Notre Dame Fighting Irish will have one huge advantage over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl that could be the difference in the game
We are less than a week until the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel down to New Orleans to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. The Sugar Bowl, which has a great history, is only going to get bigger and better as the second round of the College Football Playoffs rage on. This is a battle of […]
We are less than a week until the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel down to New Orleans to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. The Sugar Bowl, which has a great history, is only going to get bigger and better as the second round of the College Football Playoffs rage on. This is a battle of two massive brands, and you can bet the viewership for this contest is going to be historic.
With the SEC bias inherent in the air, a lot of folks aren’t giving Notre Dame much of a chance despite Vegas seemingly being pretty split on this game. For the Irish, there is one huge advantage that they possess over the Bulldogs, and it has a chance to be a differentiator in this contest. The elite Notre Dame pass defense will have to take advantage of a Georgia passing attack with a lot of questions, and force them to be one-dimensional.
Everyone is aware at this point that the Bulldogs will be trotting out redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton for his first career start for the program. Carson Beck is sidelined with a UCL injury in his throwing shoulder that needs surgery. Losing Beck in the SEC championship game was a huge blow, but they have had a couple of weeks to structure things well around Stockton.
Stockton was a former five-star recruit, but heads into this game with just 51 career pass attempts, two touchdown passes, and another two interceptions. The 6-1, 215-pound signal caller brings nice athleticism to the table, but just what he brings to the table as a passer is a complete unknown.
Add in that Georgia has also been maddeningly inconsistent at wide receiver, and this Bulldog passing attack becomes even more volatile. Each of Arian Smith, Dominic Lovett, Dillon Bell, and London Humphreys have had flashy moments, but that group has been limited by inconsistency and drop issues. It is a feast or famine unit right now.
On the Notre Dame side, they not so quietly boast one of the top secondaries in all of college football. Even after the loss of All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison earlier this season, this pass defense hasn’t skipped a beat. On the season, they have allowed just 162.3 pass yards per game, and have let up a mere 49.6 completion percentage. That group has also hauled in 18 interceptions and allowed just 10 touchdown passes.
Whether it is Freshman All-American Leonard Moore or sophomore Christian Gray at cornerback, or safeties Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler at safety, or even Jordan Clark at nickel, every member on the back end had made big plays this season. That must continue on New Year’s Day.
The Georgia rush offense has been one of their worst units in the last 30 years, so the odds are they will have to create some plays in the passing game. If Notre Dame is able to stifle that group, there’s a strong possibility that the Irish could come out on top. It’s an advantage that will have to be a big one in this round.
