The Notre Dame Preventing Irish are one step nearer to a nationwide championship following their 23-10 win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday night.
The win places Notre Dame into the Orange Bowl subsequent week towards the Penn State Nittany Lions, with each groups enjoying for the suitable to go to the School Soccer Nationwide Championship Recreation.
Listed here are some takeaways from Notre Dame’s win.
Kneejerk response: Georgia misplaced this sport round halftime
Truthfully, it misplaced the sport in 60 seconds.
Actually.
Solely 60 seconds.
It was in the course of the remaining 40 seconds of the primary half, and the primary 15 seconds of the second half, the place Notre Dame scored 17 factors to fully take management of the sport.
The 2 really game-changing performs have been a Gunner Stockton fumble with simply over 30 seconds to play within the first half, and the opening kickoff of the second half, which Notre Dame returned 98 yards for a landing.
The Stockton fumble was the true intestine punch for Georgia, particularly as a result of it was essentially the most avoidable. At that time, the rating was 6-3, and the Bulldogs had an opportunity to enter halftime down by solely a area purpose.
It was one in all two fumbles that Georgia misplaced within the first half, with the primary coming deep in Notre Dame territory when the sport was nonetheless scoreless within the first quarter.
Whereas it’s comprehensible as to why head coach Kirby Sensible needed to be aggressive and get factors, particularly understanding he was not getting the ball to begin the second half, he needed to perceive the context of the state of affairs.
His protection was dominating. He was enjoying the sport with an inexperienced quarterback who had struggled to constantly transfer the ball. The one factor he couldn’t do was give Notre Dame simple factors. That’s precisely what he did in that spot as Notre Dame turned the fumble restoration right into a landing to take a 10-point lead going into halftime.
Recreation MVP: Notre Dame’s Junior Tuihalamaka
Tuihalamaka was not one of many extra outstanding gamers on Notre Dame’s protection this season, however he picked a good time to play the sport of his life.
He made two large performs within the first half, recording a sack on Stockton early within the second quarter, after which later recovering the fumble that resulted in Notre Dame’s first landing going into halftime.
Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter deserves an honorable point out for going 3-for-3 on area targets, whereas quarterback Riley Leonard additionally made some large performs along with his toes. However Tuihalamaka actually swung the sport in Notre Dame’s favor within the first half.
Wild play: Georgia’s huge play will get erased by anyone not even on the sphere
One other huge play that’s going to have Georgia asking “what if?” after Thursday’s sport is the sideline penalty that negated a large catch-and-run that may have set the Bulldogs up contained in the 15-yard line.
