NEW ORLEANS — Locked in a defensive wrestle by which neither workforce gained 300 yards, Georgia coach Kirby Smart made an aggressive however ill-fated resolution late within the first half of the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Right after Notre Dame took a 6-3 lead on a 48-yard subject objective, Smart had untested sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton drop again to move from his 25-yard line with 38 seconds left as an alternative of working out the clock. Defensive finish RJ Oben broke by way of for a strip-sack, and the Fighting Irish’s Junior Tuihalamaka fell on the ball on the Bulldogs 13.
One play later, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard hit Beaux Collins for a 13-yard landing.
Just like that, No. 2 Georgia trailed 13-3 in a sport by which each level was treasured. The No. 7 Fighting Irish went on to win the College Football Playoff quarterfinal 23-10, ending Smart’s bid for his third nationwide title with the Bulldogs.
“Typically if you’re down, you want each possession you possibly can have, and we decided that we had been going to be aggressive and we had been going to attempt to go two-minute, and that is what every part says it is best to do,” Smart mentioned. “You cannot hand over possessions if you’re trailing. We felt like we had slightly quick-game move. Certainly not relying on getting beat that fast at left sort out, and obtained a sack-fumble, which gave them some momentum.”
Actually, the Bulldogs already had misplaced momentum. Their earlier possession lasted all of 31 seconds — counting the punt.
Taking over at his 14 with 3:40 left within the half, Stockton threw three consecutive incomplete passes — the final two whereas scrambling away from strain — giving Notre Dame time to maneuver into subject objective vary.
But Smart continued to belief his struggling offense, regardless that Stockton had thrown solely 35 profession passes earlier than changing injured starter Carson Beck for the second half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 time beyond regulation victory towards Texas within the SEC championship sport.
While the transfer backfired, Smart defended his thought course of.
“We obtained a possibility to go rating,” he mentioned. “We labored two-minute each week. I do not query that decision, as a result of I actually agree with the choice to be aggressive.”
Stockton went 20 of 32 for 234 yards, together with an ideal strike to Arian Smith for a 67-yard achieve that arrange a go-ahead subject objective within the second quarter and a 32-yard landing move to wide-open working again Cash Jones that closed the deficit to 20-10 within the third.
The Bulldogs did little or no outdoors of these performs, although, producing 62 yards dashing whereas Stockton was sacked 4 occasions.
“It simply hurts,” guard Tate Ratledge mentioned. “This workforce’s obtained one objective, and that was to win a nationwide championship.”
Georgia outgained Notre Dame 296-244 however went 0 of three on fourth downs, 2 of 12 on third downs and allowed a 98-yard kickoff return to open the second half.
Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman regularly outmaneuvered Smart. The final time got here when Notre Dame rushed its punt workforce off the sector and its offense again on whereas dealing with a fourth-and-1 at its personal 18 with 7:17 left.
In the commotion, Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker jumped offside, and the Fighting Irish didn’t punt till the two-minute mark.
“I’ve been advised by our head of officers within the SEC that you may’t do this, you possibly can’t run 11 on, 11 off,” Smart mentioned. “We obtained our protection on the market. We had been advantageous. They had been going to hard-count us. We put together for that, however we jumped offsides.”
