Notre Dame Rush Offense vs. Georgia Run Defense

The Irish have been outstanding when it comes to running the ball this season as they are ranked 11th in the nation averaging 222.4 rushing yards per game with 42 touchdowns and an average of 6.2 yards per rush. The Irish have rushed for 200 or more yards in 8 games with 1 of those games where they rushed for 300 or more yards. Jeremiyah Love leads with 142 attempts for 1,057 yards with 16 touchdowns and an average of 7.4 yards per rush. Quarterback Riley Leonard has 135 attempts for 751 yards with 15 touchdowns and an average of 5.6 yards per rush. Jadarian Price has 100 attempts for 683 yards with 7 touchdowns and an average of 6.8 yards per rush. Aneyas Williams has 30 attempts for 198 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 6.6 yards per rush. Kedren Young has 21 attempts for 116 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 5.5 yards per rush. The Irish have allowed 60 tackles for loss so far this season.

The Bulldogs have been solid against the run this season as they are ranked 35th in the nation allowing 127.8 rushing yards per game with 14 touchdowns and 3.7 yards per rush. Georgia has had 4 games where they held opposing teams to less than 100 yards with 3 of those games coming against playoff teams (Clemson in the season opener and Texas in 2 games) and have held all but 4 teams to less than 4 yards per rush this season. However, the Bulldogs have allowed 2 teams to rush for 200 or more yards in the 2 games that closed out the regular season when Massachusetts and Georgia Tech had 226 and 260 yards, respectively. Also, in the 3 games that concluded the regular season would see Georgia allow 7 rushing touchdowns as well which was half the touchdowns allowed so far this season by them. Georgia has been outstanding at getting into opposing backfields with 86 tackles for loss with Jalon Walker having 10.5 tackles for loss, Chaz Chambliss having 9.5 tackles for loss, Mykel Williams having 8.5 tackles for loss, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins having 8 tackles for loss.

The Irish are coming off a performance against Indiana where they rushed for the most amount of yards on a top ranked run defense. Jeremiyah Love was limited during the game as he was not 100 percent and should be back to 100 percent for this game while still managing to get in a 98 yard touchdown run in on Indiana. The Bulldogs have had recent games where they allowed considerable amounts of yards and have also recently shut down Texas in the SEC Championship as well. The Irish will be the best team that Georgia has faced when it comes to running the ball since Tennessee and with multiple players able to run the ball could mean wearing down their defense as well. Look for the Irish to continue to do well at running the ball against the Bulldogs run defense.

Edge: Notre Dame

Georgia Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Run Defense

The Bulldogs have been below average when it comes to running the ball this season as they are ranked 100th nationally averaging 129.2 rushing yards per game with 24 touchdowns and an average of 4.2 yards per rush. Georgia has rushed for 200 or more yards in just 1 game this season with that being against Massachusetts and have been held to less than 100 yards in 2 games with both games being losses at Alabama and at Mississippi. The Bulldogs have averaged 5 or more yards per rush in 4 games this season with the 2 best games being the opening 2 games this season against Clemson (6.3 yards per rush) and Division 1-AA Tennessee Tech (6.9 yards per rush). Nate Frazier leads with 634 yards with 8 touchdowns and an average of 4.9 yards per rush. Trevor Etienne has played in 9 games this season and has 571 yards with 9 touchdowns and an average of 5.1 yards per rush. The next player after both of them is wide receiver Dillon Bell who has 8 attempts for 106 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 13.3 yards per rush. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has 11 attempts for 10 yards with an average of 0.9 yards per rush. The Bulldogs have allowed 58 tackles for loss so far this season.

The Irish have been solid against the run as they are ranked 40th in the nation allowing 133 rushing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and an average of 3.7 yards per rush. The Irish have held 3 opposing teams to less than 100 yards with those being Purdue, Georgia Tech, and Indiana. The Irish have also allowed only 2 teams to average 5 or more yards per rush as well which are Navy and USC. The Irish have allowed just 2 teams to rush for 200 or more yards, which are Navy and Army who are service academies that are among the very best at running the ball this season. The Irish also have been able to make plays in opposing backfields with 71 tackles for loss but are without Rylee Mills who led with 8.5 tackles for loss while the next leading players are Jayden Ausberry who has 6.5 tackles for loss and Howard Cross who has 5.5 tackles for loss.

The Irish shut down the ground game of Indiana in the previous game that started the playoffs and are facing a Georgia rush offense that while is nowhere close to what it has been in the past, should still not be overlooked either. With the Bulldogs starting a new quarterback in Gunner Stockton could mean some changes with the run game even though his numbers do not appear to be notable. Should the Irish limit the Bulldogs with running the ball, it will lead them to having to pass more with an inexperienced quarterback in play which would make things more favorable for the pass defense as well. It should be noted that the Irish are without Rylee Mills in the interior of the defensive line due to injury and will need to make extensive use of the depth of the defensive line that has had a few players go down this season. The Irish will also gain a benefit of allowing more players to get playing time against major competition as well. Even though the Irish do not have Rylee Mills, look for the Irish to continue to play strong against the run.

Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. Georgia Pass Defense

The Irish may not pass as much as they run but have made improvements here as the season goes on and are ranked 101st in the nation averaging 196.8 passing yards per game with 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a completion rate of 66.5 percent. The Irish have thrown for 200 or more yards in 7 games this season and have had a completion rate of 60 percent or higher in all but 1 game this season. The Irish have also been very accurate in recent games against Army, USC, and Indiana with completion rates of 77.8 percent, 78.3 percent, and 71.9 percent in those games, respectively. Riley Leonards has 217 completions on 325 attempts for 2,293 yards with 17 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a completion rate of 66.8 percent. Steve Angeli has 18 completions on 28 attempts for 224 yards with 3 touchdowns and a completion rate of 64.3 percent. Beaux Collins leads with 36 receptions for 445 yards with 2 touchdowns with an average of 12.4 yards per reception. Jaden Greathouse has 27 receptions for 353 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 13.1 yards per reception. Jordan Faison has 23 receptions for 279 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 12.1 yards per reception. Jayden Harrison has 17 receptions for 211 yards with 1 touchdown and an average of 12.4 yards per reception. Kris Mitchell has 19 receptions for 201 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 10.6 yards per reception while Jayden Thomas has 18 receptions for 167 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 9.3 yards per reception. Mitchell Evans leads the tight ends with 31 receptions for 289 yards with 3 touchdowns and an average of 9.3 yards per reception. Eli Raridon has 9 receptions for 80 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 7.8 yards per reception while Cooper Flanagan has 4 receptions for 55 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 13.8 yards per reception. The Irish have done well in pass protection as they have allowed 17 sacks and 16 quarterback hurries with 23 passes broken up.

The Bulldogs have been decent against the pass this season as they are ranked 51st in the nation allowing 208.7 passing yards per game with 13 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a completion rate of 58.7 percent. Georgia has held 7 opposing teams to less than 200 yards with 1 of those games allowing less than 100 yards when Tennessee Tech had just 18 yards. The Bulldogs have allowed 4 opponents to pass for 300 or more with 2 of those being the most recent games against Georgia Tech and Texas. The Bulldogs have allowed a completion rate of 60 percent or higher in 6 games with 2 games where they allowed 70 percent or higher with those numbers being 81.8 percent and 70.3 percent coming from Alabama and Georgia Tech, respectively. Georgia has had some success in getting to opposing quarterbacks with 36 sacks and 27 quarterback hurries with 34 passes broken up.

The Irish are coming off a solid performance where Riley Leonard was largely accurate after an early interception and Jordan Faison was a favored target. The Irish have used a multitude of players that are capable of making plays in every game which will make it harder for the Bulldogs to defend. It should be noted that Georgia has some inconsistency in defending the pass, they have limited many teams in yards allowed, but have allowed others such as Alabama along with recent opponents like Georgia Tech and Texas (SEC Championship) to pass for considerable amounts of yardage. With Riley Leonard having the ability to extend plays with his legs, this could help even things for the Irish to make plays in the passing game. This will certainly be an area to keep an eye on.

Edge: Georgia

Georgia Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

The Bulldogs have heavily favored the pass this season as they are ranked 11th in the nation averaging 284.6 passing yards per game with 28 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a completion rate of 65.7 percent. The Bulldogs have passed for 300 or more yards in 6 games with 2 games where they passed for 400 or more. Georgia has been held to less than 200 yards in 4 games this season. The Bulldogs have had a completion rate of 70 percent or higher in 3 games while being held to less than 60 percent in 2 games. Carson Beck was lost for the season to injury in the SEC Championship win against Texas and on the season had 290 completions on 448 attempts for 3,485 yards with 28 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a completion rate of 64.7 percent. Gunner Stockton will start after playing in 4 games this season and has 25 completions on 32 attempts for 206 yards with 1 interception and a completion rate of 78.1 percent. Arian Smith leads with 47 receptions for 750 yards with 4 touchdowns and an average of 16 yards per reception. Dominic Lovett has 56 receptions for 571 yards with 6 touchdowns and an average of 10.2 yards per reception. Dillon Bell has 37 receptions for 443 yards with 4 touchdowns and an average of 11.7 yards per reception while London Humphreys has 15 receptions for 244 yards with 2 touchdowns and an average of 16.3 yards per reception. Lawson Luckie leads the tight ends with 24 receptions for 348 yards with 3 touchdowns and an average of 14.5 yards per reception. Oscar Delp has 19 receptions for 230 yards with 4 touchdowns and an average of 12.1 yards per reception. Ben Yurosek has 15 receptions for 185 yards with an average of 12.3 yards per reception. Running back Cash Jones has 22 receptions for 238 yards with 3 touchdowns and an average of 10.8 yards per reception. The Bulldogs have allowed 21 sacks and 21 quarterback hurries with 46 passes broken up.

The Irish have been outstanding against the pass this season as they are ranked 3rd in the nation allowing 162.3 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns, 18 interceptions (5 returned for touchdowns), and a completion rate of 49.6 percent. The Irish have allowed 4 teams to pass for 200 or more yards with 1 opponent in USC that passed for 300 or more yards. The Irish have also held every opponent to a completion rate under 60 percent and have held 4 opponents to less than 100 yards as well. The Irish have done quite well in getting to opposing quarterbacks with 33 sacks and 44 quarterback hurries with an impressive 55 passes broken up as well.

The Irish are coming off a performance where most of the passing yards from Indiana came in the 4th quarter in garbage time after being shut down for 3 quarters. The Bulldogs are most notably without Carson Beck as he had a season ending injury during the SEC Championship against Texas. While Gunner Stockton will start in his place, he has not had a major amount of playing time outside of when he took over and when he had played earlier on against Tennessee Tech in garbage time. With that being said, he does have a good amount of players that can catch the ball and make plays. The Irish have also done well in shutting down opposing teams in the passing game and will certainly have a great chance to make some plays as they have done all season so far. While this matchup would be seen as an even matchup, with the inexperience at quarterback, the Irish should have a good chance to shut things down here.

Edge: Notre Dame

Special Teams

Mitch Jeter has had an injury this season that affected his range outside of extra points and on the season is 8 out of 15 on field goals with an accuracy rate of 53.3 percent and a long of 49 yards. Zac Yoakam has been used as well and on the season is 2 out of 5 on field goals with an accuracy rate of 40 percent with a long of 42 yards. Marcello Diomede has also been used and 0 out of 1 on field goals this season. James Rendell has punted 39 times with an average of 41.5 yards per punt. Jayden Harrison has returned 10 kickoffs for 203 yards with an average of 20.3 yards per return. Max Hurleman has returned 18 punts for 109 yards with an average of 6.1 yards per return. The Irish have blocked 6 kicks this season and have had 4 kicks blocked.

Peyton Woodring has been extremely accurate when it comes to kicking and on the season is 20 out of 22 on field goals with an accuracy rate of 90.9 percent and a long of 55 yards. Brett Thorson has punted 42 times with an average of 47.6 yards per punt. Anthony Evans III has returned 6 kickoffs for 105 yards with an average of 17.5 yards per return. Anthony Evans III has returned 16 punts for 123 yards with an average of 7.7 yards per return. The Bulldogs have blocked 1 kick this season and have had 0 kicks blocked.

Stronger Unit: Georgia

Final Thoughts

The Irish are coming off a 27-17 win over Indiana that started the College Football Playoff under its new format. The score may appear close when initially looked at, but the Irish had shut down Indiana well into the 4th quarter when they would get garbage time touchdowns to make the score look closer. The Bulldogs have needed overtime to defeat the 2 most recent opponents in an 8 overtime home win over Georgia Tech and overtime with a backup quarterback in Gunner Stockton to win over Texas in the SEC Championship. The Irish will be without Rylee Mills, who is out for the season with injury and that does hurt the defense with his experience, leadership, and ability to make plays. The Irish still have many players that can play up front to help the rotation and the additional experience will help as well. In addition, there is an impressive mix of experience and newcomers who have had a lot of success on the defense as a whole. With Georgia starting a new quarterback in place of Carson Beck, this could change things in terms of their offense and the Irish will try to create pressure to get to Gunner Stockton and force him into mistakes. With the Bulldogs not having as strong of a run game this season, if the Irish manage to shut that down, it will put them into passing situations that favor a defense that is excellent at getting interceptions. Georgia does have a defense that has been strong at times and weak at times this season which will be something to keep an eye on. With the Irish having a strong run game that uses multiple players to make plays and that could mean wearing down the Bulldogs defense as well. Look for the Irish to build upon the previous playoff win and continue on.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Georgia 17

As always, GO IRISH!

Thank you for reading! If you liked my article, please help me out by sharing it!