Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman got his first career College Football Playoff win last week as the Fighting Irish topped Indiana 27-17. Now, No. 7 Notre Dame plays the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl.
Notre Dame will play against a new look Georgia team. Georgia’s usual starting quarterback, Carson Beck, is out for the season. The Dawgs now have to start Gunner Stockton in his place.
“I think you utilize the game film that’s there,” said Freeman. “There’s 80-something plays of him (Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton) playing this year, and doing a really good job at running their offense. I don’t think they’re going to change their offense completely because of who’s at quarterback.”
Freeman and Notre Dame did get to watch Stockton play in the second half of the SEC championship, which is a decent chunk of tape in an important game.
Freeman notes that both Georgia and Notre Dame are going to try to assert their dominance and run the football.
“You can tell they’re a physical, aggressive, attack in mindset,” Freeman said on the Georgia offense. “They’re big on the offensive line. They run the ball. They’ve got some good backs. And again, they can throw the ball, too.”
Georgia has to establish the run and get off to a good start to make thing easier for Gunner Stockton in his first career start.
“Defensively, again, they’re big up front,” added Freeman. “They’ve got multiple backers, like they do running backs, that make plays, that are difference-makers. And they’ve got good skills.”
“So, really balanced team. I think when you say, what’s their identity, I know what I see is a physical, sound team that plays with velocity… it’s not going to be about tricking your opponent. It’s going to be about playing with velocity, which equals violence and some other physical attacking words,” continued Freeman.
The Sugar Bowl will be won in the trenches. Whatever team rushes for more yardage will have a big advantage.
Georgia plays Notre Dame at 8:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 1. The Sugar Bowl will be televised on ESPN.
