Sizing up Notre Dame's 2014 season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Notre Dame had been in a similar situation before this season. Make that several times.

And in each case – whether it was Florida State, Northwestern or Louisville – the Irish came up short.

Until Tuesday.

Instead of a critical late mistake, Notre Dame kept converting in its final drive against LSU in the Music City Bowl. And when Kyle Brindza nailed the game-winning field goal as time expired, the Irish proved they could finish a big game.

It was a reminder of Notre Dame’s potential and the growing pains the team exhibited throughout an 8-5 campaign.

“This year, we got to the fourth quarter and we didn’t make some plays and we lost some football games. We lost to Florida State in the fourth quarter. We lost to Northwestern in the fourth quarter. We lost to Arizona State in the fourth quarter and we lost to Louisville in the fourth quarter,” coach Brian Kelly said. “We got the game in hand in the fourth quarter (Tuesday) and we handled it in the fourth quarter. We’re going to make that a habit with this football team. We didn’t do that this year, (Tuesday) we did that and we’re going to build off it.”

Here’s a review of the 2014 season.

What went wrong: Injuries depleted an already inexperienced defense. Linemen Jarron Jones, Sheldon Day and cornerback Cody Riggs were among the key contributors out at some point because of injuries. Linebacker Joe Schmidt missed the final five games because of ankle injury. In the first seven games with Schmidt, the team allowed 19.1 points per game. During the final four regular-season games without him, the team gave up 44.5 points.

That put a larger burden on the offense to avoid mistakes. But turnovers were a major issue. Quarterback Everett Golson had 22 turnovers (14 interceptions, eight fumbles).

And then there was the academic scandal that sidelined four players, including three projected starters, for the entire season.

What went right: Golson started fast after missing a year because of a suspension tied to academics and helped the Irish enter the playoff discussion early in the season. Notre Dame best performance, aside from Tuesday, came during a loss at Florida State. The Irish took the Seminoles to the wire and ended with a controversial offensive pass interference call.

Wide receiver Will Fuller (15 TD receptions) and back Tarean Folston (889 rushing yards) emerged as top offensive threats while linebacker Jaylon Smith earned second-team AP All-American honors.

Malik Zaire provided a spark at quarterback in the bowl game, rushing for one touchdown and passing for another.

What’s next: The Irish will be loaded with returning starters on both sides of the ball. Tuesday, Notre Dame started only two players (Riggs and tight end Ben Koyack) who have no more eligibility.

How the quarterback situation shakes out could go a long way in determining if the team is in the playoff conversation.

Email: lpope@post-trib.com

Twitter: @lamondpope