2025 Sugar Bowl

The Sugar Bowl was held at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans from its inception in 1935 until 1974; since 1975 it has been held in Caesars Superdome (formerly the Louisiana Superdome and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome).{{cite web |title=Bowl/All-Star Game Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/Bowls.pdf |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=July 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510220255/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/Bowls.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |date=2016}} The Sugar Bowl became part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) from its first year in 1998 and hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2000 and 2004.{{cite web |title=About the BCS |url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/8/7/bcs-archives.aspx |website=BCS Archives |publisher=National Football Foundation |access-date=July 7, 2024 |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708154339/https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/8/7/bcs-archives.aspx |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Ben |title=Warrick turns Sugar Bowl into personal highlight film |url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2000/01/05/warrick-turns-sugar-bowl-into-personal-highlight-film/26652010007/ |website=The Ledger |access-date=July 7, 2024 |date=January 4, 2000 |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817064202/https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2000/01/05/warrick-turns-sugar-bowl-into-personal-highlight-film/26652010007/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=BCS title proves this: LSU belongs |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/01/05/bcs-title-proves-this-lsu-belongs/ |website=The Chicago Tribune |access-date=July 7, 2024 |date=January 5, 2004 |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708154334/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/01/05/bcs-title-proves-this-lsu-belongs/ |url-status=live }} After the establishment of the College Football Playoff (CFP) beginning with the 2014 season, it hosted CFP semifinal games in 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024 prior to the quarterfinal contest in 2025.{{cite web |title=Allstate Sugar Bowl to double as playoff semifinal again this season |url=https://allstatesugarbowl.org/news/2023/3/23/playoff-semifinal-2024.aspx |website=Sugar Bowl |access-date=July 7, 2024 |date=March 23, 2023 |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708154439/https://allstatesugarbowl.org/news/2023/3/23/playoff-semifinal-2024.aspx |url-status=live }}

{{main|2024–25 College Football Playoff}}

File:DHS Agencies Support Super Bowl LIX Security February 2025 - 108.jpg in New Orleans, Louisiana.]]

The twelve teams participating in the playoff were chosen by the CFP selection committee, whose final rankings were released on December 8, 2024.{{cite news |last1=Adelson |first1=Andrea |title=Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State top CFP field |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42854711/oregon-georgia-boise-state-arizona-state-top-cfp-field |access-date=December 8, 2024 |work=ESPN |date=December 8, 2024 |language=en |archive-date=December 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208180730/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42854711/oregon-georgia-boise-state-arizona-state-top-cfp-field |url-status=live }} This was the first edition of the CFP to feature twelve teams instead of four, and the Sugar Bowl was assigned to host a quarterfinal game. The Georgia Bulldogs, having just defeated Texas in the SEC Championship, were ranked No. 2 and received the No. 2 seed as they were the second-highest-ranked conference champion. By virtue of their top-four seed, they received a first-round bye and qualified directly for the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. The game's other participant was decided by a first-round game between No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 10 seed Indiana, played at Notre Dame Stadium on December 20.{{cite web |first=Fletcher|last=Mackel|title=Georgia Bulldogs will meet winner of Indiana-Notre Dame in 91st Sugar Bowl, playoff quarterfinal|url=https://www.wdsu.com/article/georgia-bulldogs-will-meet-winner-of-indiana-notre-dame-in-91st-sugar-bowl-playoff-quarterfinal/63127359|website=WDSU|date=December 8, 2024|access-date=December 9, 2024}} Notre Dame defeated Indiana, 27–17, qualifying them for the quarterfinal matchup with Georgia.{{cite web |last1=Frank |first1=Evan |title=Fighting Irish advance to play Georgia |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2024/12/20/notre-dame-indiana-game-live-updates-college-football-playoff-game-fighting-irish-hoosiers-cfp/77088685007/ |website=The Indianapolis Star |access-date=3 January 2025 |date=December 20, 2024}} Georgia entered the game with a {{Win-loss record|w=11|l=2}} record, while Notre Dame entered 12–1 following their first-round win.{{cite web |title=Georgia Football Game Notes: College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, Georgia vs. Notre Dame |url=https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/georgiadogs.com/documents/2024/12/30/24FB_SugarBowlGuide.pdf |website=University of Georgia Athletics |publisher=University of Georgia |access-date=December 31, 2024 |date=December 30, 2024}}

{{3TeamBracket

| RD1=First round

| RD2=Sugar Bowl

|RD1-seed1 = 10

|RD1-team1 = Indiana

|RD1-score1 = 17

|RD1-seed2 = 7

|RD1-team2 = Notre Dame

|RD1-score2 = 27

|RD2-seed1 = 2

|RD2-team1 = Georgia

|RD2-score1 = 10

|RD2-seed2 = 7

|RD2-team2 = Notre Dame

|RD2-score2 = 23

}}

The game was originally scheduled to be held at 7:45 p.m. local CST on January 1, 2025. In the early morning of January 1, a terrorist attack took place on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in which fifteen people were killed.{{Cite web |last=Schlabach |first=Mark |date=January 1, 2025 |title=Sugar Bowl postponed to Thursday after New Orleans truck attack |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43250113/sources-sugar-bowl-postponed-new-orleans-truck-attack |access-date=January 3, 2025 |website=ESPN|agency=Associated Press}} Sugar Bowl officials and law enforcement personnel initially announced that the game would go on as scheduled,{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Kristen |title=Georgia–Notre Dame Sugar Bowl to go on as scheduled after truck attack in New Orleans |url=https://www.si.com/college-football/georgia-notre-dame-sugar-bowl-to-go-on-as-scheduled |website=Sports Illustrated |access-date=January 3, 2025 |date=January 1, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Del Gallo |first1=Alicia |title=Is Sugar Bowl canceled after deadly attack in New Orleans? Updated kickoff time, date |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/sugar-bowl-game-orleans-played-154525123.html |website=Yahoo! Sports |access-date=January 3, 2025 |date=January 1, 2025}} but another announcement was made later that afternoon that the game would be postponed to 3:00 p.m. on the following day.{{cite web |last1=Giannotto |first1=Mark |title=Georgia vs. Notre Dame Sugar Bowl game postponed after New Orleans tragedy |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/01/01/sugar-bowl-postponed-georgia-notre-dame-rescheduled-latest/77379447007/ |website=USA Today |access-date=January 3, 2025 |date=January 1, 2025}} Security for the event was tightened{{Cite web |date=January 1, 2025 |title=Bourbon Street Terror Attack: Security tightened at Superdome for Sugar Bowl|url=https://www.wwltv.com/video/news/local/bourbon-street-terror-attack-security-tightened-at-superdome-for-sugar-bowl/289-a82572d8-eaa0-4f8c-a695-e43b9986ebfc|access-date=January 1, 2025 |website=WWL-TV}} and the game ultimately took place without incident.{{cite web |last1=Lowrey |first1=Erin |title=Sugar Bowl game ends without major security incident following terror attack |url=https://www.wdsu.com/article/sugar-bowl-new-orleans-game-live-updates-terror-attack/63324500 |website=WDSU |access-date=January 3, 2025 |date=January 2, 2025}}

This was the fourth meeting between the Bulldogs and the Fighting Irish,{{cite web |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/georgia/vs/notre-dame|title=Georgia Bulldogs vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish football series history |website=winsipedia.com |accessdate=December 9, 2024}} following a 2017 and 2019 home-and-home series where Georgia won both games. The two teams had previously met in the postseason once, in the 1981 Sugar Bowl, a 17–10 Georgia win. Though Georgia has won all three previous meetings, each game was decided by seven points or less.

{{main|2024 Georgia Bulldogs football team}}

The bowl game was the 12th Sugar Bowl appearance for the Bulldogs with a record of 5–6 in prior editions, with the program's latest appearance being the 2020 game.{{cite web |first=Eric|last=Olson|title=No. 2 Georgia gets rest before Sugar Bowl vs. Hoosiers or Irish|url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2024/dec/08/no-2-georgia-gets-rest-before-sugar-bowl-vs/|website=Chattanooga Times Free Press|date=December 8, 2024|access-date=December 9, 2024}} Georgia entered the game as the SEC champions, with an 11–2 record (6–2 in conference).{{cite web |first=Chip|last=Towers|title=Georgia football moves to No. 2 in CFP ranking, will rest up for Sugar Bowl|url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-bulldogs/georgia-bulldogs-move-to-no-2-will-rest-up-for-sugar-bowl/OLW5KZTZKVBDLIBYWMLHCHWFVY/|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=December 8, 2024|access-date=December 9, 2024}}

Second-string quarterback Gunner Stockton started for the Bulldogs after regular starter Carson Beck injured his throwing elbow in the Bulldogs' overtime SEC Championship victory over Texas and underwent season-ending surgery.{{cite news |last1=Low |first1=Chris |title=Georgia QB Beck (elbow surgery) done for season |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43131842/georgia-carson-beck-undergoes-season-ending-elbow-surgery |access-date=December 23, 2024 |work=ESPN |date=December 23, 2024 |language=en}} Beck eventually declared for the 2025 NFL draft, but later decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

{{main|2024 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team}}

The bowl game was the fifth Sugar Bowl appearance for the Fighting Irish with a record of 2–2 in prior editions, with the program's latest appearance being the 2007 game. Notre Dame entered the game with a 12–1 record. Their only loss was to Northern Illinois, on September 7.

The game's first score came on its fifth drive; each team punted on their first drive, Georgia's second drive ended with a fumble at the Notre Dame 16-yard line, and Notre Dame punted for a second time before Georgia took a 3–0 lead on a 41-yard Peyton Woodring field goal. Notre Dame tied the game with a field goal of their own on their following possession. After one additional Fighting Irish punt and two more from the Bulldogs, Notre Dame took their first lead with 39 seconds until halftime on another successful field goal. On Georgia's next play, RJ Oben sacked Gunner Stockton as he was winding up to throw and Junior Tuihalamaka recovered for Notre Dame, leading to a touchdown pass from Riley Leonard to Beaux Collins and a 13–3 lead for the Fighting Irish at halftime.{{cite web |title=Notre Dame vs. Georgia (Jan 2, 2025) - Play-by-Play |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay/_/gameId/401677184 |website=ESPN |access-date=January 2, 2025 |language=en |date=January 2, 2025}}

Notre Dame extended its lead on the opening kickoff of the second half, which was returned 98 yards for a touchdown by Jayden Harrison, capping a 17-point Irish run in a span of 54 seconds of game time. Georgia punted on 4th & 3 on their next drive, and the Irish went three-and-out in response. The Bulldogs pulled within ten points on a 5-play drive that followed, ending in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Stockton to Cash Jones, but they were unable to score further. They turned the ball over on downs on each of their final two offensive possessions, while Notre Dame added a 47-yard Mitch Jeter field goal in addition to a turnover on downs. Ultimately, the Irish ran out the clock to earn a semifinal berth with a 23–10 victory.

The win not only advanced Notre Dame to the semifinal at the Orange Bowl but also marked the first Fighting Irish victory in a New Year's Six bowl since the 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M. It also meant that for the first time in College Football Playoff history, the semifinals would be filled by teams seeded outside the top four – on New Year's Eve, Penn State had beaten Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, while on New Year's Day, Ohio State had beaten Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Texas had beaten Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle= {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Sugar Bowl|border=2|color=white}}; text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|bg=#fff

|bg2=#eee

|title=College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 2025 Sugar Bowl

|date=Thursday, January 2, 2025

|time=3:11 p.m. CST

|road=(7) No. 5 Notre Dame

|R1=0|R2=13|R3=7|R4=3

|home=(2) No. 2 Georgia

|H1=0|H2=3|H3=7|H4=0

|stadium=Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana

|attendance=57,267

|weather=Sunny (indoors) • Temperature: {{cvt|59|F}}

|referee=Michael Vandervelde (Big 12){{cite web|url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2024/12/2024-25-bowl-officiating-assignments/|title=2024-25 bowl officiating assignments|website=footballzebras.com|first=Ben|last=Austro|date=December 9, 2024|access-date=December 10, 2024}}

|TV=ESPN

|TVAnnouncers=Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath and Laura Rutledge (sideline)

|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=401677184 Box score]

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart |VisitorName=Notre Dame|HomeName=Georgia|state=}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=12:14

| Team=Georgia

| DrivePlays=5

| DriveLength=55

| DriveTime=2:00

| Type=FG

| yards=41

| Kicker=Peyton Woodring

| Visitor=0

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=8:20

| Team=Notre Dame

| DrivePlays=8

| DriveLength=49

| DriveTime=3:54

| Type=FG

| yards=44

| Kicker=Mitch Jeter

| Visitor=3

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=0:39

| Team=Notre Dame

| DrivePlays=10

| DriveLength=32

| DriveTime=2:30

| Type=FG

| yards=48

| Kicker=Mitch Jeter

| Visitor=6

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=0:28

| Team=Notre Dame

| DrivePlays=1

| DriveLength=13

| DriveTime=0:05

| Type=RecTD

| Receiver=Beaux Collins

| QB=Riley Leonard

| yards=13

| Kicker=Mitch Jeter

| kickresult=good

| Visitor=13

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=3

| Time=14:45

| Team=Notre Dame

| DrivePlays=

| DriveLength=

| DriveTime=

| Type=Other

| Other=Jayden Harrison 98-yard kickoff return for touchdown, Mitch Jeter kick good

| Visitor=20

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=3

| Time=9:36

| Team=Georgia

| DrivePlays=5

| DriveLength=63

| DriveTime=2:12

| Type=RecTD

| Receiver=Cash Jones

| QB=Gunner Stockton

| yards=32

| Kicker=Peyton Woodring

| kickresult=good

| Visitor=20

| Home=10

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=13:47

| Team=Notre Dame

| DrivePlays=8

| DriveLength=29

| DriveTime=4:18

| Type=FG

| yards=47

| Kicker=Mitch Jeter

| Visitor=23

| Home=10

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd |Visitor=23|Home=10}}

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• 2024 New Orleans Bowl, contested at the same venue 2 weeks earlier

{{reflist}}

• Game statistics at [http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/index.html?id=560443 statbroadcast.com]

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