kelly will have to replace three starters on an offensive line that was considered the nation's best.

LSU: The Tigers will have to replace six starters on offense, including Etling and likely Guice, leading into the Sept. 1 opener against Miami in Dallas.

Notre Dame: 2014-15 ACC Men's Basketball Champions

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Jerian Grant scored 24 points and No. 11 Notre Dame took over with a 26-3 second-half run to rally past No. 19 North Carolina 90-82 on Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

Pat Connaughton added 20 points for the third-seeded Irish (29-5). They went from trailing by nine to up double figures with a stunning burst that seized momentum in what amounted to a road game and sent the program to its first title in any league.

Connaughton came up with a pair of 3s during Notre Dame's go-ahead run, with the Irish getting into a fast-paced, free-flowing attack set loose by a few ill-timed turnovers by the Tar Heels (24-11).

When it was over, Notre Dame had turned a 63-54 deficit into an 80-66 lead on Connaughton's dunk with 2:54 and largely silenced a home-state UNC crowd featuring plenty of blue in the Greensboro Coliseum seats.

Notre Dame: 2014 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Notre Dame and senior kicker Kyle Brindza got the finish they had missed too often the last half of the season. Beating a Southeastern Conference team in southern territory only made it that much sweeter.

Brindza hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Notre Dame upset LSU 31-28 in a Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl shootout Tuesday.

"This was a matchup that we had wanted at Notre Dame, and I know LSU felt the same way," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "We wanted to be challenged. We were disappointed in the way we played obviously at the end of the year, and our guys wanted the opportunity to finish the season the right way."

The Tigers (No. 22 CFP, No. 23 AP) were unsuccessful on a fake field goal at the end of the first half, a call that stood on review even though replays appeared to show the ball crossing the goal line. The Fighting Irish (8-5) also blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Trent Domingue early in the fourth quarter.

Kelly watched the fake field goal on the video board and thought the Irish stopped holder Brad Kragthorpe short. LSU coach Les Miles thought Kragthorpe scored and wasn't happy the play wasn't overturned for a touchdown. Miles also wasn't pleased at the lack of better replays that might have shown Kragthorpe got the ball over the line before his knee went down.

"The guy that carried the ball, forcing it, said he absolutely scored," Miles said. "Kids will be kids, but this guy's going to tell the truth."

Notre Dame got the ball with 5:41 left and never gave it back, driving 71 yards in 14 plays before Brindza finished off the win.

"We dictated the outcome by controlling the football," Kelly said. "Obviously, if LSU has the football with No. 7 (Leonard Fournette), he's a game changer. We certainly couldn't give them the football back."

Kelly went with sophomore Malik Zaire for his first career start, but he also played senior Everett Golson, using both quarterbacks on the winning drive.

Notre Dame held the ball for 37 minutes but finished with a 449-436 edge in total offense against the SEC's toughest defense thanks only to that final drive. Golson was 4 of 5 for 50 yards passing on it, including a 12-yard completion to Ben Koyack on third-and-10. Zaire finished off the drive with a couple of rushes to set up Brindza.

Brindza had missed 6 of 9 field goals in the last five games of the regular season, including a 32-yarder late in a loss to Louisville.

"To leave a program so historic like this in this kind of fashion is great," Brindza said. "It's a blessing for me, but also to be able to help win a game for all my teammates is a bigger blessing."

The Fighting Irish were ranked as high as fifth before dropping four straight and five of their final six, struggling in the fourth quarter against Florida State, Northwestern, Arizona State and Louisville. Kelly set a target of controlling the ball for 9 minutes each quarter, and they beat that by a minute for the game.

Zaire rushed 22 times for 96 yards and was 12 of 15 for 96 yards passing. He threw for a TD and ran for another. Golson was 6 of 11 for 90 yards passing, and Kelly said the senior needed a painkilling shot after taking a hit to his ribs earlier in the game.

LSU (8-5) lost for the first time this season to a team not from the Southeastern Conference's Western Division. Fournette ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and the freshman also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score.

Miles said after the game he heard media reports that defensive coordinator John Chavis is leaving for Texas A&M but planned to make another pitch to keep the coach nicknamed Chief.

The Tigers' final three touchdowns took all of 38 seconds. Fournette had his kick return, and his 89-yard TD run later gave the Tigers their first lead of the game at 28-21 with 6:14 left in the third quarter. In between, Anthony Jennings connected with John Diarse on a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

But LSU didn't score again after Fournette's TD run, the longest play from scrimmage in this bowl's history. Isaac Rochell blocked Domingue's field goal attempt with 11:56 left.

Late in the first half, Notre Dame stopped LSU at the Irish 1 on a third-down pass, so the Tigers lined up for a field goal attempt. But Kragthorpe took off on a fake, bumping into teammate Terrence McGee on his way to the end zone. Officials ruled Kragthorpe short, and the call wasn't reversed.

Notre Dame: 2013 Pinstripe Bowl Champions

NEW YORK (AP) — This nicely sums up Tommy Rees' Notre Dame career.

The senior threw for 319 yards and no interceptions in his final college game, leading No. 25 Notre Dame to a 29-16 victory against Rutgers that was far from pretty but ultimately successful — and an offensive lineman won the MVP award.

"I was giving Tommy a hard time," said senior tackle Zack Martin, who took home the award. "I think he got snubbed a little bit."

Rees finished four years of football for the Fighting Irish packed with both memorable and forgettable moments with a solid performance, going 27 for 47. He has been "The Closer," rallying Notre Dame to victories with late drives, and "Turnover Tommy," making crushing mistakes at the most inopportune times during his time in South Bend, Ind.

For his finale, against one of the worst pass defenses in the nation, Rees was mistake free and productive. He missed some throws that could have broken open the game, but, typically, he persevered.

"I'm a Tommy Rees fan for life," coach Brian Kelly said.

Kyle Brindza kicked five field goals for the Fighting Irish (9-4), who finished their follow-up season to last year's run to the national championship game a long way from the BCS — facing a two-touchdown underdog trying to avoid a losing record.

Notre Dame's play was less than inspired — Kelly said about a dozen players were fighting a flu bug — but the win prevented the Irish from finishing with eight victories for the third time in his four seasons.

"A good season that could have been a great season," Kelly said.

Notre Dame's TJ Jones scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter and Rutgers star Brandon Coleman answered with a 14-yard touchdown catch soon after. Tarean Folston's 3-yard touchdown run with 3:38 in the fourth made it 26-16 and finally gave the Irish a comfortable lead.

On the slick turf at Yankee Stadium, the Pinstripe Bowl turned into a field-goal kicking contest. Brindza was 5 for 6. Kyle Federico made 3 of 3 for the Scarlet Knights (6-7).

The Irish dominated in yards (494-237) and time of possession (38:49) but bogged down in the red zone repeatedly.

"I loved the way we were able to stay calm and stay within our offense and continue to kind of monotonously move the ball down the field," Rees said.

Twice Notre Dame put together double-digit play drives that ended in short field goals for Brindza. A 15-play, 90-yard march that started in the third quarter and ended in the fourth with Brindza's 25-yarder made it 19-13 Notre Dame with 12:46 left.

"I love the fourth quarter," Brindza said. "That's pretty much what a kicker's job is supposed to be."

Brindza's third field goal, a 26-yarder with 6:03 left in the third quarter, gave Notre Dame a 16-13 lead — after the Irish caught a break. Brindza had missed from 36 yards but Rutgers was flagged for running into the kicker to give him a second, easier, try.

"We thought we played good red zone defense and we could make them kick a few field goals and attempt some field goals, maybe we could block one and then win the game in the fourth quarter," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. "We were kind of poised to do that."

Notre Dame improved to 17-6-3 at Yankee Stadium, though this ballpark in the Bronx is only a few years old and across the street from where the original House that Ruth built sat for decades.

"It's great to be in New York," Kelly told what was left of bowl record crowd of 47,122 during the postgame trophy ceremony on the field after the Irish had sung the alma mater with the band in right-center field, near the Yankees bullpen.

The Fighting Irish played the first football game in the new stadium back in 2010. Rees, a freshman then, helped the Irish beat Army and got to use Derek Jeter's locker. Called upon to lead the Irish this year after Everett Golson was suspended from school for academic cheating, Rees surpassed 3,000 yards through the air and became one of the most prolific passers in school history, making the most of his limited physical tools.

Senior quarterback Chas Dodd, whose career has been similar to Rees' in terms of ups and downs, finished with 156 yards passing for Rutgers.

"What we saw with their defense was just what we knew we would see," Dodd said. "We had a game plan ready to attack it. We just weren't able to because of our execution."

Notre Dame and Boston College, where is your God now? Ohohohohohohoooh...

And Nebraska too, I might add. And Arizona State. The Fighting Irish were leveled by Navy, 46-44, The Cornhuskers played their best game of the season, a 72-36 drubbing to Kansas. And Boston College's angels lost their wings, falling gracelessly to Florida State, 27-17. And the Sun Devils were ambushed by some Ducks from Eugene.

Meanwhile, my favorite teams were doing decently. My high school football team destroyed Wilson's homecoming, 41-0. My women's soccer team defeated Cal Poly 3-1 after playing some more uninspiring faggotry against those hated Zots. The men's water polo team actually got a win in a while against Pepperdine. The women's volleyball team disposed of Fullerton, Bakersfield, and Northridge in successive sweeps. And the men's ice hockey team took care of Arizona State's DII side in a 5-2 win on Friday. I have yet to see results from my rugby team, and the result today in ice hockey. Also, some more games are in order, with a soccer match against the Gauchos and a water polo matinee against Pomona-Pitzer.

And also, what the hell is with this message I'm seeing when I'm labeling my posts?

ERROR

Must be at most 200 characters

Up it to 1,000, you oppressors running Blogger! 200 is for grade school blogging n00bs.

The Warrior football team was off this week. And I can't believe my eyes: Long Beach City actually had a victory today in football defeating those patsies from Golden West. Stuff-all.

So…who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, anyway?

It ain’t me, of course. The Big Bad Wolf I am referring to is UCSB men’s water polo coach Wolf Wigo. He thought he could come to our house, and huff, and puff, and blow it down. And the UCSB fans thought the same way. Fools! We bent, but didn’t break, and Gavin Arroyo’s guys took it to ‘em, 9-8.

Bring out the lime, Beach Nation, on November 11^th…a whitewash may be in order. I’m not scared of wolves…I’m a 49er, inshallah. I hunt wolves! I may have to pantomime a shotgun and pretend to point it at the Big Bad Wolf next meeting, if he complains that I am ruining his concentration. There are bigger things to worry about than suffering another heartbreaker. I leave it to you to figure it out, Gaucho[ke]s.

Now, we aren’t done yet with those punks from Goleta. Our women’s volleyball team isn’t feeling too happy after getting an assraping of the worst kind from the Mustangs of Cal Poly. But if they can’t successfully take their anger out on UC Santa Barbara down at the Thunderdome tonight, I won’t be done chewing Brian Gimmillaro up and spitting him out for his Central Coast futility, either, God forbid it happens.

EDIT: It didn't. The Beach swept 'em, 3-0. Our job's done here for today.

Regis Philbin! You said that “It’s time to stop the bleeding.” Well, when the Jews crucified Jesus (yes, it was the Jews, via the Romans, Caiaphas, the chief priests and those bloody Pharisees, the scumbags, not our sins, that crucified Jesus), they didn’t stop the bleeding. Why should it stop for Charlie Weis’s Fighting Irish football team? Michigan State took it to them, 31-14.

Next time, Mr. Philbin, two words: SHUT UP.

Now here is a brewing storyline that even the Wyrd sisters from Macbeth couldn’t have concocted even if they gave 1000% on it: the Seattle Mariners winning the rest of their games, while the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim lose the rest of their games.

In Seattle, they can call it “The Mariner Miracle.” In Anaheim, we should call it “The Curse of Jorge Campillo.” Seattle won, 3-2. One is still the “magic number.”

Haruhi Suzumiya, send help.