Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame bullies Georgia to reach CFP semifinals

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish found the right balance of family and football to produce a memorable performance under unprecedented, emotionally trying circumstances.

Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame’s defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday that sent the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

The triumph came in wake of a deadly terror attack in the host city early Wednesday – the day the game was supposed to have been played. The first postponement of a Sugar Bowl in the event’s 91-year history followed hours later.

“We spent some time together, and I think that’s what you do in tough moments,” Freeman said in recounting how the Irish handled their unexpected down time on Wednesday. “You want to spend time with family, and that’s what we are.”

Notre Dame (13-1) came through with enough big plays, avoided major mistakes and all but sealed it with a clever move by Freeman.

“Our coaches called the game aggressive. Our players executed, put everything on the line,” Freeman said. “I’m really proud of them. Proud of the way they handled the events of the last 24 hours.”

Georgia (11-3) was in position to close within one score when Notre Dame stopped the Bulldogs on fourth-and-5 from the Irish 9-yard line with 9:29 to go.

Minutes later, Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in his own territory when Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending the offense back out. Georgia raced to match up and then jumped offside as the play clock ticked down, giving the Irish a clock-sapping first down with 7:17 to go.

“They were going to hard-count us. We prepare for that. We do it every week,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We jumped offsides.”

By the time the Bulldogs got the ball back, just 1:49 remained, and Notre Dame was on its way to a 12th consecutive victory and a date with sixth-seeded Penn State (13-2) in a semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami next Thursday night (Jan. 9).

“That’s the aggressiveness in terms of our preparation that I want our program to have,” Freeman said. “That’s got to be one of our edges, that we are going to be an aggressive group and not fear making mistakes.”

Georgia played without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who injured his elbow in the Southeastern Conference championship game. He was replaced by Gunner Stockton, who was 20 of 32 for 234 yards and one touchdown.

The Bulldogs outgained Notre Dame 296 yards to 244, but Georgia was stopped on all three of its fourth-down attempts and lost two fumbles – one deep in Notre Dame territory and one inside its own 20.

“The turnovers are the difference in the game, guys,” Smart said. “I mean, you should know when you turn it over twice and they return a kickoff for a touchdown, you’re not going to have a lot of success.”

Leonard finished with 90 yards passing and a team-high 80 yards rushing, including a late first-down run in which he was sent head over heels as he tried to leap over a defender.

“We’re in the playoffs,” Leonard said. “Everybody else can put their body on the line, I’m going to do it right there with them.”

The game had been set for Wednesday night as part of a New Year’s Day playoff tripleheader, but it was postponed after an Army veteran inspired by the Islamic State group drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 14 revelers. Security was increased at the Superdome – which will also host the Super Bowl next month – and arriving fans said they felt safe.

With some fans unable to alter their travel plans, attendance in the 70,000-seat stadium was announced at 68,400. There were patches of empty seats in the upper levels, but passionate supporters made no shortage of noise trying to will their teams into the next round of college football’s first 12-team playoff.

The score was tied at 3-3 before Notre Dame scored 17 points in a span of 54 seconds bridging halftime.

The unusual sequence began with Mitch Jeter’s 48-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in first half.

Soon after, Georgia paid for a decision to attempt a drop-back pass from its own 25. RJ Oben’s blind-side sack caused Stockton to fumble at the 13, where Irish defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka recovered. Leonard found Beaux Collins over the middle for a touchdown on the next play for a 13-3 lead that stood at halftime.

By the time 15 seconds had elapsed in the third quarter, Notre Dame led 20-3.

Harrison took the second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.

Georgia closed the gap to 20-10 when Stockton hit reserve running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard score before Jeter’s third field goal of the game gave the Irish their winning margin.

“Holding a team like that to 10 points, it’s a low amount, it’s pretty good,” safety Xavier Watts said. “Just really proud of the performance we put up.”

TAKEAWAYS

Notre Dame: With a dominant defense and the dual-threat nature of Leonard’s playmaking, the Irish look dangerous heading into the semifinals.

Georgia: A team trying to win big games without its starting QB can’t afford big mistakes, and missed opportunities doomed the Bulldogs and Smart, who will have to wait a year for another chance at his third national title.

UP NEXT

The Irish resume a series with the Nittany Lions that is currently even at 9-9-1.

Georgia’s 2025 season opener will be at home against Marshall on Aug. 30.