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According to multiple sources and New Orleans television stations the Georgia-Notre Dame Sugar Bowl will be postponed 24-hours to Thursday night, Jan. 2 following a terror attack that involved a white pickup truck plowing into a crowd on Bourbon Street which started at 3:15 am; Wednesday in one the largest destinations for New Years Eve parties that killed at least 15 people and injured 35.

Jeff Hundley, the Sugar Bowl’s chief executive, announced at the news conference that tonight’s game between Notre Dame and the University of Georgia would be postponed for 24 hours.

“The decision that was made to postpone the game was not done lightly,” said Representative Troy Carter, Democrat of Louisiana. “It was done with one single thing in mind: public safety,” Carter said he had been in touch with the Homeland Security secretary and the White House.

The College Football Playoff quarterfinal Sugar Bowl matchup on ESPN will kickoff at 4 p.m. ET on Jan. 2. The early start was discussed to give both teams the proper rest and recovery. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans underwent a security sweep Wednesday after two explosive devices were found at the scene of the attack in the French Quarter district. 

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said there would be an “unprecedented” presence of law enforcement in the lead-up to the  Sugar Bowl on Thursday.

The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, the only team in the College Football Playoff field to have won a National Championship in the past four years, will host the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton will draw the first start of his collegiate career, but he’s been around the program for three years as part of the 2022 recruiting class, learning behind Stenson Bennett IV and Carson Beck. 

He set Georgia state high school records for career passing yards 13,652, 177 passing touchdowns, and 77 rushing touchdowns in his four-year run at 2A Rabun County High School, the second-smallest classification in Georgia high school football. 

Stockton originally committed to South Carolina, where current Georgia offensive coordinator Jake Bobo held the same position. Thus, comprehending the offense at a high level has been a smooth transition for Stockton.

Georgia Bulldogs alumni and current college football analyst David Pollack believes Stockton wears his emotions on his sleeve, which benefits the rest of the team. 

“I can tell you, as a football player and a defensive guy, that when my quarterback gets juiced up, I rally behind it,” he said. “When Gunner runs a guy over instead of going out of bounds, and the sideline jumps up and down like crazy, it infuses your team.” 

Smart was asked his initial thoughts about the Irish during SEC Nation on Saturday, December 21. 

“Physicality, they are a very physical football team. They are built along the line of scrimmages,” he said. “They stop the run and run the ball. Lot of respect for coach Freeman and how they do things.” 

At the All-State Sugar Bowl media day, he was asked if Notre Dame had the feel of an SEC team. 

“Their team, depth, backups, starters, offensive line, receiving core, their defensive line, they’re big, and that’s what it starts within the SEC,” Coach Smart said. “The line of scrimmages have to have size and girth because you have to take on these teams week in and week out that have great size, and Notre Dame is built that way. What you see on tape speaks louder than the paper does.” 

In all likelihood, this quarterfinal matchup will be determined by who controls the line of scrimmage and which quarterback, Stockton or Riley Leonard, can establish themselves in the run game. 

Leonard, the Duke Blue Devil transfer, has rushed for nearly 2,000 yards in his collegiate career and has 34 rushing touchdowns, 15 of which have come in his lone season with the Irish. 

Harassing the quarterback is the key to any victory, and it’s exactly what the Irish executed on Indiana Hoosier quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who accumulated ten tackles for loss and three sacks. Causing the Hoosiers to play behind the sticks all night long. 

Trevor Etienne’s return to the Bulldogs could prove to be vital as he ran for 94 yards and scored two touchdowns in the SEC Championship game. The Irish held Indiana to just 63 yards on the ground in the first round. 

The Bulldogs’ defensive presence will need to rise without Carson Beck. Thankfully for Coach Smart and company, UGA’s defense has risen to the occasion in some of the biggest games of the year, including wins over Clemson, Texas twice, and Tennessee. 

The College Football Playoff schedule is a fascinating insight into how head coaches ensure that their teams peak at the perfect time and do not become rusty with the extra rest. 

“You worry as a coach with this layoff,” Smart said. “We’ve tried to define the threats of this time off… We’ve had a long time without playing.”