Georgia and Notre Dame will take the field Thursday afternoon at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans amid heightened security and carrying the emotions of more than a berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals on the line.
The two teams are grappling with the aftermath of a suspected terrorist attack that killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more who were celebrating the New Year in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
The scheduled New Year’s Day quarterfinal game was postponed a day, in part to give law-enforcement and stadium officials time to update the security plan in place for the Superdome.
Instead of taking the field on Wednesday, the coaching staffs of Notre Dame and Georgia were left to speak with their players, first about the gravity of the situation unfolding around them, and then about the game itself.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN about the meeting he held with his players.
“The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country,” Freeman said. “But the end of the meeting was to redirect our focus to preparing for this game.”
It’s a game that will feature an inexperienced quarterback starting for No. 2 seed Georgia with the season on the line. The winner will play No. 6 seed Penn State in the Orange Bowl, scheduled for Jan. 9 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Sophomore Gunner Stockton will start for the Bulldogs (11-2) against the No. 7-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) after Carson Beck underwent season-ending surgery to repair an elbow injury suffered in the second quarter of the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7.
Stockton replaced Beck and completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with an interception in Georgia’s 22-19 overtime win against Texas. The victory solidified a playoff bye and extra preparation time for the Bulldogs, though they didn’t know their opponent until almost two weeks later when Notre Dame advanced with a 27-17 first-round playoff victory against Indiana on Dec. 20 in South Bend, Ind.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said the extra time helped Stockton by giving him added reps with the first team, though the Bulldogs’ game preparation was limited until they knew their opponent.
“I think the biggest thing (for Stockton) is just competition and practice, the situations we put him in,” Smart said. “All those things allow him to get better as a quarterback.”
Stockton has completed 25 of 32 passes for 206 yards and no touchdowns this season, with one interception. Freshman Nate Frazier leads the running game with 634 yards and eight TDs on 129 carries.
Freeman said he and his staff have “80-something plays” of Stockton to study.
“He can run their offense,” Freeman said. “He does things a little bit differently. He can extend plays with his legs; he’s a good athlete. The thing I probably noticed most about him, he’s an ultra-competitive individual.”
Smart downplayed the possibility that Stockton’s running ability will lead to much difference in the Bulldogs’ game plan.
“We are who we are,” Smart said.
The flip side to the break between games is that Georgia will have had the equivalent of 3 1/2 byes while Notre Dame stayed sharp by winning its 11th consecutive game.
“It’s really just hard to manage how you keep your players in football shape and game shape,” Smart said. “Do you lose some rhythm? You watch it most times in bowl games, people that have those long breaks, it can affect how you play.”
Notre Dame, like fellow first-round winners Penn State, Ohio State and Texas, is adjusting to playing back-to-back postseason games as part of the 12-team CFP.
“Obviously, this is a first for me,” Freeman said. “You almost prepared for this first round like it was maybe even a bowl game-ish-type opportunity. But then you realize once the game was over, you get back to preparation. …
“In the playoffs, you’ve got to prepare in a way that gives your program the best opportunity to win. Put everything on the table and then, if you’re able to get the outcome you want, you’ve got to go right back to preparation.”
The Irish will go through the rest of the season without defensive tackle Rylie Mills because of a knee injury he suffered against Indiana.
“The value (Mills) provided this team is tremendous,” Freeman said. “And he’s done an excellent job as a football player and a leader.
“You’ve got to replace what he did for our defense in different ways. We have capable guys that will step up, that have stepped up all year that we’re very confident in.”
Mills had 7 1/2 sacks this season, and he and preseason All-American Howard Cross III helped the defense overcome the loss of another preseason All-American, cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who sustained a season-ending hip injury in October.
Cross missed the final three regular-season games because of a high ankle sprain but returned against Indiana.
On offense, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard has thrown for 2,293 yards and 17 touchdowns against six interceptions, and Jeremiyah Love averages 7.4 yards per carry, posting 1,057 rushing yards and 16 TDs on 142 attempts.
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