Somehow, Notre Dame beating Florida State 42-26 and rising to No. 4 in the (inconsequential) polls left an incomplete feeling for the Irish. Perhaps it was due to allowing 405 yards to the woebegone Seminoles, maybe it was because they fell behind throughout the first quarter, most likely it was the running game’s inability to dress up that final score with a touchdown in the final two minutes, despite having first-and-goal at the 10-yard line.
“If you would look at what we felt were some concerns from last week, we were trying to get the perfect call in there, and at times maybe didn’t have our players with their cleats in the ground,” head coach Brian Kelly said Thursday.