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ESPN SkyCast broadcast malfunctions during 1st half of Sugar Bowl

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•01/02/25•

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ESPN logo on a microphone
© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

After the Sugar Bowl’s postponement, ESPN moved its coverage back accordingly. That included a SkyCast on ESPNews – although things didn’t go as planned.

The broadcast malfunctioned during the first half and continued to have technical difficulties after the camera turned around. After some time, the traditional ESPN broadcast took over the rest of the way.

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At the time, Notre Dame and Georgia were tied. The issues happened as Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy were assessing the fallout of a costly sideline penalty on Bulldogs walk-on Parker Jones.

ESPN shuffled its programming schedule as a result of the postponement, which came after a terrorist attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The Sugar Bowl moved to 4 p.m. ET Thursday with full coverage on ESPNews and the Command Center on ESPN2. That meant the Gator Bowl slid to 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and the Under Armour All-America Game – which also kicked off Thursday at 4 p.m. ET – shifted to ESPN2.

Georgia went on to take the lead on that drive with a field goal from Peyton Woodring. However, Notre Dame responded with a field goal of its own from Mitch Jeter, and he drilled another with 39 seconds left in the first half to make it a 6-3 Fighting Irish lead.

The field goal from Woodring was a key sequence, though. Gunner Stockton connected with Arian Smith for a 67-yard pass to get UGA to the 11-yard line. However, the penalty on the Georgia sideline took the Bulldogs back to the 31-yard line, and the offense stalled from there to set up the field goal.

Jones was the culprit, colliding with the official while running in the white area as he celebrated the highlight-reel play. It led to a sideline penalty without a warning, which ESPN analyst Matt Austin said can happen in that situation because Jones ran into the official.

“If there’s contact, yes,” Austin said when asked if a penalty needed to be called. “Because as Greg said, it’s dangerous down there. He’s running full speed to keep up with the play, to get a good spot. And if somebody gets in his way and there’s a collision, it’s extremely dangerous. So yea, that’s a good call.”

Notre Dame then made more big plays to end the first half. RJ Oben forced a Stockton fumble on a strip-sack, and Junior Tuihalamaka recovered it at the UGA 13-yard line with 27 seconds to go until halftime. That set up a touchdown pass from Riley Leonard to Beaux Collins to give Notre Dame a 13-3 lead into the break.