Georgia's Kirby Smart makes painful admission about Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame
01/02/2025 11:19 PM
Georgia football established itself as a yearly perennial contender for the national title under Kirby Smart. Notre Dame, however, pummeled Smart’s Bulldogs 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl Thursday — eliminating them from the College Football Playoffs.
Smart watched Riley Leonard run through his defense with his legs. The Notre Dame defense also forced Georgia into a stunning record set in the contest. The loss left Smart to deliver a painful admission after the game, per Tyler James of Rivals.
“Kirby Smart calls this the toughest year of his Georgia tenure,” James shared on X.
The head coach won’t lead his team into the final four of the 12-team CFP. Smart spoiled Georgia with two national championships in 2021 and 2022, plus entered 2024 winning an astonishing 42 of 44 games.
But now, this loss caps off what became a rather challenging year in Athens for the multiple national title winner.
Georgia and Kirby Smart’s 2024 in a nutshell
Notre Dame did more than outcoach and outplay the Southeastern Conference heavyweight. The Fighting Irish put an end to a rather up-and-down ’24 season for Georgia.
The Bulldogs and Smart outscored their first two opponents Clemson and Tennessee Tech 82-6. But Georgia’s SEC opener witnessed a scare. Kentucky nearly knocked off the Bulldogs, with Georgia escaping 13-12 down in Lexington. Alabama then picked apart Georgia before the game ended in a 31-24 thriller won by the Crimson Tide.
Smart and Georgia then endured a major letdown in Oxford — falling 28-10 to Ole Miss which damaged the Bulldogs’ SEC title game hopes. The Bulldogs managed to win their next four games. Albeit the last two wins over Georgia Tech and Texas (for the SEC championship) came in nail-biting fashion in overtime.
Georgia looked sloppy throughout the afternoon in New Orleans. The Bulldogs mustered only 296 total yards, including 62 rushing. Smart’s team delivered porous results on third down — converting two out of 12 conversions there. Lastly, Georgia lost two fumbles on offense.
The former top five ranked Bulldogs even had to operate without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who nursed an injured elbow. Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman drew up a masterful attack plan for new starter Gunner Stockton. His unit sacked the backup four times and held him to 234 passing yards.
Notre Dame advanced onto the semifinals of the CFP where Penn State now awaits the Fighting Irish. But the Irish handed Georgia and Smart this rare mark: Their third loss of the season, snapping a six-season streak of avoiding that many defeats. The Sugar Bowl performance encapsulates a rather down year for Smart and Georgia.
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