In the wake of the deadly attack incident in New Orleans early Wednesday morning that killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens, the Sugar Bowl was postponed and rescheduled for Thursday.
Notre Dame and Georgia will now face off at the Superdome in the final College Football Playoff quarterfinal, with the winner advancing to face Penn State in the national semifinals last week.
Security will be heightened for the game, less than a mile from where the attack occurred and FBI officials said Thursday they believe the “act of terrorism” was carried out by a lone wolf. On Thursday before the game, tourists filled the French Quarter before Bourbon Street was officially reopened at 3 p.m. ET.
On the field, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck suffered an injury in the SEC championship game and will not play in the Sugar Bowl after undergoing elbow surgery – with Gunner Stockton expected to step in under center for the Bulldogs.
Notre Dame reached the quarterfinals by defeating in-state rival Indiana 27-17 in the first round, while Georgia had a bye as the Playoff’s No. 2 seed.
Keep it here for updates throughout the day:
Biden provided a video message before the start of the ESPN broadcast in response to the New Orleans terror attack.
Notre Dame called the toss. The Fighting Irish have decided to defer their choice for the second half of the game. Georgia will receive the ball.
The Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs was rescheduled for Thursday and kicks off at 4 p.m. ET at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
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The Sugar Bowl game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Live streaming is available on Fubo, which has a free trial.
NEW ORLEANS — An estimated 500 Notre Dame football supporters gathered at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside late Wednesday morning for the Catholic Mass that is traditionally held on game days.
This experience, however, was sadly different after Wednesday morning’s attack on Bourbon Street.
“This is what we do, right?” Rev. Nate Wills said in an interview after presiding over the service.
– Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune
NEW ORLEANS — The Georgia football team arrived Thursday afternoon to the Superdome about two hours prior to kickoff.
It came a day after the Sugar Bowl was postponed after a terror attack on Bourbon Street killed 14 and injured dozens of others hours after the new year. Coach Kirby Smart was asked on ESPN by Marty Smith on the field as players headed to the locker room what the last couple of days have been like in New Orleans.
“Tragic,” Smart said in his first public comments since the attack. “A lot of people lost their lives. It’s saddening and scary. … These kids want to come play a football game and do what they love to do and they’ve got an opportunity to do that today.”
– Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald
More on Kirby:Kirby Smart reflects on ‘tragic’ attack in New Orleans: ‘Things are bigger than football’
Bourbon Street reopened for business at about 2 p.m. local time on Thursday, and tourists immediately began flooding in amidst a heavy police presence.“We open! We open!” called security guard Harry Walker, 32, as he swung back the doors to one of the street’s multiple Slush Daiquiris bars.Walker said the street’s closure has hurt bartenders and other servers who depend heavily on tourist tips. Louisiana’s minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 an hour.
– Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
NEW ORLEANS – Seven minutes.
That’s how long the GPS says it should take the charter bus from the Sheraton Canal Street to the Caesars Superdome in advance of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl quarterfinal game between Notre Dame and Georgia.
Traffic, both on foot and in the street, was heavier late Thursday morning than Wednesday afternoon, when seemingly no one was around for blocks. Poydras Street is a collection of green street lights and red brake lights. And flashing lights. There remains a heavy police presence around the Superdome following Wednesday’s morning’s attack on Bourbon Street. When the media shuttle pulls into the parking garage – nine minutes after departing – officials conduct a thorough search of the luggage bays.
Media are escorted from the bus into the Dome garage, which leads to media check in. It resembled a TSA airport security line, with no pre-check option. Even at half past 10, the line stretches through the underground garage and is 25-30 deep. It takes 20 minutes to clear security – laptop in a bin, everything out of your pockets, but please, keep your shoes on.
Once inside the Dome, it looks and feels like business as usual. Doors don’t open to fans until 1 p.m. local ahead of kickoff at 3. On the field, the Georgia marching band works through its program. Officials are there to point the way to the field, to the work room and to the press box way up high.
It starts to feel again like football. Finally. – Tom Noie, South Bend (Ind.) Tribune
NEW ORLEANS — Outside the Superdome late Thursday morning was a Jefferson Parrish Sheriff’s Office mobile command center and about a half dozen trucks lining a street.
New Orleans police also were spotted and a dog from a K-9 unit was brought up to help make sure a media bus approaching a gate had no suspicious cargo. New Orleans police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said hundreds of local, federal and military police will enhance the Sugar Bowl security lining the streets.
“We are staffing up at the same level, if not, what we were preparing for the Super Bowl,” Kirkpatrick told NBC’s Today Show. The Super Bowl will be held in the Superdome on Feb. 9. Capacity is around 68,000.
The ATF was called in bringing explosive detection canines to use at the Superdome and other areas, ATF special agent Joshua Jackson said at a Thursday morning press briefing. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landy told Fox News that expanded road closures was part of the plan.
There were long lines outside some restaurants less than a mile from the stadium with fans trying to get a table for a pregame meal.
Gates open at 1 p.m. CT, two hours before kickoff. – Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald
Both Georgia and Notre Dame were on lockdown at the hotel on Wednesday while police investigated the deadly attack. But, the Bulldogs were seen leaving the hotel for a walkthrough last night as fans looked on.
Paul Myerberg writes: “Here’s the first major upset of the playoff. One thing to keep in mind is the potential availability of quarterback Carson Beck, who was injured just before halftime of the SEC championship game and underwent an MRI on Sunday. Even if he’s back in the lineup, will Beck be healthy enough to deliver against the nation’s best pass defense? Notre Dame has allowed opponents to complete just 48.7% of attempts with 17 interceptions against just nine touchdowns.”
Adam Rittenberg writes: “Expect the defenses to shine in this game, which likely will come down to turnovers, special teams and field position. But Georgia doesn’t defend the run as well as it normally does, and Notre Dame’s ability to move the ball with its trident of Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Riley Leonard will show up in the second half. Georgia makes a late charge before Xavier Watts seals the win with an interception.”
Pete Fiutak writes: “Notre Dame has everything in place to win this, win again, and win again to become the national champion, but it’s playoff time. Until proven otherwise, assume we’re getting Playoff Georgia in a low scoring defensive fight. The D will come through against Leonard enough in the second half to grind this out.”
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are favorites to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs, according to BetMGM.
Odds as of Wednesday, Jan. 1
The CFP semifinal games will be played on January 9 and 10.
Thursday, Jan. 9
Friday, Jan. 10
Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
Friday, Dec. 20
Saturday, Dec. 21
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Georgia Bulldogs have faced each other three times in their history. Georgia owns a 3-0 record in the series.
The Bulldogs beat the Fighting Irish in the most recent match-up, 23-17, on Sept. 21, 2019.
Marcus Freeman looks good on Notre Dame. Beating Georgia would make him look so much better.
The Fighting Irish’s first College Football Playoff victory in program history affirmed Notre Dame doesn’t miss Brian Kelly.
That’s a delicious comeuppance for Irish fans who for the past three years harbored two favorite teams: Notre Dame, and whichever team played Kelly’s LSU Tigers. Sometimes, it seemed as if the pecking order might be flipped.” — Blake Toppmeyer
Monday, Jan. 20
Former Princeton football player Tiger Bech was killed in the New Orleans truck attack early Wednesday morning, his brother, TCU standout Jack Bech, confirmed on social media.
Jack Bech led the Horned Frogs with 1,039 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this season, emerging as one of the best receivers in the country in 2024. Tiger Bech, 28, was an All-Ivy League performer, spending three seasons at Princeton from 2016-18.
“Love you always brother,” Bech wrote on X. “You inspired me (every day) now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family T, don’t worry. This is for us.” — Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network
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