Notre Dame shuts down Georgia to reach CFP semifinals

NEW ORLEANS — Riley Leonard threw a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score and Notre Dame’s defense made it hold in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Thursday, sending the fifth-seeded Fighting Irish into the CFP semifinals.

In a game delayed by a day because of a deadly terrorist attack in the host city, Notre Dame (13-1) made enough big plays and got some help from a smart move by coach Marcus Freeman.

“Our coaches called the game aggressively. Our players executed, put everything on the line for this university and this football team,” Freeman said. “I’m really proud of them. Proud of the way they handled the events of the last 24 hours.”

Georgia (11-2) was in position to close within a score when Notre Dame stopped it on fourth-and-5 from the Irish 9-yard line with 9:29 left.

Minutes later, Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in its own territory when Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending the offense out. Georgia ran to match up and then jumped offsides as the game clock ticked down, giving the Irish a first down clock with 7:17 left.

“They were going to count us hard. We prepare for it. We do it every week,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We jumped offsides.”

When the Bulldogs got the ball back with just 1:49 left, Notre Dame was well on its way to playing No. 5 Penn State (13-2, CFP No. 6 seed) in a semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 9.

“That’s the aggressiveness in terms of our preparation that I want our program to have,” Freeman said. “It must be one of our edges that we will be an aggressive group and not afraid to make mistakes.”

The Irish opened as a 1.5-point favorite over the Nittany Lions, according to ESPN BET, while Ohio State remains the favorite to win the CFP at +110.

Georgia entered the game without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who injured his right elbow in the Southeastern Conference championship game. He was replaced by Gunner Stockton, who was 20-of-32 for 234 yards and a touchdown.

The Bulldogs outgained Notre Dame 296 yards to 244, but Georgia was stopped on all three of its fourth-down attempts and lost two fumbles — one deep in Notre Dame territory and one inside its own 20.

“The turnovers are the difference in the game, guys,” Smart said. “I mean, you have to know when you turn it over twice and they return a kickoff for a touchdown, you’re not going to have much success.”

Leonard finished with 90 yards passing and a team-high 80 yards rushing, including a late first-down run in which he was tackled as he tried to jump over a defender.

“We’re in the playoffs,” Leonard said. “Everybody else can put their body on the line, I’ll do it right there with them.”

The game was set for Wednesday night as part of a New Year’s playoff tripleheader, but it was postponed after an Army veteran inspired by the Islamic State group drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday, killing 14 revelers. Security was increased at the Superdome – which will also host the Super Bowl next month – and arriving fans said they felt safe.

With some fans unable to change their travel plans, attendance at the 70,000-seat stadium was announced at 68,400. There were some patches of empty seats in the upper levels, but passionate supporters had no shortage of noise as they tried to get their team into the next round of college football’s first 12-team playoff.

The score was tied at 3 before Notre Dame scored 17 points in a span of 54 seconds.

The unusual sequence began with Mitch Jeter’s 48-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in the first half.

Soon after, Georgia paid for an aggressive decision to attempt a dropback pass from its own 25. RJ Oben’s blindside sack caused Stockton to fumble at the 13, where Irish defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka recovered. Leonard found Beaux Collins over the middle for a touchdown on the next play for a 13-3 halftime lead.

With 15 seconds left in the third quarter, Notre Dame led 20-3.

Taking Georgia’s second-half kickoff to the end zone, Harrison slipped a tackle near the middle of the field, cut toward the right sideline and outran everyone.

Georgia closed the gap to 20-10 when Stockton hit reserve running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard score before Jeter’s third field goal of the game gave the Irish their margin of victory.

Takeaways

Notre Dame: With a dominant defense and the dual threat of Leonard’s game, the Irish look dangerous heading into the semifinals.

Georgia: A team trying to win big games without their starting QB can’t afford big mistakes, and missed opportunities doomed coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.

Next

Notre Dame: The Irish resume a series with the Nittany Lions, who are currently 9-9-1.

Georgia: The 2025 season opener will be at home against Marshall on Aug. 30.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.