Smart’s Aggressive Play Calls Backfire in Sugar Bowl Loss to Notre Dame

Georgia’s Aggressive Play Calls Backfire in Sugar Bowl Loss to Notre Dame

NEW ORLEANS — In a game that was as much about strategy as it was about skill, the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl saw Georgia’s coach Kirby Smart make a bold decision that ultimately didn’t pay off. The defensive battle between Georgia and Notre Dame was intense, with neither team managing to gain 300 yards. Yet, it was a critical moment late in the first half that shifted the momentum decisively in favor of the Fighting Irish.

With Notre Dame having just taken a 6-3 lead thanks to a 48-yard field goal, Smart opted for an aggressive play. He called on his sophomore quarterback, Gunner Stockton, to attempt a pass from their own 25-yard line with just 38 seconds left in the half. The decision was risky, especially considering Stockton’s limited experience. Unfortunately for Georgia, Notre Dame’s defensive end RJ Oben broke through the line for a strip-sack, and Junior Tuihalamaka recovered the ball at the Bulldogs’ 13-yard line.

Notre Dame capitalized immediately. Quarterback Riley Leonard connected with Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown on the very next play. Suddenly, No. 2 Georgia found themselves trailing 13-3 in a game where every point was crucial. The No. 7 Fighting Irish went on to win the game 23-10, ending Smart’s pursuit of a third national title with the Bulldogs.

Reflecting on the decision, Smart explained, “Typically, when you’re down, you need every possession you can have, and we made a decision that we were going to be aggressive and we were going to try to go two-minute, and that’s what everything says you should do. You can’t give up possessions when you’re trailing. We felt like we had a little quick-game pass. Certainly not counting on getting beat that quick at left tackle, and got a sack-fumble, which gave them some momentum.”

However, the Bulldogs had already lost momentum. Their previous possession was a mere 31 seconds long, including the punt. Stockton, taking over at his 14-yard line with 3:40 left in the half, threw three consecutive incomplete passes, the last two under pressure, allowing Notre Dame to move into field goal range.

Despite the struggles, Smart continued to place his trust in Stockton, who had only thrown 35 career passes before stepping in for the injured starter Carson Beck during the second half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime victory against Texas in the SEC championship game. Smart defended his decision, saying, “We got an opportunity to go score. We worked two-minute every week. I don’t question that call, because I really agree with the decision to be aggressive.”

Stockton’s performance was a mixed bag. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards, including a perfect strike to Arian Smith for a 67-yard gain that set up a go-ahead field goal in the second quarter, and a 32-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open running back Cash Jones that closed the deficit to 20-10 in the third. Yet, outside of these plays, the Bulldogs struggled, managing only 62 yards rushing while Stockton was sacked four times.

Guard Tate Ratledge expressed the team’s disappointment, saying, “It just hurts. This team’s got one goal, and that was to win a national championship.”

Despite outgaining Notre Dame 296-244, Georgia’s inefficiency on crucial downs was telling. They went 0-of-3 on fourth downs and 2-of-12 on third downs, and allowed a 98-yard kickoff return to open the second half.

Notre Dame’s coach Marcus Freeman frequently outmaneuvered Smart. A key moment came when Notre Dame rushed its punt team off the field and its offense back on while facing a fourth-and-1 at its own 18 with 7:17 left. In the ensuing chaos, Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker jumped offside, allowing Notre Dame to maintain possession until the two-minute mark.

Smart commented on the play, “I’ve been told by our head of officials in the SEC that you can’t do that, you can’t run 11 on, 11 off. We got our defense out there. We were fine. They were going to hard-count us. We prepare for that, but we jumped offsides.”

• Georgia’s aggressive play-calling backfires
• Notre Dame capitalizes on key turnovers
• Smart defends his decision-making process
• Stockton’s mixed performance under pressure
• Notre Dame’s strategic maneuvers pay off