SOUTH BEND – Brian Kelly remembers the last time Notre Dame played LSU.

The Fighting Irish began the 2014 season hot, going 6-0 and were ranked as high as No. 5 in the country. Then they lost four straight and five of their final six regular season games — Notre Dame struggled in the fourth quarters against Florida State, Northwestern, Arizona State and Louisville that year.

With a 7-5 record, the Irish went to the Music City Bowl to face the Tigers where they won 31-28 on a last-second field goal. Kelly believes that win gave his team momentum heading into the 2015 season where the Irish were one win away from the College Football Playoff and ended the season in a New Year’s Six bowl.

“That victory helped with confidence, no question,” Kelly said.

Notre Dame faces No. 14 LSU for the second time in four years when the programs meet New Year’s Day in the Citrus Bowl. The game pits two high-profile 9-3 teams.

This will be No. 15 Notre Dame’s second game this season against an SEC team. The Irish are 1-2 all-time against the conference in the Kelly era with losses to Alabama in the 2012 national championship and earlier this season at home to Georgia, which is playing in the Playoff. Its lone win is against LSU in 2014.

It will be a physical game and Notre Dame players say they believe they are prepared for that after playing Georgia, Michigan State and Stanford this year.

“We don’t really put much into it being an SEC team,” said defensive back Julian Love. “With this team especially, they’re very physical, very aggressive, so we’ve gotta match that. We’re not gonna be pushed around. We’re gonna attack and be resilient in our effort.”

In the last matchup, former LSU and current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Now the Tigers have Derrius Guice, who Kelly believes shows many similarities physically to Fournette.

“I know LSU,” Kelly said. “I know the type of athlete that they have on their football team. Derrius Guice is another version of Leonard Fournette in the sense of power, speed. Their front seven is going to look like Georgia.”

Defensively, the Tigers are missing three starters with star pass rusher Arden Key and linebackers Corey Thomposn and Donnie Alexander all out with injuries. Notre Dame’s experienced offense will have an opportunity to exploit some first-time starters.

Notre Dame started this season strong and found itself in the playoff discussion before quickly getting kicked out after a road loss to Miami. Then the Irish lost two of their final four games in November. LSU won six of its last seven after getting upset by Troy at home in September.

Kelly sees a different spark in his players now that they've had time to rest their bodies after a long season.

“Our guys understand the difference between playing a non-BCS team and a ranked SEC team,” Kelly said. “They understand the caliber of play, who they’re playing and the way they have to play this game. You can tell that in the way they’ve practiced the last few days as we get closer to the game. You can see the sense of urgency they’re beginning practice with.”

Playing an SEC team in SEC recruiting territory is also an opportunity for the Irish. Over the past eight seasons, Notre Dame has had 75 players on its roster from the state of Florida and so far has four in its 2018 recruiting class.

But the main thing that’s on this team’s mind more than anything is getting that elusive 10th win. That is what will give them a boost heading into 2018.

“We didn’t like the way the season ended,” senior cornerback Nick Watkins said. “But we get to go out and prove ourselves one more time so we have a face and a name heading into next year.”

Follow IndyStar Notre Dame Insider Laken Litman on Twitter and Instagram: @lakenlitman.

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