Kelly was asked what he was thinking when Tommy Rees threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick to give his team a 31-28 lead with 30 seconds left.

"My mind, you don't want to know what's in it," Kelly said. "It's always thinking about the next situation."

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson connected Jeremy Gallon on a 64-yard pass to set up his 16-yard touchdown to Roy Roundtree with two seconds left. While the Irish were in a prevent defense, Robinson's unique ability to break big plays with his legs and his arm prompted Kelly not to play a strict "prevent" defense.

"We played zone coverage and rushed four," Kelly said of the second-to-last play. "We felt we were pretty balanced."