Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive end and college football analyst David Pollack reflected on Georgia’s Sugar Bowl loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“Marcus Freeman coached a great game and that’s nine straight ranked wins for the Irish,” said Pollack. “Why did they win the game? Notre Dame played clean… Riley Leonard is a dude.”
Notre Dame relied on Leonard for his ability as a rusher. Leonard avoided turnovers and complied just 90 passing yards, but he rushed for a game-high 80 yards on 14 carries. Georgia did not have 80 rushing yards as a team.
Georgia limited Notre Dame’s offense for the most part, but the Fighting Irish won the game in two of the other three phases.
“Notre Dame just dominated special teams,” said Pollack. He highlighted that Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter went three for three after entering the game just eight of 15 for the year. Jeter’s kicks weren’t chip shots either. All three of his field goals were over 40 yards.
Pollack emphasized that Georgia’s inability to run the ball and run block really hurt the Bulldogs. He also noted Georgia’s dropped passes have been a recurring theme all year and they helped put the final dagger in Georgia’s season. “They’ve lived on the edge all season,” said Pollack.
Pollack also highlights Notre Dame’s 2-0 turnover advantage as a big reason why the Irish beat Georgia 23-10.
Georgia also could not establish much of a running game. UGA recorded just 62 rushing yards on 29 carries and fell to 0-3 this season when rushing for under 100 yards.
Georgia struggled in pass protection. “The left tackle spot for Georgia has been one of their biggest concerns,” said Pollack. UGA allowed four sacks including two forced fumbles.
Pollack also notes that Georgia’s defense is not disruptive enough in terms of forcing turnovers, tackles for a loss, and stopping the quarterback run. He wants to see UGA tackle better on the edges and in the secondary.
“Georgia made the mistakes and made too many of them,” Pollack said. Georgia’s turnovers and drops finally caught up to the Bulldogs in the end.