LIVE UPDATES: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10 - FINAL

FINAL: Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10

Georgia turns it over on downs… Notre Dame to run out the clock

A Gunner Stockton sack on 4th & 6 will do it for the Dawgs. Notre Dame takes over at the 17 able to run out the final 55 seconds.

Two Minute Timeout: Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10

Irish punt team will come on with a 4th & 8 upcoming after the timeout. Georgia out of ways to stop the clock.

Creativity keeps the drive alive for Notre Dame

Notre Dame looked like it was going three-and-out from inside its own 20. The Irish brought on the punt team before a full-11 substitution. Georgia responded, but the Riley Leonard attempt to draw the Dawgs offsides works. Jalon Walker jumps. A few plays later, Leonard scrambled for the necessary yardage on 3rd & 7. Clock ticks under 5:00, and Kirby Smart calls a timeout. 2nd & 8 for Notre Dame from the 38 with 4:58 to go.

Georgia drives the field but comes up empty

Georgia’s drive ended at the Notre Dame 9-yard line with a 4th & 5 incompletion to Lawson Luckie. Bulldogs moved the chains on a fourth down earlier in the drive going to Luckie, drawing a pass interference penalty, and picked up four first downs in total, but no points to show for the effort. Irish take over with 9:25 to go.

Mitch Jeter makes from 47 yards out

Notre Dame took advantage of the field position and adds to its lead. The Irish moved the chains twice and looked to do so a third time on a 4th & 1 before an illegal shift negated that.

END 3Q: Notre Dame 20, Georgia 10

Sticking to the ground game, Notre Dame has it in Georgia territory facing 2nd & 4 when play resumes. Irish have rushed it each of the last five plays totaling 31 yards.

Georgia turns it back over on downs

Georgia can’t move the chains, lining up to go for it on 4th & 2 before a penalty on Dylan Fairchild brought on the punt team. That wasn’t it for the Bulldogs though, aided by a defensive delay of game, but UGA can’t get it with another crack at it. Notre Dame takes over at its 42 yard line.

Riley Leonard stopped short on fourth down!

Georgia keeps its momentum going and stops Riley Leonard short of the line to gain on a 4th & 1. Notre Dame moved the chains once, but that’s all and the Bulldogs take over at midfield.

TOUCHDOWN GEORGIA!

Georgia schemed open a wide open Dillon Bell on the first play of the drive, but Bell couldn’t haul it in. However, Dominic Lovett picked up 19 yards and three plays later, it Cash Jones who was the open target. Gunner Stockton showing off downfield passing ability as Jones scores from 32 yards out.

Georgia can’t respond, but Bulldogs force three-and-out

Georgia picked up a first down with a 13-yard rush by Arian Smith, but that’s it for the Bulldogs, punting on 4th & 3. However, UGA gets off the field, forcing a Notre Dame three-and-out and will take over at its 37.

Jayden Harrison takes opening kickoff for touchdown

Georgia was in need of a stop and score to try and regain momentum from the way the first half ended. Instead, Notre Dame keeps rolling right away with a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown.

HALF: Notre Dame 13, Georgia 3

That late turnover and touchdown looms large as Notre Dame will take momentum into the locker room AND get it after the break. Kirby Smart’s quote (below) as he headed into the locker room, speaking to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge…

Sack fumble results in quick points for Notre Dame

Georgia came out looking to try and steal some points, but instead it’s Notre Dame that will do just that. Gunner Stockton was hit and fumbled. Irish fall on it at the 13 yard line before Riley Leonard finds Beaux Collins in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.

Mitch Jeter makes again to put Notre Dame ahead before the break

Second field goal make for South Carolina graduate transfer Mitch Jeter, this time from 48 yards out after an attempt to ice him by Georgia. Riley Leonard’s legs did a good bit of work for the Irish to set up the score.

Two Minute Timeout: Georgia 3, Notre Dame 3

Irish will have a 3rd & 1 after picking up 9 yards with a rush by Jordan Faison (3 yards) and a completion to Jaden Greathouse (6 yards).

Georgia goes three-and-out, Drew Miller impressive on punt

Georgia’s offense couldn’t get anything going and is off the field in less than 30 seconds of game clock. Drew Miller, punting from his own goal line, helped the Bulldogs out though with a 48-yard punt past midfield. Notre Dame takes over at the UGA 38.

Traded punts by Bulldogs, Irish

Georgia picked up a first down with a 21-yard completion to Oscar Delp after an opening play sack of Gunner Stockton, but the Bulldogs fail to convert on 3rd & 3 moments later. Drew Miller punt is returned 7 yards and gives it to Notre Dame at the 24 yard line.

Notre Dame ties it up

Riley Leonard picked up 32 yards on a big play using his legs, cutting back on a designed counter. He was taken down at the UGA 29 where Notre Dame was able to pick up just 3 more yards. Mitch Jeter makes from 44 yards out to tie it up at 3.

Bulldogs on the board first

Gunner Stockton found Arian Smith for a gain of 67 yards on the first play of the drive down the UGA sideline. Smith caught it at the ND 42 and advanced it to the 11, but a sideline interference penalty backed the Bulldogs up to the 26. Drive stalls there, and Peyton Woodring makes from 41.

Georgia gets off the field

Riley Leonard completed to Jayden Harrison for a gain of 4 yards, but it’s not enough to pick up the necessary yardage with Malaki Starks tightly in coverage. Punt rolls dead at the 23 yard line. Georgia will take over there.

END 1Q: Georgia 0, Notre Dame 0

Notre Dame picked up its first first down with a 14-yard completion to Jordan Faison. Not long after, an Irish false start and a Georgia tackle for short gain sets up 3rd & 11 after the break.

Red zone fumbles turns it over to Notre Dame

Georgia’s offense felt like it was getting something going, but the Bulldogs turn it over in the red zone. After moving the chains four times and getting to the 16, Trevor Etienne fumbles on 3rd & 1. Notre Dame takes over at its own 10 yard line with 2:37 to go in the first quarter of a scoreless ball game.

Irish go three-and-out

An illegal forward pass is followed by a rush for lost yardage and an incompletion. Georgia takes over at its 19 yard line after a fair catch from Malaki Starks, who was back deep alongside Anthony Evans.

Notre Dame pressure brings on Georgia punt

Georgia moved the chains once on a 3rd & 12 pass interference penalty, but that was the only positive play for UGA. Bulldogs either had no gain or went backwards on the five other plays of the opening drive. A sack-fumble well push the punt team back even further as Gunner Stockton was pressured and saw the ball go out of bounds 12 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Captains and Coin Toss

Captains for Georgia: Jalon Walker, Dan Jackson, Malaki Starks, Chaz Chambliss, Tate Ratledge

Red & black outnumbers blue & gold in the stands

A later arriving crowd (still about 20 minutes until kickoff) but the seem to be more Georgia fans present at the Superdome than Notre Dame supporters. Both can get behind an emotional Star Spangled Banner and chants of U-S-A though.

Georgia arrival, warmups

Noticed a couple of the banged up Bulldogs when the team arrived at Caesar’s Superdome. Carson Beck was wearing a brace on his right arm while Branson Robinson had a big brace on his right leg.

Nothing major to note from warmups. Monroe Freeling still working as first-team left tackle. Ryan Puglisi acting as the backup quarterback. Defensive line rotation something to keep an eye on as Christen Miller makes his way back from an injury that caused him to miss the SEC Championship Game. As far as special teams go, Drew Miller (punter) and Gunner Stockton (holder) appear to be replacements for Brett Thorson and Carson Beck respectively.

Pass the time pregame…

DawgsHQ has been in New Orleans since Saturday, keeping you up to date with the latest from The Big Easy for a few days now and focusing on the Sugar Bowl since the matchup was set after Notre Dame’s win over Indiana in the first round. Here’s some pregame reads, plus a powerful video from Georgia governor Brian Kemp ahead of today’s game…