Sugar Bowl Edition-Kirby Smart Explains Controversial Decision That Led To Notre Dame TD Before Half

Notre Dame would pull away from Georgia after the decision backfired.

With less than 40 seconds left in the first half of the Sugar Bowl, the Georgia Bulldogs got the football after Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter made a field goal, putting the Fighting Irish ahead 6–3. Despite the limited time, head coach Kirby Smart decided to be aggressive and see if his team could score before halftime. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse for Georgia.

On the first play of their drive, quarterback Gunner Stockton was strip-sacked by Notre Dame defensive lineman RJ Oben. Junior Tuihalamaka jumped on the loose ball, enabling the Notre Dame offense to score a touchdown before the half ended.

After the game, Smart explained his choice not to let the clock run out at the end of the half: “Typically, when you’re behind, you need every possession you can get. We made the decision to be aggressive and try to execute a two-minute offense.”

“And that’s what conventional wisdom suggests: you can’t afford to waste possessions when you’re trailing. We were down 6–3 and thought we had a quick passing opportunity. However, we never expected to get beaten that quickly on the left tackle.”

The Bulldogs’ aggressive strategy ultimately backfired, and instead of heading into halftime just three points behind, Georgia found themselves down by 10. When Notre Dame took the second-half kickoff back for a touchdown, the deficit grew to 17 points. Georgia could not recover from that setback, as Notre Dame went on to win 23–10 and advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals to face Penn State.

While Smart faced criticism for opting to play aggressively with less than 40 seconds left in the half, it’s not unusual for coaches to attempt a quick scoring drive at that point. Forty seconds is typically enough time for a scoring drive, and had the Bulldogs let the clock run out, Smart may have faced criticism for being too passive. Unfortunately for him, Georgia encountered the worst possible outcome, and his choice will undoubtedly be examined closely.