Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly … On breaking a four-game losing streak: "We wanted to be challenged. We were disappointed in the way we played at the end of the year, and our guys wanted this opportunity to fin- ish the season the right way. "The mantra for us was, 'Get this in the fourth quarter and find a way to win.' They certainly did that." On senior kicker Kyle Brindza's game-winning kick: "I'm really happy for Kyle, and that's the way he came in to Notre Dame. We recruited him out of high school off the heels of watching him kick game-winners in high school state championships. "It's a great way for him to finish up his career." Sophomore running back Tarean Folston … On the game plan: "I knew the game plan was going to be run heavy. We knew that it wasn't going to be just straight big plays. "We had to take the three- and four- yard carries and keep that clock mov- ing." Sophomore wide receiver Will Fuller … On adjusting to quarterback changes mid-game: "We just leave that up to the coaches. We [receiv- ers] do the same thing whether Malik [Zaire] or Everett [Golson] is in the game. They're both capable of getting us the ball. "I didn't even notice it half of the time. I don't care who lines up at quarterback. As long as they get their job done, we'll be fine." On playing against a talented LSU secondary: "I don't think anyone had any faith in us, except us. This is prob- ably the hypest we've been all year. "We love these types of games. It's a once-in-a-lifetime type of game play- ing LSU, 'DB U.,' an SEC team — it feels great." Sophomore linebacker Jaylon Smith … On postgame celebration: "I'm like, 'OK, let's get the Gatorade, get it ready, but let's hide it so that [Kelly] doesn't see it.' At the same time, we still had to be locked in, because if we missed the field goal, the defense is on FROM THE LOCKER ROOM The Irish had their hands full with LSU freshman Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 143 yards and two scores plus had a 100-yard kickoff return TD. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA