It was … an interesting attempt at humor.
Notre Dame survived a severe scare during its season opener Sunday night, beating Florida 41-38 in overtime after coughing up an 18-point lead in the second half. Head coach Brian Kelly was visibly frustrated after his No. 9 Fighting Irish was almost upset in his first game of the season.
“I’m in favor of execution,” Kelly told ABC side reporter Katie George after the game. “Maybe our whole team needs to run after tonight.”
Oh?
The appointment quickly went viral on social media Sunday night. Kelly was later asked to clarify it and downplayed his strange attempt at humor.
“It’s an old John McKay quote,” Kelly explained, according to ESPN. “I was kidding. He had his tongue on his cheek. Didn’t he make fun of it?
“I was just talking and joking about it. Was it taken seriously? Are you crazy? ”
Kelly was referring to when McKay, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, was asked about the team’s “execution” in its 1976 debut season. “I’m in favor,” McKay said at the time.
The Irish rose to 18 in the second half when Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton, in his first start since suffering a devastating knee injury with UCF, led the team to an impressive comeback to tie the regulated match. FSU had a chance to take the lead on Ryan Fitzgerald’s dazzling drive up the left, but the opportunity fizzled away as his shot went just over the bar after 29 minutes.
On the previous play, Fitzgerald made a much longer kick, but the Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell let Fitzgerald freeze as he challenged the play, apparently to give him an easier kick. The challenge was successful. The second time was not.
Notre Dame pitcher Jonathan Doerer hit a 41-yarder in the next possession to win the game for the Irish.