Georgia prevails
Jake Fromm threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to put Georgia up by
10 points, and the No. 3 Bulldogs held off
No. 7 Notre Dame 23-17.
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 2317 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 helped push Georgia to 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 in its first visit ever to Sanford Stadium.
“That’s what college football is all about, man,” Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said. “I hate that somebody had to lose that game.”
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 to put Georgia in command 20-10 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.
“The atmosphere we had tonight, the game we played, it’s just unbelievable,” Fromm said. “This is unbelievable. We’re so thankful the fans came out. They helped us on third down a ton.”