LOOK: Georgia football to honor Mike Leach with helmet decal in Peach Bowl

The Georgia football team will honor former Mississippi State coach Mike Leach with a helmet decal when it faces Ohio State in the Peach Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinal on Saturday.

With hours to go before kickoff between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes, Georgia tweeted a photo of the decals. The sticker says “Mike,” with the “i” being in the shape of a cowbell and also featuring a pirate icon on it, a nod to Leach’s great appreciation for pirates.

Honoring a legend who changed the game 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/OYOmKIWNtu

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 31, 2022

Leach passed away earlier this month because of a massive heart attack at 61 years old. He was the head coach of Mississippi State for just three seasons. He went a combined 19-17 in those three years and led the Bulldogs to a bowl game every season.

The 2022 season, his final one in Starkville, he went 8-4, his best record with the Bulldogs. Mississippi State earned a berth in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Illinois.

Georgia is coming off of a national championship victory last season and looking to make it two in a row. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an unblemished 13-0 record, including a victory in the SEC Championship Game against LSU.

Ohio State’s only loss this season came against Michigan, the only other team besides Georgia to end the year undefeated. Kickoff for the Peach Bowl is set for 8 p.m. ET in Atlanta. The winner will advance to the national title to play either Michigan or TCU.

Georgia wasn’t the only team to honor Mike Leach with its helmet decals, however. The Horned Frogs also wore a pirate flag sticker on their helmets in remembrance of the late coach for the Fiesta Bowl against Michigan. TCU currently leads the Wolverines 21-6 at halftime.