Kirby Smart explains how delayed Sugar Bowl impacted preparation for Notre Dame

The New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street sent shockwaves through the nation and New Orleans in particular.

The early-morning tragedy resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and injured at least 35, according to CBS News. Out of an abundance of caution, it also forced a one-day postponement of last week’s College Football Playoff national quarterfinal in the Sugar Bowl. The game, moved from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon, ended with Notre Dame‘s 23-10 upset of No. 2 Georgia to advance to this week’s CFP semifinal vs. Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

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Following the game, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart opened up about how the postponement impacted the Bulldogs’ pregame preparations.

“Same as we do everything. We got a little group, we huddle up. We FaceTimed. We made a decision on what we would do,” Smart recalled Thursday night. “We brought the players down and met with them and said, ‘This is the plan moving forward.’ We put it on the screen, and they said, ‘Let’s go.’ Put the ball down and get ready to go play. That’s what our guys do. We change a lot of our plays. When change happens, it does not affect people.”

Kirby Smart refuses to blame Bourbon Street terror attack on Georgia’s struggles

Smart did acknowledge the personal toll the terrorist attack took on both teams and their families staying in New Orleans for the game.

“What you can’t measure is the families of the Notre Dame players and the Georgia players that are – you’re concerned about your family, because they’re in New Orleans and you don’t know where they are,” Smart added. “And I don’t think you can quantify a measure of concern for both teams, their families. All of our players were on the phone checking on their family, and that’s the biggest concern.”

Whatever the reason, Georgia hardly looked like the championship-caliber team that beat Texas for the SEC title in early December, as Notre Dame took advantage of multiple UGA miscues to build a 20-3 advantage before the Bulldogs found the end zone with 9 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

Despite the struggles, Smart refused to use the tragedy and subsequent delay as an excuse.

“That was a very traumatic event. But this team was focused and ready to go play. So, I’m not going to sit here and talk about the tragedy affecting our team,” Smart concluded. “Notre Dame played well. We didn’t play great. But when we turned the ball over twice and have a kickoff returned, that’s what I attribute the loss to. Not to the tragedy or what happened. And that’s not any disrespect to the community of New Orleans or the people with tragic losses.”