Sugar Bowl pits No. 2 seed Georgia against fifth-seeded Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) passes in the pocket against Texas during the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Mike Stewart
No. 2 Georgia (11-2, CFP No. 2 seed) vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (12-1, CFP No. 5 seed), Wednesday, 8:45 p.m. EST (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Georgia by 1 1/2.
Series record: Georgia leads 3-0.
What’s at stake?
The winner moves on to a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl in the first year of the expanded 12-team format. Georgia had a bye into the quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl, the very bowl at which the 1980 Bulldogs won a national title by beating none other than Notre Dame. The Irish hosted a first-round CFP game last weekend, dismantling Indiana in a rare high-stakes football matchup between the two major institutions from the same state.
Key matchup
Notre Dame's running game against Georgia's defensive front. The Irish averaged 224.8 yards per game rushing this season, 10th best nationally. Georgia's defense ranked 36th nationally in yards rushing allowed at 127.8.
Players to watch
Notre Dame: QB Riley Leonard is one of 10 players at the FBS level to have passed for at least 1,900 yards and rushed for at least 700 yards this season.
Georgia: RB Trevor Etienne says he feels as healthy as he's been “in a long time.” He missed three late season games with a rib injury before returning for the SEC championship game against Texas on Dec. 7. He ran for 94 yards on 16 carries with two TDs against the Longhorns, including the game-winner in overtime.
Notre Dame running back Aneyas Williams (20) runs the ball against Indiana during the second half in the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. Credit: AP/Darron Cummings
Facts & figures
Notre Dame has played in four previous Sugar Bowls, going 2-2, with their most notable victory a 24-23 triumph over Alabama in a game between two unbeaten teams that decided the national championship in 1973. ... The first of the three encounters between Georgia and Notre Dame occurred at the Sugar Bowl, where the Herschel Walker-led Bulldogs claimed the 1980 national championship. ... Leonard and RB Jeremiyah Love have each had a rushing TD in the same game for the Irish 10 times this season. ... Notre Dame's defense ranks first nationally in turnovers gained (29) and defensive touchdowns (6), third in scoring defense (13.8), fourth in yards passing allowed (162.3), fourth in interceptions (18), eighth in total defense (295.3 yards allowed per game) and ninth in fumbles recovered (11). ... Georgia has not played since beating Texas for the Bulldogs' 15th SEC title more than three weeks ago. ... Bulldogs QB Gunner Stockton is slated to get his first career start in place of the injured Carson Beck. Stockton has eight previous appearances, all as a reserve. ... Georgia's previous two meetings with Notre Dame have come within the past 10 years and each game was decided by single digits, with the Bulldogs winning 20-19 in South Bend, Indiana, in 2017 and 23-17 in Athens, Georgia, in 2019. ... Georgia is 5-6 at the Sugar Bowl, beating Baylor 26-14 in its most recent appearance to close out its 2019 season. ... Kirby Smart is 105-18 as Georgia's head coach, with three appearances in national championship games and two national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Smart is one of just two active coaches, along with Clemson's Dabo Swinney, to own two national titles.
