Notre Dame shocked 2-seed Georgia with a 23-10 victory in the Sugar Bowl to send the Fighting Irish to the national semifinals at the Orange Bowl against Penn State. The Fighting Irish used a furious rally of 17 points in 54 seconds around the halftime break to take control of the game and never looked back.

The Irish took a 6-3 lead with 39 seconds to go in the second quarter on a field goal by Mitch Jeter. Eleven seconds later, that lead was 10 points after RJ Owen forced a fumble by Georgia QB Gunner Stockton and Junior Tuihalamaka recovered. A play after the strip sack, Riley Leonard found Beaux Collins for a 13-yard TD.