Notre Dame’s heroic attempt at a game-winning drive in the final seconds came up empty when an apparent touchdown by Corey Robinson was negated by offensive pass interference, and the Irish fell by 31-27 to Florida State in a hard fought contest on Saturday night. The Seminoles had staged their own comeback in the second half to take their first lead of the game with 7:39 remaining, but Everett Golson brought the Irish to within three yards of victory before the rug was cruelly pulled out from under them on fourth and goal. The loss dropped Notre Dame to 6-1 on the season, but by any objective measure the Irish should not drop in the polls and must still be considered a viable playoff contender.

The teams started the game like two heavyweight fighters. Notre Dame was the aggressor, and landed the first punch late in the first quarter after surviving a botched fourth and one attempt near midfield. Golson hit Robinson with a short touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead with 2:10 remaining in the first period. The score seemed to awaken the Seminoles, who quickly marched downfield to tie it less tan two minutes later when an Irish blitz was too late in getting to quarterback Jameis Winston.

The Irish continued to pressure Florida State with short passes and effective runs, but the Seminoles reached Golson on a third down throw to cause a wobbly pass that was picked off. Notre Dame returned the favor on the very next play when Winston’s desperate heave was intercepted by Joe Schmidt at the FSU 31. Golson hit Robinson again a few plays later from nine yards out for a 14-7 lead. The teams then exchanged field goals before the half and went into the locker room with the Irish leading 17-10.

Winston caught fire immediately in the third quarter as Florida State adjusted to the Irish blitzes with quick passes over the middle. The hosts tied the score with disturbing ease at the 10:37 mark when Winston hit Rashad Greene for a ten yard touchdown. Golson immediately brought Notre Dame back to retake the lead at 24-17 with the help of Will Fuller, whose 12 yard score capped an 83 yard march. Once again, however, Winston brought back the Seminoles in short order to even the count at 24 with 3:38 still remaining in the third period.

As the game entered the final period, Kyle Brindza hit a 46-yard field field goal to give Notre Dame a tenuous 27-24 advantage, but the defense had no answer for Winston’s quick, accurate throws and the glue-fingered Seminole receivers. A short run by Karlos Williams capped a go-ahead drive and Florida State had its first lead of the night at 31-27 with 7:39 remaining. An exchange of punts left the Seminoles deep in their own end, and Sheldon Day lead the Irish defensive effort to keep them there. The Seminoles were forced to punt with 2:53 left and the Irish took over at the FSU 49.

Golson quickly ran into intense pressure and found himself in a fourth and 18 hole. Miraculously, the senior scrambled and found Robinson wide open for 20 along the sideline to keep hope alive. A pass to Fuller and a 12 yard scramble brought the ball just seven yards from victory with under a minute left. A pass for no gain, an incompletion and a short throw for four yards set up a fourth and three with the outcome on the line. The play to Robinson appeared to be perfectly executed for the winning score, but the officials decided that Prosise was blocking downfield rather than running a pass route, and flagged the Irish for interference. It was a sickening reversal for Notre Dame, and certainly a call that would not have been made had the teams been reversed.

Let’s review the answers to the pregame questions:

Will the Irish offensive line be able to protect Golson? The protection was generally good and the line played quite well. There were pressures and batted balls, but Golson managed to put his team in position to win.

Which team will be more effective running the ball? Notre Dame, behind Tarean Folston’s 118 yards, was the more balanced team by a wide margin.

Will the Irish defense avoid missed tackles that extend drives? There were a few errors in this regard, but nothing too costly except for a missed tackle by Matthias Farley on the first FSU score. The Irish generally made the Seminoles earn every yard.

Which team will win the turnover battle? Both teams had one interception, although Notre Dame was only one of three on fourth down gambles.

Can Golson match the accuracy and efficiency of Winston? Winston was outstanding in the second half, but the gutty and improvising Golson matched him right down to the wire.

Will a big play on special teams impact the outcome? A kickoff out of bounds by Brindza jump started Florida State’s first scoring drive, but these teams played to a draw for the most part.

Will Notre Dame gain a measure of respect at the national level regardless of the outcome? We’ll see when the polls come out, but the Irish earned a place at the table. The exception to this assertion may be classless Seminole coach Jimbo Fisher, who could only gush about his team afterwards and failed to show respect to his opponent in any manner.

The Irish will take a well-earned week off before resuming work against Navy on November 1. The team continues to improve as the offensive line comes of age and the defense remains free of major injuries to key players. This loss was a bitter pill to swallow, however, and one that will be remembered by Notre Dame fans along with other notable games where questionable calls by home conference officials left a stain on the outcome.