Notre Dame secured a 23-10 win over No. 2 Georgia in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Thursday. This victory sends the Fighting Irish into the CFP semifinals, where they will face Penn State on January 9.
The game, which was delayed a day due to a tragic attack in New Orleans, saw big plays from Notre Dame. Riley Leonard threw a touchdown pass, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and the defense played a crucial role in the win.
Coach Marcus Freeman praised his team for staying focused despite the tragic events in the city. “Our coaches called the game aggressively, and our players executed. They put everything on the line,” Freeman said.
The game turned in Notre Dame’s favor in the second half. With Georgia threatening to score, the Irish stopped them on fourth-and-5 from the 9-yard line with just under 10 minutes left. Later, Freeman made a clever move by sending the punt team onto the field before quickly switching to the offense. Georgia’s defense jumped offside, giving Notre Dame a much-needed first down and helping to waste valuable clock time.
Georgia (11-2) struggled despite outgaining Notre Dame in yardage, 296 to 244. The Bulldogs were stopped on all three of their fourth-down attempts and lost two crucial fumbles. Without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who was injured, Georgia had to rely on backup Gunner Stockton, who threw for 234 yards and one touchdown.
Notre Dame’s Leonard finished with 90 yards passing and 80 yards rushing, including a key run late in the game. “Everybody else can put their body on the line, I’m going to do it right there with them,” Leonard said.
The game started slow, with the score tied at 3 before Notre Dame scored 17 points in just 54 seconds. First, Mitch Jeter kicked a 48-yard field goal, then Georgia fumbled on a sack, leading to a touchdown by Beaux Collins. In the third quarter, Jayden Harrison’s 98-yard kickoff return put Notre Dame ahead 20-3. Georgia later scored a touchdown, but Notre Dame sealed the win with a third field goal from Jeter.
This thrilling victory sends Notre Dame to the semifinals, where they’ll face Penn State in Miami next week.
