Notre Dame’s CFP Quarterfinal Victory Over Georgia Is Program’s Biggest Win Since 1994

Under coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has consistently performed at or near its best in major postseason games. Notre Dame, meanwhile, typically comes up short this time of year.

On Thursday, those roles reversed in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal in New Orleans. Notre Dame defeated Georgia, 23-10, scoring 17 points in a 54-second span late in the first half and early in the second half to give the Fighting Irish their biggest victory in 31 years. The game was postponed a day due to a deadly terrorist attack early Wednesday morning that killed more than a dozen people

Notre Dame (13-1) won a Football Bowl Subdivision-best 12th consecutive game and set a school record for victories in a season. More importantly, the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish advanced to the semifinals against No. 6 seed Penn State (13-2) on Jan. 9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

“I want to make sure that as we celebrate this great moment, I want to send condolences out to all those that were affected in New Orleans, the city of New Orleans,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN’s Molly McGrath in a postgame interview. “What a great moment for this program. I wish we could bring every single one of these guys on the stage because it takes everybody to achieve this. They’re a great group. They choose hard every day, and it’s an honor to be a part of the program.”

Before Thursday, Notre Dame had lost its last 10 major postseason games. The program’s most recent major victory occurred on Jan. 1, 1994, when the No. 4 Fighting Irish defeated No. 7 Texas A&M, 24-21, in the Cotton Bowl. Back then, Notre Dame was disappointed because it finished second in the final Associated Press and coaches polls behind No. 1 Florida State, a team the Fighting Irish had defeated earlier in the season.

Now, the Fighting Irish do not have to rely on votes to win a national title. These days, the championship is decided on the field. A week from now, they will face a Penn State team that has 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 just as impressive. They defeated Indiana, 27-17, in the first round, getting out to a 27-3 lead before the Hoosiers scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes. They were even better on Thursday, handing No. 2 seed Georgia (11-3) a rare non-league loss.

Notre Dame became just the third team outside of the Southeastern Conference to defeat Georgia since Smart arrived in 2016. The Fighting Irish joined Georgia Tech, which defeated Georgia, 28-27, in November 2016 and Texas, which defeated Georgia, 28-21, in the Sugar Bowl in January 2019 when the Longhorns were members of the Big 12. Texas is now in the SEC and plays Ohio State next week in the CFP semifinals.

And before Thursday, Georgia had gone 9-2 in bowl and CFP games during Smart’s tenure, including winning back-to-back national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Bulldogs’ only losses were to Alabama, 26-23, in the national title game in January 2018 and to Texas in the Sugar Bowl a year later.

On Thursday, Notre Dame pulled off the victory in large part due to its success on defense and special teams, a formula it has used all season.

Jayden Harrison ran the opening second half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and 20-3 lead. It was the longest kickoff return since the CFP began in 2014 and the fourth kickoff return touchdown of Harrison’s career, including two last year when he played for Marshall.

Meanwhile, Mitch Jeter made 3 of 3 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, a transfer from South Carolina, had missed half of his 12 field goals entering the Indiana game and battled numerous injuries during the regular season.

Notre Dame also forced two turnovers, while not turning the ball over itself. On 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, spanning 365 carries. Fighting Irish cornerback Adon Shuler forced the fumble, while linebacker Jaiden Ausberry recovered it.

After Jeter’s field goal made it 6-3 with 38 seconds remaining in the half, Notre Dame defensive end RJ Oben stripped the ball from Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton. Junior Tuihalamaka made the recovery, giving Notre Dame the ball on the 13-yard line. On the next play, Riley Leonard threw a touchdown pass to Beaux Collins, giving the Fighting Irish a 10-point advantage. It was the 31st takeaway for the Notre Dame defense, which surpassed Texas for the most in the nation.

Leonard, a first year transfer from Duke, completed 15 of 24 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown and ran for a game-high 80 yards on 14 carries. Midway through the fourth quarter, Leonard helped draw Georgia offsides on 4th and 1 from the Notre Dame 18-yard line. He then ran for a first down on 3rd and 7, jumping over Georgia All-American defensive back Malaki Starks. Later in the drive, Leonard ran up the middle to convert on 3rd and 1.

“When you’re struggling in the passing game, you’ve got to put your body on the line,” Leonard told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge in a postgame interview. “Whatever it takes to win, that’s what I tell these guys all the time. I try to lead by example and put my body out on the line. It hopefully lets these guys know how much I care about them, how much I care about this University.”

Said Freeman: “Competitors find a way. Those runs sometimes aren’t how you draw them up, but Riley will find a way because he’s a competitive person, and that’s why that trait, man, is something so important, and a lot of guys on his team have it.”

The Fighting Irish won even though star running back Jeremiyah Love sat out most of the second half with an apparent knee injury. Love had six carries for 19 yards. It continued a pattern, as Notre Dame has succeeded all season despite being at less than full strength. For instance, they have been without starting defensive ends Boubacar Traore and Jordan Botelho since September, while star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a potential first round NFL draft pick, sustained a season-ending hip injury on Oct. 12. And they played on Thursday without starting defensive lineman Rylie Mills, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in the Indiana victory.

Still, Georgia managed just 296 yards on Thursday and converted only 2 of 12 third downs and 0 of 3 fourth downs. The Bulldogs gained 62 yards rushing (2.1 yards per carry), while Stockton went 20 of 32 for 234 yards and a touchdown pass in his first career start.

Now, it’s on to Penn State. The programs have played 19 times, with each team winning nine games and a 0-0 tie in 1925. They last faced each other in 2007 when the Nittany Lions won, 31-10, at home, one year after the Fighting Irish won, 41-17, at Notre Dame Stadium.

Next Thursday night’s game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium, the site of an embarrassing 41-8 loss for Notre Dame against Miami in November 2017. It seems inconceivable this Fighting Irish team will have a similar deflating performance.

Since losing to Northern Illinois, 16-14, in early September, Notre Dame has won its last 12 games by an average of 27.5 points per game, including nine consecutive games by at least 10 points. After Thursday’s victory, McGrath asked Leonard how the Fighting Irish will make it 13 wins in a row.

“Do what we’ve been doing the past 13 weeks or so every day,” Leonard said. “Our super power is in our preparation and the character in this locker room, so we’re not going to change a thing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”