Week 4: Notre Dame at Georgia
Notre Dame went down to Athens to face Georgia in what at the time was a top-10 duel between programs with hopes of a College Football Playoff run. The Fighting Irish had never previously played between the hedges, and their first visit turned into the best of the best games in Week 4 as they coughed up a 10-7 halftime lead to fall on the road.
Ian Book had to do almost everything for Notre Dame as the Georgia defense thoroughly shut down the Fighting Irish ground game. Book threw for 275 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he also tossed two interceptions and nearly gave away a third turnover on a fumble. The quarterback added 18 of Notre Dame’s 46 total rushing yards.
Georgia had no such trouble moving the ball on the ground. D’Andre Swift led the way with 98 yards and a score on 18 carries, pacing the Bulldogs to 152 rushing yards as a team. Jake Fromm didn’t throw for many yards, finishing with 187 through the air, but he was an efficient 20-of-26 and threw a touchdown.
The confidence from the huge intersectional contest fueled the Bulldogs as they returned to the SEC championship with a chance to play their way into the Playoff. For Notre Dame, the loss was the first of several black marks that prevented them from a return to the semifinals
Honorable Mentions
- SMU 41, TCU 38
- Pitt 35, UCF 34
- Appalachian State 34, North Carolina 31