New Orleans, LA – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish stunned 2nd ranked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal defeating the Bulldogs, 23-10.
After the tragedy of an apparent terror attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, speculation arose about the status of the upcoming game. Those questions were addressed in a press conference later that afternoon.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) committee announced that the CFP Quarterfinal would be postponed by 24 hours, following assurances from local officials that both the city of New Orleans and the Caesars Superdome were secure for players and spectators.
In response to the circumstances, both Notre Dame and Georgia requested an earlier kickoff time than the originally scheduled 8:45 PM EST. As a result, today’s game began at 3:00 PM EST.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard finished the game 15-of-24, throwing for 90 yards and one touchdown. On the other side, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton went 20-of-32, passing for 234 yards and one touchdown.
The opening possessions for both Georgia and Notre Dame stalled early, with each team being forced to punt on their first drive. On Georgia’s second possession, they moved into the red zone, but the drive ended abruptly when Trevor Ettienne fumbled the ball.
Notre Dame’s Jaiden Ausberry was quick to recover the fumble at the Irish 10-yard line, giving the defense a much-needed momentum boost.
Georgia responded with a strong defensive stand, forcing Notre Dame into a three-and-out. Starting their next drive on their own 22-yard line, Georgia quickly made a statement with a big play. Quarterback Gunner Stockton connected with Arian Smith on a 67-yard pass, putting the Bulldogs in striking distance at the Notre Dame 26-yard line. The drive stalled soon after, but Georgia took the lead with a 41-yard field goal from Peyton Woodring, making it 3-0.
Notre Dame answered back with a 44-yard field goal of their own to tie the game at 3-3 with 8:20 remaining in the first half.
As the second quarter was winding down, Notre Dame seized control. With just 43 seconds left in the half, the Irish nailed a 48-yard field goal to take a 6-3 lead.
The drama continued on Georgia’s next possession. On the very first play of the drive, Gunner Stockton was sacked by Notre Dame’s RJ Oben, and the ball was recovered by Junior Tuihalamaka at the Georgia 13-yard line.
Notre Dame quickly capitalized, with quarterback Leonard hitting Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown pass to extend the Irish lead to 13-3 as time expired in the first half.
Notre Dame came out strong to start the second half, as Jayden Harrison boosted the Irish’s momentum with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, pushing the Irish lead to 20-3.
Georgia answered back with a quick strike, executing a 5-play, 63-yard drive that culminated in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Gunner Stockton to Cash Jones. With the score, Notre Dame’s lead was trimmed to 20-10.
In the early moments of the fourth quarter, Notre Dame extended their lead to 23-10 with a successful 47-yard field goal.
The Fighting Irish have now advanced to the semifinals and will face Penn State in the Capital One Orange Bowl, set to take place on January 9, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
