Ever look back at a season and wonder how things got so sideways so fast? That's basically the story of 2014 Notre Dame football. It started with so much hope. Everett Golson was back under center after his academic suspension. Jaylon Smith was becoming a household name. Brian Kelly had this team humming at 6-0, and for a minute there, it felt like 2012 all over again.
People forget how close they were to being elite. Honestly, if a single offensive pass interference call goes the other way in Tallahassee, we’re talking about a completely different legacy for this group. But football is a game of inches and, as it turns out, a game of depth—something the Irish desperately lacked once the injuries started piling up like a bad car wreck on the I-80.
The Florida State Heartbreak and the "What If" Factor
The 2014 Notre Dame football season is defined by October 18th. That night in Tallahassee was electric. The Irish went into Doak Campbell Stadium to face Jameis Winston and the defending champion Seminoles. It was a heavyweight fight. Golson was dealing. Corey Robinson—David Robinson’s son, for those who don’t recall—was playing the game of his life.
With 13 seconds left, Golson hits Robinson for what looks like the game-winning touchdown. The sideline erupts. But then, the yellow laundry hits the turf. C.J. Prosise was flagged for offensive pass interference—a "pick play." It’s still a sore spot for Irish fans today. Does he actually block the guy? Yeah, kinda. Is it called 100% of the time? Not even close. Notre Dame loses 31-27.
That loss didn't just hurt the record; it seemed to break something internally. It was the first "real" test, and even though they proved they could play with the big boys, the psychological fallout was massive. You could see the shift in momentum almost immediately in the following weeks.
A Defense That Just Ran Out of Gas
Brian VanGorder. That name still triggers a lot of Notre Dame fans. His high-pressure, NFL-style scheme was supposed to be the aggressive answer to the bend-but-don't-break style of Bob Diaco. Early on, it looked brilliant. They shut out Michigan 31-0 in the final scheduled meeting of that rivalry era. It was beautiful.
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But VanGorder’s defense was complicated. Extremely complicated.
As the season wore on, the injuries started to mount. Joe Schmidt, the walk-on turned captain and the literal "brain" of the defense, went down with a gruesome ankle injury against Navy. That was the tipping point. Without Schmidt out there to align everyone and make the checks, the defense looked lost. It wasn't just that they were giving up yards; they were giving up huge, gaping holes because players weren't in the right gaps.
Look at the numbers. It's wild. In their first seven games, the Irish allowed about 19 points per game. In the final six games? That jumped to over 40. You can't win like that. Not even with an offense that could put up points. The collapse culminated in that miserable November stretch where they lost to Arizona State, Northwestern, Louisville, and got absolutely embarrassed by USC.
The Everett Golson Rollercoaster
We have to talk about Everett Golson. He was such a polarizing figure that year. On one hand, the guy was a playmaker. He had a rocket arm and could escape pressure like few others. But the turnovers? Man, they were killers.
Golson finished the season with 29 passing touchdowns, but he also threw 14 interceptions and had a fumbling problem that drove Kelly up the wall. It felt like every time the Irish were about to seize control of a game, there was a blind-side strip-sack or a forced throw into triple coverage. By the time they got to the Music City Bowl against LSU, Kelly had seen enough. He started rotating in Malik Zaire.
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Zaire brought a different energy. He was a runner, a physical presence who simplified the game. The 31-28 win over LSU in the bowl game was a high note to end on, but it also signaled the end of the Golson era in South Bend. He transferred to Florida State not long after. Talk about irony.
Why 2014 Still Matters for Program History
When you look at the 2014 Notre Dame football roster, it was actually loaded with NFL talent.
- Ronnie Stanley (All-Pro Tackle)
- Will Fuller (Speedster WR)
- Jaylon Smith (Butkus Award winner)
- Sheldon Day
- Stephon Tuitt had just left, but the cupboard wasn't empty.
The failure of this season actually forced Brian Kelly to re-evaluate how he managed the roster and his coaching staff. It was a precursor to the total program "reboot" that happened after the 4-8 disaster in 2016. You can trace a lot of the structural changes in the program back to the deficiencies exposed in late 2014—specifically the need for a more sustainable defensive philosophy and better depth at linebacker.
It also served as a cautionary tale about the College Football Playoff era. This was the first year of the CFP. For half the season, Notre Dame was a legitimate contender. They were ranked No. 5 in the initial rankings. Their collapse showed just how thin the margin for error is when you don't have a conference title game to fall back on or a deep enough roster to survive the loss of a "quarterback of the defense" like Joe Schmidt.
Actionable Insights for Retro-Analysis
If you’re a coach or a serious student of the game looking back at this season, there are a few "must-watch" tapes and takeaways:
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1. Study the Michigan Shutout (Week 2): This is the blueprint for what VanGorder wanted to do. The aggressive press coverage and disguised blitzes completely rattled Devin Gardner. It’s a masterclass in defensive disruption before the "books" got out on how to beat the scheme.
2. Analyze the Red Zone Turnovers: If you want to know why Notre Dame didn't make the playoff, watch the red zone possessions against Arizona State and Northwestern. Total lack of ball security cost them two games they statistically dominated.
3. The Joe Schmidt Effect: Watch the defensive alignment before and after the Navy game. It’s a literal clinic on why "football IQ" at the Mike linebacker position is sometimes more important than raw 40-yard dash speed.
Ultimately, 2014 was a season of "almost." Almost a win in Tallahassee. Almost a playoff berth. Almost a legendary comeback for Everett Golson. Instead, it’s remembered as a chaotic, high-scoring bridge between the 2012 miracle run and the consistent 10-win seasons that followed later in Kelly's tenure. It was frustrating, exhilarating, and heartbreaking all at once. Basically, it was Notre Dame football in a nutshell.