After the first round of games on campus, the College Football Playoff moves to a traditional bowl site for the quarterfinal round. For Georgia, it’s a familiar scene. The Bulldogs haven’t lost a bowl game in six years. But that’s not the case at Notre Dame. Notre Dame hasn’t won a major bowl game since the 1994 Cotton Bowl, long before the advent of the BCS and later the CFP.
Could this be Notre Dame’s breakthrough moment? Or will the Big Easy be another easy stop for the Bulldogs, whose last two bowl appearances have had the largest margin of victory in bowl history?The Bulldogs defeated Florida State in last season’s Orange Bowl. in 2023, defeating TCU by 58 points to win the national title.
But this year seems different. Georgia’s past top-five defense has regressed to its lowest level as a top-35 unit in 11 years. Notre Dame isn’t just winning, they’re winning big with an unstoppable rushing offense and a top-10 defense that includes the best pass defense in the playoffs (96.9 opponent pass rating). Additionally, Georgia will send first-time starter Gunner Stockton into contention at quarterback. He will try to outpace the guns and runs of Riley Leonard, who has more career touchdowns (75) than Stockton’s pass attempts (51).
The Sugar Bowl is a place of fond memories for Georgia faithful who celebrated their first national championship with a win over Notre Dame in 1980. The Bulldogs are 3-0 against the Irish. The question is, will the past matter at all as this new Irishman emerges?
The Sugar Bowl matchup was originally scheduled to take place on New Year’s Day, but was postponed in the wake of the tragic truck attack in New Orleans. The game was ultimately postponed to Thursday.
Where to watch Georgia vs. Notre Dame live
Date: Thursday, January 2 | Time: 4:00 PM ET
Location: Caesars Superdome — New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN |Live stream: fubo (free trial)
Follow live updates as Georgia takes on Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
Georgia vs. Notre Dame: What you need to know
Will Gunner Stockton be able to make big throws in important situations? To be honest, the quarterback position hasn’t necessarily been as important to Georgia’s success as it has been in years past, but losing Carson Beck still hit home hard. However, there is a silver lining, and Beck’s absence for the season may have given the Bulldogs a small advantage. Stockton certainly doesn’t have Beck’s NFL-ready arm, but the backup is a better runner than his predecessor. Perhaps it’s fitting that while Beck has owned and driven a Lamborghini this season, Stockton continues to drive a 1984 Ford F-150. Stockton is a strong runner and, dare I say it, a “gritty” performer. Even if he’s not the type to make throws over 30 yards, these are qualities that can help a team in a close game. Big game experience is no longer an issue as he led Georgia to three points in the second half of an overtime win against Texas in the SEC Championship Game.
Notre Dame will be without its top defensive lineman: Notre Dame has managed to win games despite losing multiple starting pitchers to injury throughout the season, but the Irish’s depth was key against Georgia. Will this question be asked more than ever before? The Irish lost All-American defensive tackle Riley Mills to a knee injury in the playoff win against Indiana. Mills was dominant in the second half of the season, leading the team with 7.5 sacks, including 4.5 in the past five games. There were also 27 pressures on the quarterback. Can the Irish afford another loss in a season that has already seen losses to edge rushers Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore? In addition to being the sack leader, Mills is also a team captain and someone coach Marcus Freeman relies on to rally his teammates on the field. “You can’t replace Riley Mills,” Freeman said.
Gabriel Rubio, replacing Mills, had a solid performance, especially when he chased down Indiana receivers on screens and forced third-and-short. Will senior All-American Howard Cross III, who returned against Indiana after missing the final three games of the regular season with an injury, be at full speed heading into the quarterfinals?
Who has the advantage in the trenches? Notre Dame’s success will depend on running the ball. Georgia’s success will depend on being able to stop that run. Notre Dame averages 222.4 rushing yards per game, compared to Georgia’s top 35 rushing defense (127.8). The slower pace of running back Jeremiah Love (rushing TDs in every game this season) and quarterback Riley Leonard (15 rushing TDs) is especially important given that the Irish throw against most opponents. This is extremely important for the Bulldogs considering their struggles (101st in the nation in YPG). Georgia’s defense is far from the ironclad that has made the Bulldogs championship contenders in recent years, but it’s still focused on slowing down the run game. If that fails, Notre Dame, which is rushing for 42 touchdowns as a team (the most since 1989), will have a huge advantage.
Notre Dame vs. Georgia predictions, picks
Georgia State is the slight favorite (-1.5) according to SportsLine consensus, which gives me pause. The Bulldogs enter the playoffs this season as favorites to win against the spread with a record of 1-9. There’s no question that Georgia played a tougher schedule than Notre Dame, and the struggles were notable with two overtime wins to end the season, but the Bulldogs forced their opponents to better control the tempo of their games. Some may wonder if this is causing a sway and resulting in a close race. Results better than expected. Gunner Stockton looks like a competitive quarterback, even if he’s not the most talented passer, and that helps Notre Dame with one of the best pass defenses in the country. There is. Even with Kirby Smart’s knack for preparing his team for the playoffs, everything points to a win for Notre Dame. Selection: Notre Dame SU
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