Locked in a defensive struggle in which neither team gained 300 yards, Georgia coach Kirby Smart made an aggressive but ill-fated decision late in the first half of the Sugar Bowl.
Right after Notre Dame took a 6-3 lead on a 48-yard field goal, Smart had untested sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton drop back to pass from his 25-yard line with 38 seconds left instead of running out the clock. Defensive end RJ Oben broke through for a strip-sack, and the Fighting Irish’s Junior Tuihalamaka fell on the ball at the Bulldogs 13.
One play later, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard hit Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown.
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