Notre Dame Defeats Georgia 23-10, Wins Sugar Bowl
Notre Dame finally won the big one it’s been craving for so long.
“I’m so proud of this program, the team, for the work they put into obtaining the result that we got tonight,” head coach Marcus Freeman said. “I reminded them the last 10 days as we prepared that this will be a 60 minute fight.”
After waiting nearly 24 hours from the original kickoff of the Sugar Bowl due to the terrorist attack on Bourbon St., Notre Dame wore down Georgia for 60 minutes to take down the Bulldogs 23-10 Wednesday and advance to the College Football Playoff Semifinals against Penn State.
“They had to be able to get ready for this game with the natural emotions that come into each individual that happened after the tragedy,” Freeman said. “I’m so proud of the way they prepared. They stayed steady and they went out and they did a great job.”
The Irish defense was dominant all night, leading the charge and forcing two crucial turnovers that allowed Notre Dame to control the game en route to the Semifinals.
Despite the massive defensive performance, the biggest play came on special teams.
As the second half kickoff soured towards Jayden Harrison it was almost like you could see all the losses of Notre Dame teams past — Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State. As Harrison began his return all those losses, and the losing stigma around South Bend, started to wash away.
The All-American kick returner sprinted through the middle and up the right sideline for a 98-yard touchdown return. With the score, Notre Dame took a commanding 20-3 over the SEC Champion Georgia and was firmly in the driver's seat for a CFP Semifinal appearance.
Coming off the massive return, Georgia had a lot of work to do, with much of the pressure placed on the shoulders of quarterback Gunnar Stockton — who was making his first career start. The Bulldogs started off well with a 13-yard endaround to Arian Smith, but saw little success after that. Christian Grey brought down Cash Jones well short of the sticks to bring on the punt unit.
With a chance to put a stranglehold on Georgia early in the third, the Irish offense sputtered. Leonard couldn’t handle the dialed up Bulldog pressure as he threw two incompletions en route to a James Rendell punt.
With a mountain still to climb, Stockton began to climb his way up. The quarterback delivered a prefect deep ball to Dillon Bell, but the wide receiver saw the ball bounce off his hands and onto the turf. Going into the game, Georgia led the country in dropped passes, the trend continued Wednesday. Stockton didn’t seem to be rocked by the incompletion as he found Dominic Lovette for a first down.
Later that drive Notre Dame’s defense made one of its first mistakes of the night. Drayk Bowen missed his assignment of covering Jones on a wheel route and Stockton didn’t miss him, connecting on a wide-open 32-yard touchdown strike, bringing the score to 20-10.
“I wasn’t too concerned because a couple of their big plays were uncharacteristic defensive mistakes,” Freeman said. “When they get the next opportunity, it’ll be fine. They responded in a great wy.”
Trying to put out the growing Georgia comeback, the Irish went back to work on offense and Leonard found Mitchell Evans for a big third-down conversion to keep Georgia’s offense off the field. Jadarian Price busted open for his first big run of the game, but his outside run took too long to develop and Jaden Greathouse was called for a holding, negating the big run.
Facing a long third down, Leonard hit Jordan Faison well short of the sticks, but the wide receiver managed to tumble his way just a yard short of the first down. Marcus Freeman kept his offense on the field on fourth down, but a Leonard shotgun keeper was ruled just short of the line to gain despite a solid second effort from the quarterback.
The Notre Dame defense held strong, forcing what appeared to be a three-and-out by Kirby Smart kept his offense on the field to go for the fourth down. A false start ruined those plans, but Jack Kiser gifted them a second chance as he was called for a five-yard delay of game penalty. Luckily for the Irish, Bowen recovered from his earlier mistake, applying heavy pressure on the quarterback forcing a throw short of the sticks.
Coming off the turnover on downs Leonard continued to see success running the ball, getting around the corner for six yards. After the play Jeremiyah Love stayed down on the field favoring his right knee, previously injured against USC on Nov. 30. Leonard followed that up with tucking in a pump fake over the middle for five and the first down.
Price stepped up for an injured Love, finding success taking a pair of runs to the outside for a first down. Facing yet another fourth down, this time in field goal range, Freeman kept his offense on the field and initially converted on a Faison catch, but the play was called back for an illegal shift. Mitch Jeter once again came through with a successful 47-yard kick to extend the lead to 23-10.
Now facing a 13-point deficit Stockton continued to find success throwing over the middle, hitting Bell for a first down. The Bulldogs then connected on another big play as Nate Frazier took a reverse pitch up the left sideline for 28 yards and into Notre Dame territory. Frazier continued to stay involved as a reception and run once again moved the chains. The Irish defense was able to stall the drive, forcing the Bulldogs to go for it on fourth and long. After the snap Stockton was rocked but got the throw off into the direction of Lawson Luckie. Jack Kiser was never able to get his head around on the play and was called for a pass interference, moving the chains.
Later that drive Georgia was once again facing a crucial fourth down. For the second consecutive fourth down Stockton went Luckie’s way, but his back shoulder throw was too high and tightly covered by Rod Heard.
After forcing another turnover on downs the Irish offense once again had a chance to put a stranglehold on the Bulldogs. A third down toss to Williams came up just short of the line to gain, and Freeman once again put it all on the line, keeping his offense on the field for a fourth down on their own 18-yard line. Before the snap Jalon Walker jumped offsides and the Irish snapped the ball to move the chains.
“We are going to be an aggressive group and not fear making mistakes,” Freeman said. “I want this group to attack our preparation and an attack performance.”
Notre Dame’s offense continued to stay on the ground with Price to milk the clock, but Georgia’s line continued to stuff runs at the line. Facing a third and long, Leonard kept the ball and got around the edge, diving and flipping over the first down marker to move the chains once again. On second down Jayden Thomas took a rare handoff up the field, barreling a yard short of the first. Leonard continued to wear down the Georgia defense as he pushed for another first down.
The Bulldogs, now without no timeouts, were on life support. By keeping the ball on the ground Notre Dame milked the clock all the way down to the two minute warning before being forced to punt back to Georgia.
With their backs against the wall, the Irish defense teed off on the Bulldogs, forcing yet another turnover on downs thanks to a fourth down sack by Donovan Hinish.
Leonard finished the game with a pair of knees to clinch the Sugar Bowl and the programs 13th win — the most in school history.
Let’s take you back to the opening of Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl.
Stockton didn’t have to wait long to get the ball in his first career collegiate start as the Bulldogs began the game with possession. The Irish defense started the game with a palpable energy which transferred into Jayleen Sneed forcing Trevor Etienne out of bounds for a loss on the first play from scrimmage.
“We had three keys to victory on defense, and No. 1 was to stop the run,” Freeman said. “We didn’t believe that we could lose this game by passing yards, but we could lose if we didn’t stop the run.”
The Irish defense held strong until Christian Grey was called for a pass interference on Bell after grabbing his shoulder pad on a sideline throw. Stockton didn’t have much luck after the penalty, getting blown up in the backfield by Kiser and fumbling the ball out of bounds to force a Georgia punt. On the punt Bryce Young was a little too aggressive trying to block the kick as he drove into Drew Miller’s kicking leg for a five-yard penalty. On the rekick Young did it again, but Smart decided to tack the loss onto the kick.
Notre Dame didn’t start off on the right foot on the offensive side of the ball as Leonard initially caught his own deflected pass, throwing it again which resulted in an illegal forward pass penalty. Facing a steep climb to move the chains, the Irish were forced into a three-and-out and punted back to Georgia.
On Stockton’s second drive he appeared to settle in against the Irish defense, firing a strike to Bell on the right sideline for a 12-yard gain. Stockton delivered another strike on third down to Bell over the middle that picked up another first down. The quarterback continued to target the middle of the field, finding Dominic Lovette over the middle to continue moving the chains. A combo of Etienne rushes and Stockon rollouts found Georgia deep in the Notre Dame zone facing a third down.
Then the Irish defense stepped up to make a momentum shifting play. Defensive coordinator Al Golden dialed up the pressure and Adon Shuler came flying in to stuff Etienne, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Jaden Ausberry.
Coming off Shuler’s big hit, Notre Dame started to get something going on the offensive side as Leonard hit Faison over the middle for a 14-yard gain. A false start by Aamil Wagner backed things up for the Irish and Leonard again struggled to find something facing third-down pressure, hitting Harrison well short of the sticks.
Stockton once again appeared more and more comfortable in his third drive as he unleashed a bomb down the sideline for Smith who went 66 yards down the sideline before being brought down by Xavier Watts. A 15-yard penalty on the Georgia sideline for interfering for a ref set the Bulldog offense back off the big play. Stockton couldn’t replicate his magic, bringing on Peyton Woodring to hit a 41-yard field goal.
Georgia’s run defense against the quarterback was a worrying sign for the Bulldogs going against Leonard’s dynamic legs, and the quarterback exposed them on the Irish’s third drive. Leonard took his second designed run of the drive up the middle, exploding for 32 yards and taking it all the way to the Georgia 29-yard line. The Irish offense once again sputtered out, but Mitch Jeter once again looked healthy, knocking through a 44-yard kick to tie the game at three.
Notre Dame’s defense once again tightened up on Stockton as Junior Tuihalamaka came around the edge to sack the quarterback for an eight-yard loss. Stockton once again bounced right back though, firing a throw to Oscar Delp over the middle for a 21-yard gain and a quick conversion. The Irish returned to form after allowing yet another big play and forced another Bulldog punt.
The two sides appeared to settle into a battle of attrition late in the second quarter, exchanging a series of quick punts. Leonard did once again find Faison for a 13-yard gain, but Love and Price struggled to get through the hefty Georgia defensive line.
Now south of the two-minute warning, the Irish started to move the ball again — thanks to Leonard’s legs. The Fairhope, Alabama native drove through the Georgia line and picked up a critical third down at midfield. He followed that by finding a lane up the middle for a 13-yard gain. A connection with Mithcell Evans on a crossing route picked up another first down, moving the Irish into field goal territory.
The Bulldogs dialed up the pressure though and Leonard took a costly sack, knocking Notre Dame out of field goal range. The quarterback made up for it with a 10-yard run that set up a Mitch Jeter 48-yard field goal, giving the Irish their first lead of the game, 6-3.
“Mitch Jeter did a great job today with field goals,” Freeman said.
Smart appeared to have confidence in his rookie quarterback in the two-minute drill — it backfired. Stockton winded up to deliver another deep ball, but was smashed by RJ Oben, fumbling the ball which was recovered by Tuihalamaka deep in Georgia territory. Notre Dame’s defense once again came up with a game-changing turnover.
Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock capitalized off the sudden change. After lining up in a heavy, two-tight end formation, Leonard instead threw a strike into the endzone, connecting with Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown, the first for either team, giving Notre Dame a 13-3 lead.
After struggling to move the ball for much of the first half, the Irish scored 10 points in just 11 seconds of game time to flip the momentum on Notre Dame’s side heading into the halftime break.
Notre Dame will be back in action Jan. 9 in the Orange Bowl and CFP Semifinals against Penn State, kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.
“If we expect to move forward in the College Football Playoffs, it’s going to take all three phases,” Freeman said. “We feel strongly about all three phases, but that’s what it is going to take.”