Irish Need No Luck in Sugar Bowl Win, Will Play Penn State

© Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-1) defeated the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (11-3) 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 2, 2025, at Caesar's Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints. The game was originally scheduled to be played on New Year's Day. However, there was an act of terrorism less than a mile from the stadium on Bourbon Street which resulted in getting the game postponed.

It was a defensive struggle for the Bulldogs as the Irish defense shut them down. The defense was responsible for 4 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. Notre Dame even took the second-half kickoff back to retake the momentum; something the Bulldogs never had.

Game Summary

On their second drive, the Bulldogs drove 13 plays and 70 yards, taking up nearly 8 minutes of game time. The issue is that the Bulldogs didn't score. As they approached the end zone, running back Trevor Etienne fumbled for the first time in his career, which was promptly recovered by Notre Dame.

After getting the ball back, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton hit receiver Arian Smith for 67 yards and got into field goal range. Unfortunately, a sideline interference call brought it back 15 of those yards. Notre Dame stopped the Bulldogs' advance and Georgia's kicker, Peyton Woodring, nailed a 41-yard field goal. Notre Dame responded with a decent drive of their own. Quarterback Riley Leonard had 37 yards of rushing himself. That, paired with a handful of screens, got them in field goal range. Irish kicker Mitch Jeter made a 44-yarder to tie the game with 8:20 remaining in the first half.

The two teams traded possessions before Notre Dame drove back into field goal range with just 40 seconds left on the clock. Once again, Jeter nailed the kick, this time a 48-yarder, for a 6-3 lead. However, that wasn't the end of the action in tbe first half. The Notre Dame defense forced a fumble on the subsequent Georgia drive, stripping Stockton and recovering the ball. One play later, Leonard found receiver Beaux Collins for the game's first touchdown. At halftime, the Fighting Irish led the Bulldogs 13-3.

Turning Point for the Irish

The game was turned on its head when Notre Dame scored the first touchdown of the game. It used that momentum coming out of the half as they received the opening kick of the second half. The Irish's Jayden Harrison returned the opening kick for a 98-yard touchdown, making the score 20-3. To make matters worse for Georgia, they were forced to punt again on the following drive.

© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Georgia refused to go away, though. It finally got into the end zone when Stockton found running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard touchdown reception halfway through the third quarter. It cut the lead to 10, 20-10. Notre Dame responded with another Jeter field goal, this time from 47 yards. While not putting the game away, the score stretched the lead to 23-10.

After some interesting head coaching antics by Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame was able to put the game away, draining more than seven minutes of the game. It left the Bulldogs with just a bit of garbage time to try and get back in the game.

In the final Bulldogs' drive, Stockton was sacked on fourth down, turning over the ball. The Irish kneeled the final 55 seconds out.

What it Means

For the Irish, they will advance further in the College Football Playoff. They next take on the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla. For Georgia, they are eliminated from National Championship contention.