Notre Dame Football: Ranking the top 5 moments from the 2010s
By Jacob Wilson
3. Book leads game-winning drive vs. LSU
Later in the 2017 season, Kelly and his Irish squad were looking for a way to salvage a season tarnished by a few aforementioned collapses. Matched up against No. 16 LSU in the Citrus Bowl, the Irish made it clear that they weren’t prepared to simply lay down and die.
While not for a lack of effort, Notre Dame and LSU entered the half with a 3-0 score as both mental and physical mistakes were exacerbated by unfavorable weather conditions. Regardless, it was clear that a Brandon Wimbush-led offense wasn’t going to cut it against LSU’s stout defensive front.
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In turn, Kelly opted to start quarterback Ian Book at the beginning of the second half. Following an LSU score, Notre Dame pulled within one point via the leg of Justin Yoon. By the time the dust settled, Notre Dame and LSU found themselves gridlocked at 14-14 midway through the fourth quarter. An LSU field goal would put the Tigers up by three with only two minutes left, putting the pressure on Book to get his Irish the win.
Book wasted little time in accomplishing this, lobbing a 55-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Boykin, boosting the outlooks of both their college careers with a single throw. Book’s stock skyrocketed in the eyes of both fans and the coaching staff alike, likely factoring heavily into the decision to permanently move from Wimbush to Book partially through the 2018 season.