NCAA Game Summary - Notre Dame vs. LSU

Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Malik Zaire and Everett Golson each saw time under center for Notre Dame, and both helped lead the Irish to a win in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday at LP Field.

Zaire and Golson each had a hand in Notre Dame's final drive, a 14-play, 71- yard march, that Kyle Brindza capped with a 32-yard field goal as time expired for a 31-28 win over No. 22 LSU.

Golson picked up a pair of first downs through the air, while Zaire used his legs, picking up a few first downs on the ground to set up the winning kick. Zaire, a redshirt freshman making his first career start, was named the starting quarterback for the game on Monday after a lackluster season from Golson.

The duo combined for 186 yards passing with Zaire tossing a touchdown to William Fuller. Zaire also rushed for a team-high 96 yards on 22 carries with a score for Notre Dame (8-5), which snapped its four-game losing streak.

"We had that mindset that we had to do this for the team," Zaire said of splitting time with Golson.

Leonard Fournette did all he could to help the Tigers (8-5) in this one, supplying 264 total yards with three touchdowns. Fournette set Music City Bowl records with a 100-yard kickoff return as well as an 89-yard rushing touchdown. He finished with 143 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Zaire, who played a majority of the second half after splitting most the time with Golson in the first, had to sit out a play when his helmet popped off after a first-down run with just over four minutes to play. Golson came on and Irish coach Brian Kelly chose to leave the redshirt junior in for a few plays. Golson hooked up with Fuller for a 14-yard gain on 2nd-and-15. Zaire relieved him and proceeded to pick up the first down with a 3-yard run. Golson then hit Ben Koyack and Tarean Folston later in the sequence for 12 and 16 yards, respectively, prior to Zaire's 8-yard scamper that moved the chains again for Brindza.

"This is a matchup that we had wanted at Notre Dame and we know LSU feels the same way," said Kelly. "Really the mantra for us was get this to the fourth quarter and find a way to win."

After accounting for just 18 passing yards in the first half, Anthony Jennings opened the second by tossing a play-action pass to a wide open John Diarse for a 75-yard TD, also a Music City Bowl record, to tie the game at 21-21.

LSU had another explosive play later in the third when Fournette continued his monster day with an 89-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers their first lead of the day with 6:14 left.

The Irish got it back on their next touch as C.J. Prosise rushed around the right end, broke a tackle and bolted into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown.

Isaac Rochell blocked Trent Domingue's 40-yard field goal to keep the game tied with under 12 minutes left in the fourth.

On Notre Dame's opening drive, Zaire scrambled for a first down on 4th-and-9 at the Tigers 28. Two plays later, Fuller took a short pass along the left hash, picked up a couple of blocks and leaped into the end zone.

LSU stopped the Irish on fourth down in its territory on the next drive, and responded with an 8-play drive that Fournette capped on an 8-yard touchdown run.

Golson started the Irish's ensuing possession and hooked up with Chris Brown early in the second quarter for a 29-yard gain to the LSU 23. Zaire was then inserted back in two plays later, and after a couple of runs, his 7-yard scamper into the end zone gave Notre Dame a 14-7 edge.

That margin did not hold, though, as Fournette took the kickoff 100 yards untouched for a score.

The quarterback carousel continued for the Irish as both contributed to another score. Golson was crushed in the backfield, but managed to get a fluttering pass off to Fuller for an 11-yard gain and a first down. Zaire then zipped a pass to Fuller for 17 yards on 3rd-and-11 two plays before Folston barreled into the end zone for a 6-yard TD.

LSU chewed up six minutes of clock to close the half. After Jennings was stopped on three consecutive plays from inside the 10, the field-goal unit was sent out with seconds remaining. Holder Brad Kragthorpe bolted for the end zone from the 2 and was inches from the goal line before getting brought down. Replay showed the ball just crossing the plane, however, video evidence was inconclusive.

"Just before the half, they tell me that with all the review I could get from the field, that that ball crosses the goal line," LSU coach Les Miles said. "And in fact if that's the case, then we need a better way to communicate that to us. We need to see it better on the field."