LSU Falls To Notre Dame In Citrus Bowl, 21-17
The 2017 college football season ended on a sour note on New Year's Day for 17th-ranked LSU Tigers.
LSU fell to the 14th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 21-17, in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Miles Boykin scored on a 55-yard touchdown run with 1:28 remaining, to lift Notre Dame to their first New Year's Day bowl win since 1994.
Notre Dame got on the scoreboard first, and tallied the only points of the first half, when Justin Yoon booted through a 46-yard field goal with only :04 left in the second quarter, to give them a 3-0 lead, an advantage the Irish would take with them into the locker room at halftime.
LSU grabbed the lead at the 11:37 mark of the third quarter, when Danny Etling connected with Derrius Guice on a 20-yard touchdown pass, capping off a 5-play, 43-yard drive, to give them a 7-3 lead.
The Irish drew closer at the 2:47 mark of the third quarter, when Yoon kicked through his second field goal of the game, this one from 49 yards away, to cut the deficit to 7-6.
The Tigers extended their lead at the 11:13 mark of the fourth quarter, when Etling and Guice teamed up for their second touchdown pass/reception of the contest, this one from 2 yards out, to make it 14-6.
Notre Dame tied the game at the 7:49 mark of the final frame, when Ian Book threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Michael Young, to make it 14-12.
One play later, Notre Dame made good on the two-point conversion, when Book hit Josh Adams with a scoring strike, to even things, 14-14.
LSU regained the lead with 2:03 left, when Jack Gonsoulin kicked through a 17-yard field goal, to make it 17-14.
Three plays following the ensuing kickoff however, Boykin raced 55 yards for the game-winning touchdown, giving Notre Dame the 4-point triumph.
Book led the way for Notre Dame, completing 14-of-19 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
In a losing cause for LSU, Guice ran for 98 yards on 21 carries, while also hauling in two touchdown receptions.
With the victory, Notre Dame ended their season with an overall record of 10-3, while LSU finished at 9-4.