Third-ranked Georgia holds off No. 7 Notre Dame
No. 3-ranked Bulldogs intercept Notre Dame’s Book late to seal win
ATHENS, GA. >> Jake Fromm threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Lawrence Cager early in the fourth quarter, and No. 3 Georgia, getting a tougher fight than many expected, held off No. 7 Notre Dame 23-17 on a raucous Saturday night between the hedges, a result that could have ramifications all the way to the College Football Playoff.
The Bulldogs (4-0) trailed 10-7 at halftime but turned the momentum when redshirt freshman Divaad Wilson intercepted a pass by Ian Book deep in Notre Dame territory. The Fromm-to-cager combination gave Georgia a 23-10 lead, but the Fighting Irish (2-1) had a chance at the end.
Book’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool cut the deficit with 3:12 remaining, the Notre Dame defense held, and Book got the ball back at his own 48 after a poor punt with just under 2 minutes to go.
The Irish got as far as the Georgia 38, but no further. It ended with Book zig-zagging on a desperate scramble before hurling up a long pass that fell incomplete, denying Notre Dame the signature win over a top opponent it so desperately needs.
With Georgia up 13-10 after a pair of field goals by Rodrigo Blankenship, Cager hauled in a 36-yard pass along the sideline to push the Bulldogs into the red zone. Then, on third-and-7 from the 15, Notre Dame brought a blitz and Fromm coolly lofted one toward Cager along the left side of the end zone.
A half-foot taller than cornerback Troy Pride Jr., the 6-foot-5 graduate transfer leaped high to make the catch and tapped down his right foot before tumbling out of the bounds to give Georgia a commanding 20-10 lead with 13:19 remaining.
Desperate to cut into the deficit, Notre Dame called a flea-flicker play. But when Book was pressured out of the pocket and let go of a pass on the run, J.R. Reed dove in front of the intended receiver to make a brilliant interception as he slid into the Irish bench.
Reed sprinted all the way across the field, hopped atop the Georgia bench and bounced for the record crowd of more than 93,000 at Sanford Stadium while wearing shiny, Road Warrior-style shoulder pads that go to the latest Bulldog defender to get a turnover. It led to Blankenship’s third field goal and a seemingly comfortable lead for the Bulldogs.
A two-touchdown underdog, Notre Dame took advantage of a huge turnover by Georgia punt returner Tyler Simmons to grab the lead. Attempting to make a fair catch, he fumbled the ball away and Claypool recovered for the Irish at the Georgia 8 to set up Book’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet.
Georgia’s D’andre Swift scored on a 3-yard run, but Jonathan Doerer booted a 27-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
• Instead of getting blown out against a leading opponent, as it was by Alabama in the 2013 BCS championship game and Clemson in last year’s playoff semifinals, Notre Dame was in this game all the way. But Book’s two interceptions were a killer.
• After three straight blowout victories, the Bulldogs finally got the test they so desperately needed. This was the sort of win that look good if they’re in the mix for a playoff spot.