The triumph of Notre Dame in the CFP Quarterfinals against Georgia marks the team's largest victory since 1994.
Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has consistently played well in significant postseason games. Conversely, Notre Dame often falls short during this period.
However, this script was flipped during a College Football Playoff quarterfinal in New Orleans on Thursday. Notre Dame emerged victorious over Georgia, 23-10, scoring 17 points in a swift 54-second span towards the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half. The game was delayed a day due to a brutal terrorist attack early Wednesday morning that left more than a dozen individuals dead.
Notre Dame (13-1) extended its Football Bowl Subdivision-leading streak of victories to 12 consecutive games and set a school record for wins in a single season. Crucially, the 7th seeded Fighting Irish advanced to the semifinals against the 6th seeded Penn State (13-2) on January 9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Notre Dame's coach Marcus Freeman expressed his sympathies to those affected in New Orleans postgame to ESPN's Molly McGrath. "I want to offer my condolences to everyone affected in New Orleans, the city of New Orleans," Freeman said. "This is a fantastic moment for our program. I wish we could celebrate with each and every one of these players because it takes everyone to achieve this. They are an outstanding group. They choose vigor every day, and it's an honor to be part of this program."
Before Thursday, Notre Dame had lost its previous 10 significant postseason matches. The program's last major victory dated back to January 1, 1994, when the 4th ranked Fighting Irish outplayed 7th ranked Texas A&M, 24-21, in the Cotton Bowl. Then, Notre Dame was disappointed as it finished second in both the final Associated Press and coaches polls behind the 1st ranked Florida State, a team they had previously defeated during the season.
Now, instead of relying on votes, the Fighting Irish have a chance to earn the national title on the field. A week from now, they will face a Penn State team that dominated its first two CFP opponents, defeating SMU, 38-10, in the first round and Boise State, 31-14, in the quarterfinals.
Still, the Fighting Irish have been impressive in their performances. They defeated Indiana, 27-17, in the first round, leading 27-3 before Indiana scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes. They were even better on Thursday, handing Georgia a rare non-conference loss.
Notre Dame became only the third team outside of the Southeastern Conference to defeat Georgia since Smart took charge in 2016. Joining the Fighting Irish are Georgia Tech, which beat Georgia, 28-27, in November 2016, and Texas, which defeated Georgia, 28-21, in the Sugar Bowl in January 2019, when Texas was a member of the Big 12. Texas is now in the SEC and will face Ohio State in the CFP semifinals next week.
Before Thursday, Georgia had a 9-2 record in bowl and CFP games during Smart's tenure, including winning two consecutive national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Georgia's only losses were to Alabama, 26-23, in the national title game in January 2018 and to Texas in the Sugar Bowl the following year.
Thursday's victory was primarily due to Notre Dame's success in defense and special teams, a strategy it has successfully employed throughout the season.
Jayden Harrison took off with the opening second half kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown and a 20-3 lead, marking the longest kickoff return since the CFP began in 2014 and Harrison's fourth career kickoff return touchdown. Meanwhile, Mitch Jeter made three out of three field goals, converting from 44 and 48 yards in the second quarter and 47 yards early in the fourth quarter to put Notre Dame ahead 23-10. Jeter had struggled, missing half of his 12 field goals before the Indiana game and battling various injuries during the regular season.
Notre Dame also forced two turnovers while committing none themselves. With 3rd and 2 from the Notre Dame 17-yard line late in the first quarter, Georgia running back Trevor Etienne lost his first career fumble, following 365 carries. Adon Shuler forced the fumble, while Jaiden Ausberry recovered it.
After Jeter's field goal brought the score to 6-3 with 38 seconds remaining in the first half, Notre Dame's defense stripped the ball from Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton. Junior Tuihalamaka secured the recovery, giving Notre Dame the ball on the Georgia 13-yard line. On the subsequent play, Riley Leonard threw a touchdown pass to Beaux Collins, extending Notre Dame's lead. With 31 takeaways, Notre Dame's defense surpassed Texas for the most in the nation.
Freshman transfer from Duke, Riley, completed 15 out of 24 throws for 90 yards and a touchdown, and ran for a game-high 80 yards on 14 attempts. Midway through the fourth quarter, Riley helped Georgia jump the gun on 4th and 1 from the Notre Dame 18-yard line. He then dashed for a first down on 3rd and 7, soaring over Georgia's All-American defensive back Malaki Starks. Later on in the drive, Riley advanced up the middle to seal the deal on 3rd and 1.
"When you're having a tough time with the passes, you've gotta put your body on the line," Riley shared with ESPN's Laura Rutledge post-game. "Whatever it takes to win, that's what I always tell these guys. I aim to lead by example and put my body on the line. Hopefully, that lets these guys know how much I value them, how much I care about this University."
Said Coleman: "Competitive individuals find a way. Those runs sometimes aren't what you'd draw up, but Riley will find a way because he's a competitive person, and that's exactly why that trait, man, is so important, and a lot of people on his team share it."
The Fighting Irish emerged victorious even though their star running back, Jeremiyah, wasn't at full strength in the second half due to an apparent knee injury. Jeremiyah had six runs for 19 yards, continuing a trend for Notre Dame of triumphing despite various injuries. For example, they've been playing without starting defensive ends Boubacar Traore and Jordan Botelho since September, while their star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a potential first round NFL draft pick, suffered a season-ending hip injury on Oct. 12. Moreover, they contended without starting defensive lineman Rylie Mills, who sustained a season-ending knee injury during the Indiana victory.
Georgia could only manage 296 yards on Thursday and only converted 2 out of 12 third downs and none out of three fourth downs. The Bulldogs ran for 62 yards (at a mere 2.1 yards per attempt), while quarterback Gunner Stockton went 20 out of 32 for 234 yards and a touchdown pass in his debut career start.
Now, their sights are set on Penn State. The two teams have played 19 times, with each team winning nine games and tying once in 1925. They last faced each other in 2007, with Penn State winning at home, 31-10. The following year, Notre Dame triumphed at Notre Dame Stadium, 41-17.
The upcoming game will take place next Thursday evening at Hard Rock Stadium, the site of a humbling 41-8 loss for Notre Dame against Miami in November 2017. Despite losing to Northern Illinois, 16-14, in early September, Notre Dame has since won its last 12 games by an average of 27.5 points per game, including nine games where they've triumphed by at least 10 points. Following Thursday's victory, McGrath questioned Leonard on how the Fighting Irish could make it 13 wins in a row.
"Keep doing what we've been doing these past 13 weeks or so every day," Leonard said. "Our strength lies in our preparation and the character in this locker room, so we won't be changing a thing if it ain't broken, don't fix it."
In the realm of sports finance, Notre Dame's impressive run in the College Football Playoff has significantly boosted the school's sports money earnings. The Fighting Irish's victory over Georgia has also led to increased sponsorships and merchandise sales.
Furthermore, the business community in Notre Dame's hometown has expressed their support for the team's success, with many local businesses planning to offer special promotions and discounts for fans during the semifinal game against Penn State. This boost in business activity could potentially result in increased revenue for the city and its businesses.
