Georgia readies for physical Notre Dame team after interesting time off
The first round of the College Football Playoff is in the books, and Georgia’s opponent for the Sugar Bowl is set. The Bulldogs will take on Notre Dame New Year’s Day in New Orleans for a spot in College Football’s final four.
It’s the fourth-ever matchup between UGA and Notre Dame with each of the previous three going Georgia’s way. The Bulldogs and Fighting Irish played in the Sugar Bowl before back in 1981, a win that gave Herschel Walker and company claim to the National Championship. Then, it was a home-and-home series in 2017 and 2019 with Georgia, guided by first-time starter Jake Fromm, going up to South Bend to win on the road before taking care of business between the hedges in front of one of the most memorable crowds in Sanford Stadium history.
Of course none of that history matters now, and it’s the present squads that will have Kirby Smart’s attention. The head coach watched Friday night as Notre Dame handled Indiana 27-17 to secure its spot in the CFP quarterfinals.
“Physicality. They are are very physical football team,” Smart said when asked Saturday on SEC Nation what his first thoughts on the Irish were. “They are built along the line of scrimmages. How they stop the run and how they run the ball. Lot of respect for Coach Freeman and how they do things.”
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For Smart, it’s been a unique few weeks. Not only has it been 15 days since his team took the field last in the SEC Championship, defeating Texas in overtime to secure a Playoff berth and a first round bye into the Sugar Bowl, but also the Bulldogs haven’t known who they were playing until late Friday night. He addressed the challenges of preparing for an unknown next opponent, but also is anxious to see what the extra time off will mean for his team.
“You worry as a coach about this layoff. We’ve tried to define the threats of what the time are. How it’s a benefit and how is it a threat? You’ve got to be careful,” Smart said. “I got to watch these teams play and you wonder, is it an advantage with the layoff? We’ve gone a long time I feel like already without playing and we still have more time to wait until we play.”
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Ultimately, there’s nothing Smart can do about that layoff. He’s been hopeful from the jump that it’d be good for Georgia’s health, dealing with a number of bumps and bruises throughout the season. It’s also been big for a team that will be without its starting quarterback Carson Beck due to injury and turning to backup Gunner Stockton for his first career start.
“He’s been a great competitor. He’s had some really great practices. It’s been good to see him get reps and grow as a player,” Smart said about how Stockton has taken advantage of the time to prepare for his big moment. “It’s been really enjoyable to watch him grow and go against that defense of ours. It’s been awesome for him.”
“I think time will tell on that,” he added when asked how the offense might look different under his direction. “We’ve still got 10 days, nine days to get ready and get prepared for that so time will tell. I know this, we’ve had some great work and spirited competition and tried to practice really fast and physical each day. The guys have bought into that.”
Georgia and Notre Dame are set for an 8:45 p.m. ET kickoff on January 1st in New Orleans. According to early lines, the Bulldogs open as slight favorites over the Fighting Irish.
