Losing a teammate for the season is one of the most difficult things for football players and coaches.
That was the situation Notre Dame found itself in after the Virginia game when quarterback Malik Zaire was lost for the season with a fractured right ankle. DeShone Kizer replaced Zaire and threw the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left.
Zaire's injury and Kizer leading the Irish's comeback are part of the latest episode of the Showtime series "A Season With Notre Dame Football," which chronicles the Irish's 2015 season. Cameras captured the emotional scenes in the locker room following the Irish victory, where Zaire was comforted by Irish coach Brian Kelly and his teammates.
DeShone Kizer sits with @LuckyLefty8 after throwing the game winning touchdown. #ASeasonWith #WeAreND #FightingIrish pic.twitter.com/lZEOqSCAXm
— A Season With (@ASeasonWith) September 16, 2015
"Injuries are never anything that we like to deal with," Kelly said in an emotional locker room. "And it's unfortunate that we have had some injuries that have happened to our brothers on our football team. And we lost Malik today. But DeShone Kizer stepped up. You don’t know when your time is going to come. You gotta be ready. DeShone didn’t know his time was going to be counted on. And he came through and helped us win. Be prepared for that opportunity and when we call on you, you have to be ready to go."
