Tale of tape
Notre Dame didn’t make it to the Sugar Bowl by having a lousy offense. As one of eight teams left standing in the College Football Playoff, the Irish have provided a blueprint for how to play at least this late into the season.
While the Irish may not be the best team overall, they still are very good, and the offense is a big reason for that. The passing has been decent, but the running game and scoring have been elite, and both are expected to be on display in New Orleans.
At first glance, Georgia has a nice defense, but Indiana also had one, and the Irish absolutely carved that unit up. Then again, the Bulldogs built their resume as an SEC member, so one could argue that there’s more weight to that one than the Hoosiers feasting on lesser Big Ten teams.
We’ll see which side proves to be better on New Year’s Day, but for now, here’s how they rank statistically:
Passing yards/game
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) throws against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Terry Jones Jr. (12) during the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Passing yards/attempt
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) drops to throw during the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Rushing yards/game
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs against Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) during the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Rushing yards/attempt
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Shawn Asbury II (1) during the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Points/game
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jayden Thomas (83) catches a touchdown against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Amare Ferrell (25) during the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame offense vs. Georgia defense