Malik Zaire propels Notre Dame over LSU in thrilling Music City Bowl

Malik Zaire led Notre Dame to a last-second 31-28 win over No. 23 LSU in the Music City Bowl.

As a reporter interviewed Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire after Tuesday’s Music City Bowl, ESPN cameras caught tears running down the sophomore's cheeks. After a tough season that saw the Irish rise as high as No. 5 in the AP poll, Notre Dame fans likely shared that raw emotion after their team’s 31-28 win over LSU at LP field in Nashville. The result capped a season that fell short of expectations in South Bend, but it's one that will now transition into spring on a positive note.

Notre Dame looked in control early against the SEC’s No. 1 total defense. The Irish took a 21-14 lead into halftime having reeled off 258 yards of offense. Zaire, splitting time with fellow quarterback Everett Golson, threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the first half to keep LSU’s defense at bay.

But LSU struck back in the third quarter. Anthony Jennings hit John Diarse for a 75-yard touchdown pass before freshman phenom Leonard Fournette (264 all-purpose yards) ran 89 yards for another score, his third of the game. Despite Notre Dame's red-hot start, the Tigers looked poised to add more disappointment to the Irish’s campaign.

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Instead, Notre Dame tied the game 28-28 on a C.J. Prosise run. Late in the fourth quarter, the Irish forced an LSU punt and regained possession with 5:41 to play. Golson and Zaire tag-teamed a 14-play drive that ended with Kyle Brindza’s 32-yard, game-winning field goal.

It was only two seasons ago that Golson led Notre Dame to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the BCS title game. But the veteran quarterback was suspended for the entire 2013 season due to academic misconduct. This past offseason, an investigation into more academic misconduct forced the suspension of four key players. Despite the distraction, the Irish began the 2014 season 6-0 and reached as high as No. 5 before dropping a heartbreaker to No. 2 Florida State, 31-27, in Tallahassee. Notre Dame eventually spiraled out of control and ended the year with four straight losses.

Florida State's Road to the College Football Playoff

Florida State 37, Oklahoma State 31 (Aug. 30)

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In the first of what would be a season full of tight victories, the Seminoles capitalized on a fourth-quarter fumble by Cowboys quarterback J.W. Walsh to pull away for the win. Rashad Greene shines with 203 yards receiving.

Florida State 37, Citadel 12 (Sept. 6)

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The Seminoles raced to a 34-0 margin by the end of the third quarter in a comfortable nonconference victory. Quarterback Jameis Winston efficiently dissected the Bulldogs, completing 22-of-27 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns.

Florida State 23, Clemson 17 OT (Sept. 20)

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While Winston watched from the sideline as a suspension for yelling an obscene phrase on campus, the Seminoles survived to overtime by forcing a C.J. Davidson fumble at the 14-yard line with under two minutes remaining. Florida State's defense came up clutch again in overtime, stuffing Clemson on fourth-and-one before Karlos Williams sealed the win with a 12-yard touchdown run.

Florida State 56, NC State 41 (Sept. 27)

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After spotting the Wolfpack a 17-point lead in the first quarter and a 38-28 advantage in the third quarter, Winston and the Seminoles offense rallied for four touchdowns in the final 20:06 to come back and pull away. Karlos Williams picked up 126 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Florida State 43, Wake Forest 3 (Oct. 4)

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The Seminoles defense posted its first truly dominant performance, holding the Demon Deacons to 126 yards of offense and forcing three turnovers. Linebacker Reggie Northrup outscored Wake Forest by returning a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown.

Florida State 38, Syracuse 20 (Oct. 11)

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Winston contributed one of his best outings of the season, completing 30-of-36 passes for 317 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The nearly flawless performance helped the Seminoles jump out to a 31-6 lead by midway through the third quarter.

Florida State 31, Notre Dame 27 (Oct. 18)

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The Seminoles' undefeated streak seemed to be over, but an offensive pass interference penalty negated the Fighting Irish's game-winning touchdown pass. After trailing 17-10 at halftime, Winston kicked into high gear in the second half, completing 15-of-16 passes for 181 yards with a touchdown.

Florida State 42, Louisville 31 (Oct. 30)

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The Seminoles embarrassed the Cardinals' highly touted defense with 35 second-half points to erase a 24-7 deficit. Winston rebounded from a horrid three-interception start to pass for 401 yards and three touchdowns while redshirt freshman Dalvin Cook added 110 rushing yards on nine carries with two scores, including the go-ahead touchdowns with 3:46 left. Florida State's defense also chipped in, holding Louisville for 1-of-11 on third downs.

Florida State 34, Virginia 20 (Nov. 8)

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After falling behind at the end of the first quarter, the Seminoles used three second-quarter touchdowns to jump out to a comfortable lead they never relinquished. Greene hauled in 13 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown to lead the offense.

Florida State 30, Miami 26 (Nov. 15)

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Needing a late touchdown to pull the upset, the Hurricanes drove to the Florida State 43, but Jalen Ramsey intercepted Brad Kaaya's deep heave to lock up another win. The Seminoles overcame a 16-0 deficit thanks to Cook, who jumpstarted the offense with a 44-yard touchdown run and finished with 92 yards on seven carries with two scores.

Florida State 20, Boston College 17 (Nov. 22)

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The Eagles wasted their chance to grab a late lead when Alex Howell's 42-yard field goal drifted wide right. Winston methodically drove the Seminoles 66 yards to set up a game-winning 26-yard boot from Roberto Aguayo.

Florida State 24, Florida 19 (Nov. 29)

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Despite four interceptions from Winston, the Seminoles hung on to beat their rivals. Florida kicker Austin Hardin missed two go-ahead field goals in the second half, and quarterback Treon Harris failed to lead the Gators to a game-winning touchdown on their final drive.

Florida State 37, Georgia Tech 35 (Dec. 6)

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Winston rebounded from his dismal outing against Florida to throw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, and the Seminoles claimed the ACC title. Georgia Tech's triple-option attack churned up 331 yards on the ground but couldn't keep pace with an in-sync Florida State offense.

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After losing 49-14 to USC on Nov. 29, Irish coach Brian Kelly didn’t mince words.

"We have to remember where we are after today's loss," Kelly told reporters. "It's a red-letter day for our football players and coaches alike. Two years ago, we were playing for a national championship. Today we got our butts beat, and it wasn't as close as the score. I thought coach was very generous today to keep running the football to keep the score where it was."

Now the dark cloud over Notre Dame has somewhat dissipated thanks to the win against LSU. But plenty of questions remain surrounding Kelly’s program. Can the offense succeed with a two-quarterback system going forward? Will Golson even return to South Bend in 2015? Can Kelly shore up a defense that was exposed on several occasions this season? This program might not be ready to contend for a playoff spot just yet.

But a postseason victory gives Notre Dame a well-needed boost heading into the offseason. Folks in South Bend can’t be too disappointed with that.