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Notre Dame is headed to the College Football Playoff semifinals after defeating second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The game took place in New Orleans, just a day after an attack on New Year’s celebrations left 14 people dead.

The Fighting Irish’s dominant performance, a 23-10 victory, means all four teams that had a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff are now eliminated.

The game started slowly for both teams, the defense dominated and the Georgia punter was hit by the same Irish defender on two straight punts in the first quarter. The decisive phase came on both sides of the half when Notre Dame took the game by the collar.

With the game tied 3-3, the Irish kicked a field goal with 39 seconds left in the half to take a slight lead. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Fighting Irish defensive lineman RJ Oben sacked Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton, and Notre Dame recovered the fumble to establish good field position for their offense just before halftime.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard delivered a quick strike to wide receiver Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown, taking a 13-3 lead into the locker room.

The Fighting Irish didn’t stop there – wide receiver Jayden Harrison returned the opening kickoff for 98 yards, putting the Irish in dominant position, 20-3. According to the ESPN broadcast, Notre Dame’s 17-point scoring blitz lasted just 54 seconds of actual game time.

Replacing the injured Carson Beck, Stockton rushed for 234 yards and a touchdown.

Despite Georgia’s lack of points and spotty play, Stockton looked good in his first career start on one of the biggest stages. The redshirt sophomore connected with running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard score, making it 20-10, but it wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs. The Irish added a field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the game and used intense defense and offense on offense to tie the game in the final quarter.

Leonard, a transfer from Duke, led the Fighting Irish’s consistent offense, finishing the game with 90 passing yards and a touchdown while adding another 80 yards on the ground.

After suffering his players’ traditional Gatorade dunk following the win, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said he was proud of his team’s performance in all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams. while honoring the school itself.

“We spent time and effort trying to find a way to get possession back and really utilize that third phase (special teams),” he told ESPN. “I am proud of this coaching team. I’m proud of this team. I love this university. It’s an honor to be part of this place.”

The victory secured Notre Dame’s 13th win, the most in school history.

However, the mood in New Orleans was somber. The city was in mourning after 14 people were killed and dozens injured when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations early Wednesday morning on Bourbon Street, less than a mile from the Caesars Superdome, where the game was being held. The attacker is also dead.

Before the national anthem, a minute’s silence was held to honor the victims of the New Orleans attack, with fans in attendance chanting “USA! USA!” USA!” shouted. USA! USA!”

The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday evening but was postponed until Thursday afternoon after both teams, local authorities, ESPN and others agreed to an earlier kickoff.

After the game, Freeman applauded his players for handling their emotions over the past 24 hours.

“We spent some time together,” Freeman said. “And I think that’s what you do in difficult moments. You want to spend time with family and that’s who we are. But they found a way to prepare for the opportunity and refocus.

“And again, it’s unprecedented. Life – you know, I told you this morning that there are things in life that are unpredictable. And the ability to deal with these unpredictable things determines success. And they have handled this incident, this change, but everything that has come their way in an incredible way.”

Leonard also thanked the New Orleans Police Department for “responding so quickly after the events and creating a safe environment for us to play in today.”

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was asked after the game how the tragedy may have affected the game, which he downplayed.

“I’m not desensitizing what happened, okay? This was a very traumatic event,” Smart told reporters. “But this team was focused and ready to play. So I’m not going to sit here and talk about the tragedy that befell our team.

“Notre Dame played well. We didn’t play great. But when we turned the ball over twice and got a kickoff returned, I attribute the loss to that. Not on the tragedy or what happened. And that is no disrespect to the New Orleans community or the people who have suffered tragic losses.”

The postseason round will bring fans two heavyweight fights between four bluebloods.

Sixth-seeded Penn State will face seventh-seeded Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Fifth-seeded Texas and eighth-seeded Ohio State will face off in the Cotton Bowl on January 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The CFP culminates in Atlanta on January 20th with the national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

This story has been updated with additional information.