Notre Dame defeated Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl to punch its ticket to the Orange Bowl against Penn State. The College Football Playoff semifinals are set, with Penn State and Notre Dame facing off on Thursday, January 9th, and Texas and Ohio State on Friday, January 10th.

It was a defensive battle for most of the game, but a 17-point effort between the end of the first half and the start of the second half was enough for the Irish to defeat the two-seeded Bulldogs.

Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter hit a 48-yard field goal with less than a minute to play in the first half to give the Irish a 6-3 lead. On the first play after kickoff, the Irish sacked Gunner Stockton and took over in the red zone with about 30 seconds left in the first half. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard found his receiver Beaux Collins in the end zone on the next play, giving the Irish a 13-3 lead at halftime.

The game was completely halted early in the second half when Jayden Harrison returned the second half kickoff 98 yards to the end zone, giving Notre Dame a 20-3 lead early in the third quarter.

Notre Dame had fewer than 100 yards, but its running game far exceeded UGA’s in a 154-62 ground victory over the Bulldogs. Georgia was able to move the ball through the air as Carson Beck’s backup, Gunner Stockton, threw for 234 and a touchdown. However, Georgia was 0-for-2 on crucial fourth downs and couldn’t overcome the 17-point swing midway through the game.

Leonard continued to make big plays with his legs as he had done all season, leading the game with 80 yards on the ground on 14 attempts. The Notre Dame defense lived up to its reputation, forcing two fumbles for the fifth-ranked takeaway defense in the country.

The Irish beat the Bulldogs by 52 fewer yards than Georgia, and Notre Dame’s total yards of 244 were the lowest total yards in a win in College Football Playoff history. After Oregon lost to Ohio State last night, the Irish now have the longest winning streak in the country at 12 in a row since their Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois.