tonight in Southbend sure everybody saw the pictures during the day the picturesque scene in Southbend it was a snow day and they didn’t need much time to get amped up Kur cetti he was ready to go that’s a confident cat L Skeptics there’s a lot of doubters I get it right haven’t beat a top 25 team Nebraska’s 25th and Coach P beat their ass we don’t just beat top 25 teams we beat the out of them okay coach you’re only allowed to cuss if you’re on ESPN 2 I thought everyone understood the rule all right we’re scoreless tip Riley Leonard’s passes deflected and pick D’Angelo Pon has got it and the hooers ready to roll this is a top one of the top scoring offenses in the land they score 43 a game but Curtis roor gives it right back Xavier Watts there with the pick and in the blink of an eye this game turns instead of the hooers getting on the board first there goes Jeremiah love this was the guy my guy Stanford Steve’s been talking about said I want to see what he does in the playoff what he does is go for the longest rush in Notre Dame history 98 yards Irish on the board seven to nothing the next Irish possession dearien price on the move into the Red Zone later in in the drive second and goal Riley Leonard Jaden Thomas it’s 14 to nothing and the Irish carried a 173 lead into the locker room who’s your spent 26 minutes trailing in the first half after they spent 22 minutes and 41 seconds trailing in the first half all season third and 11 early third Bryce young gets to ro they pressured him all game long ensuing Notre a possession third and 14 late hit by James Carpenter that’s a tough one I get he’s on the Irish sideline and his momentum’s carrying him in you can’t shove I guess extending those arms zetti can’t believe it it’s all getting away from his guys 17-3 let it with the dump off here anas Williams is taken down it’s Fourth Down Notre Dame sends out the field goal unit but the Irish given the way they’ve dominated defensively holding the hooers in check you figure if we get stopped to short field they snap it to Mitchell Evans he’s not going to get there but you’re going to see coach cetti running down the sidelines calling for a time out one of those times where sometimes you get lucky and Marcus Freeman he knows we got away with one there Mitchell Jeter had a nice night snap hold and kick are all good and giv the way the Irish defense was dominating this felt like pretty much a wrap at this point it’s 20 to3 late third Love Again get off me grown man behavior stiff arm another Notre Dame drive that ended in a field goal fourth quarter roor on third down to Justice Ellison and on Fourth and 11 down 17 with under 11 to go in the fourth quarter they punt now coach cetti had been as confident a guy as you’ll hear from the moment he got on the mic in Assembly Hall last year when he took the job all season long I don’t know how you punt there now Notre name Riley Leonard deep Jordan fa on down at the one Leonard with his 15th rushing touchdown of the year the most ever in a season by an Irish quarterback Indiana pushed the tempo and got aggressive late had a couple of scores recovered an onside kick and made it a 10-point game in the end but it’s the Irish who move on they’re in the win column in the college football playoff era first appearance to 2018 they got smoked by Trevor Lawrence and Clemson couple of Seasons later not a whole lot better M Jones in Alabama gave them a dose but tonight they end up winning by 10 in a game that as you saw they led by a bunch more I want to go back to the very beginning I just asked Shawn mcdna I feel like I worded it poorly because a seven nothing lead in the first quarter is not curtains but I ask you how significant a two-play sequence is a pick and a 98 yard touchdown given this who your team on the road against the Irish what’ you see there Scott it’s demoralizing I mean let’s be honest and let’s not forget Indiana just got an interception off Riley Leonard they get the short field they convert on the third down and then they throw that pick it was a poor pass by Curtis War Xavier Watts as he always does he gets that interception and then for love to go 98 that’s a back breaker I don’t want to say it’s curtains like you said but that’s demoralizing and for a team that is dominated their opponents and playing from ahead all season long that’s tough for them to overcome and as more and more the game went on we saw Notre Dame really dominate the line of scrimmage in this football game but you just have to wonder if Indiana even gets a field goal there and it’s 3 nothing not seven nothing the other way how different maybe this game could have been that was a back breaker to say the least Indiana and USC are very different in every different every possible way and the weather was very very different and I’m getting to that Notre Dame USC game the last time we saw the Irish man that USC offense was humming they hung big numbers and a lot of yards on Notre Dame this is an IU team that arrived averaging 43 a game what did Notre Dame do so well to largely keep the hooers in check until the very end I mean up front you know Riley Mills in particular and I hope he’s okay it looks like hopefully he’ll be able to make a comeback and be able to play against Georgia I just thought up for front you know getting Howard Cross the third back that helped and then I thought you know that they really out golden had some timely blitzes and I thought they attacked the interior of that not that uh Indiana offensive line had a ton of success you saw some of the speed coming off the edge 10 tackles for Lo Scott three sacks Indiana just had no chance blocking Notre Dame up front and it really took apart everything they could do running it and for Curtis RoR he started slow and he never was able to be able speed up but especially with all that pressure he was dealing with all night I want to come back to IU let’s acknowledge the season they had we know that they didn’t have great wins because their schedule didn’t afford them great opportunities within their conference etc etc but they played from ahead they didn’t just win they won by a ton and they find themselves not just down but down by a bunch how difficult is that Dusty when you find yourself in the deepest of waters in a on a stage such as this it it’s extremely difficult on the road and what was an awesome atmosphere that’s one thing that probably won’t get talked about enough our first ever home college game and the Notre Dame fans absolutely brought it so you’re dealing with a really good football team in Notre Dame an outstanding defense this crowd that’s breathing down your neck everything working against you and once you found yourself getting down multiple scores and I know Curtis Works had a lot of success and this offense has been highflying all year but that was Uncharted territories outside of Ohio State it was just something Scott that they just could not overcome throughout the course of that game and and I got to tell you like and I I I smile because that game could not have gone better for Marcus Freeman his team dominated that football game yet in the end they give up a little defensively so there’ll be plenty for him to address uh these next couple of weeks leading to Georgia and it’s it’s a a great honor to obviously be uh a part of what’s to come um and I don’t want to downplay that but tonight is about tonight right and about what this team did to you know achieve the the outcome that we all desired and so I want them to celebrate that I want them not to look past tonight celebrate tonight celebrate this victory that they work tremendously hard to achieve and obtain and then um I told them they have tomorrow off they can take one day off and we’ll get them back on Sunday but uh then we’ll start thinking about the Sugar Bowl um any the opportunity we have at hand but you don’t get enough time in life and and enough time in situations like this not to enjoy it and uh I was reminded by that by a couple people I talked to but also just talking to the team enjoy this enjoy this don’t look ahead enjoy this and then we’ll move forward but proud of the way they played I told Coach um cetti after the game I think that’s a heck of a football team we faced um that obviously showed wouldn’t quit wouldn’t quit till the end um you know some good teaching opportunities for us we’re going to use those that fourth quarter defensively special teams wise we got to learn from some of those situations that happened in that game cuz we have to be better because of it and uh I’m actually kind of glad it did happen you know cuz it’s going to be a chance for us to to Humble humble ourselves and get back to work and they probably got you know more depth uh than we do and they pray have some Frontline guys that are just a little bit bigger stronger faster than than our guys rcking the back uh back here um you guys are down 23 I think like 11 12 minutes to go three scores behind you decided to punt there what what went through your mind not going I mean I didn’t want to punt but we have we were doing nothing on offense and our defense was fighting you know that was the only positive really that I could draw is our defense was still fighting cuz offense was doing nothing and I didn’t want to go fourth and 10 you know it’s like you’re just wishing and hoping you have nothing to base it on that you can convert fourth and 10 at that point right there’s still time if you punt to win the game um so that was the reason why I didn’t want to do it but I felt like it was the best move I didn’t get the punt to be honest with you disappointing end for the for the hooers to the season of course it is it sucks anytime any season ends but there isn’t a single fan of the hooers on planet Earth who thought that they would be playing Notre Dame in round one of the playoffs not one saw a lot of predictable complaining tonight about their relative Merit and honestly we’re way past that they were in the playoff and they just got beat they changed not just the perception of their football program this year but the reality of it as well Kurt cetti won coach of the year they have a ton of dough in the nil and they intend to compete it will not be easy your schedule will not be as easy every year as it was this year but I believe the days of an empty stadium in Bloomington and three win Seasons they appear to be a thing of the past minus one and a half and has moved two and a half points in Georgia’s direction as the Bulldogs currently favorites Notre name money line open by the way minus 120 dogs in the Irish have met three times before first in the 1981 Sugar Bowl a freshman by the name of herel Walker LED Georgia with 150 yards we about to talk Bulldogs by woo go no w w wo they were 12-0 that year and when they were named national champions for the first time in program history they wouldn’t meet again until week two of the 2017 season that was in South B as well Georgia 20 to9 lead in the fourth quarter on a go-ahead field goal by Rodrigo blankin ship later sealing the game on a strip sack it was Kirby Smart’s first road win against a ranked team in his coaching career the last time they met September of 2019 it was Athens another victory for the dogs it was a 23- 17 win to open the season and they will meet again in the Sugar Bowl Dusty dorek back with us and just a wide open birth I ask you what stands out when I say Notre name and Georgia will play on New Year’s Day defense defense defense it’s going to be a defensive Throwdown you know I like like that Scott yes sir but look this Notre a defense it is legit I mean really all three levels and at times Georgia has reminded us they’re still the most physical best defense you look at the two wins over Texas we’re in those two games 13 sacks 25 tackles for loss in those two games so I just think it’s going to be an old school you know roll your sleeves up defensive slugfest and obviously you know Gunner Stockton his first start in this game what does that look like I’ll tell you what I saw from Georgia against Texas in that second half I saw everybody around Gunner Stockton raise their level of game I saw Trevor etn and Frasier get running downhill making plays that offensive line moving a great Texas front off the football so you know Kirby Smart’s going to have him ready to play and you know the other players around Gunner Stockton are going to step up but the first thing that jumps off the page to me these two defenses two of the best in college football that’s going to be on full display in that Sugar Bowl three more games coming Saturday beginning noon Eastern Time white out let’s go Maddie Ben State host in SMU both teams making their first playoff appearance it’ll be the third time they’ve met in history the first since 1978 none of these none of these young men were alive at that point and weren’t for actually decades at four Eastern it’s Clemson and Texas different shades of orange Dabo and the Tigers their seventh playoff appearance Texas in its second back-to-back years both the starting quarterbacks that’s Club Nick and your they met in the high school 2020 Texas state championship game cool deal there and then the night cap Columbus it’s Tennessee and Ohio State balls first trip to the playoff Buckey making their sixth Ohio State leads the nation in points per game allowed Tennessee isn’t far behind the fourth viest strength on strength there in Columbus so there’s a look again at the bracket Dusty dorek kind enough to wait for a moment as we visited with Coach Freeman and there are three matchups tomorrow you’ll be calling one with Dave Pash it’s a game obviously in preparing for that Dusty you’ve thought of every angle everything that that is interesting about it and I’d ask you what’s most interesting about the horns and the Tigers well the Kate kmck thing you just tucked on you know him playing Quinn ERS in the state championship he’s 10 miles from the stadium is where he grew up his entire life and he’s been one of the most improved players in all of college football third in the country Scott 3 three touchdown passes he’s got some weapons outside with Antonio Williams uh the Freshman Wesco and TJ Moore and they’re really starting a jail as a passing attack and Texas bolsters the number one pass defense in the country number three and interceptions they got the Thorp Award winner and j a baron they got a second team All-America a Michael Taff who was teammates with Kade kumnick and Austin Westlake when they won that state championship so I think I think Kate kumnick has got to be a star I think he’s got to come back home be the hero Phil mafa is banged up he hasn’t been running it as well but if Kade Club Nick can lead this team with his arm with his legs I think that you’re going to see Clemson show up with some real fight and some grit against one of the most complete teams in college football in the Texas Longhorns every single coach that I’ve ever talked to loves to slip on that Underdog cape and play that nobody believes on as hell Kirby tried to convince his guys that all of us in the meia said the dogs are going to be five and eight or something which just isn’t true but in this case I think davo has to know we really are underdogs in this game what’s your sense in talking to him about the challenge that he sees in the Longhorns well he’s a confident guy now Scott I mean he’s been to this is his seventh playoff that he’s taken a team to only one short of Alabama at eight and I got to tell you man knowing that they lost to South Carolina in dramatic fashion late but then coming back getting that win the walk-off win he told us this week that his team has got a lot of confidence right now and I would just say this nobody is going to play that Underdog role better than Davos Sweeney and it’s not fake this time as you alluded to this is a really good Texas team they know they’re you know close to two touchdown underdogs coming in here but he likes this team he loves the leadership of this team he’s got a quarterback that’s playing well some legit NFL players on the defensive side and hey man dabo’s been saying all week long us against the world his team’s bought into it and I think that they’re going to show up and we’re going to see the best of Clemson in this playoff spot tomorrow afternoon they’re a big dog we saw Indiana struggle as a big dog against Indiana tonight is there a dog that you say you know what that’s a live dog that’s a team that could win on the road this week if so who is it what dog is barking uh that’s what you’re asking or should I say he’s got a little bite I’m going to go with the Tennessee Volunteers I I think that that matchup tomorrow night Under The Lights those programs in Columbus is fascinating to me is The Hangover gone Scott like is The Hangover gone for Michigan I don’t think any of us know but I’m going tell you this Josh Hy’s got a good football team they can do two things they can run a football at Dylan Samson and they can play defense and the matchup to me Scott is that defensive line of Tennessee because James Pearson company they go 1012 deep top 10 in tackles for loss one of the best pressure teams in college football and you know this that Ohio State offensive line they’ve dealt with injuries joshh Simmons Seth McLaughlin those guys are out they struggle to block Michigan can Tennessee dominate the line of scrimmage and shut down that rushing attack get after will Howard if they can it could be a long night in Columbus Ohio tomorrow evening that’s the night cap it gets started with uh SMU visiting Penn State it’s snowed in Happy Valley these guys from Dallas people are talking like smu’s got no chance but we know that that’s just that’s never the case they’re in this playoff for a reason if there’s a script for them to follow to have an opportunity to leave their Victorious what’s it look like Dusty look they’ve got to stop the run Scott look Penn State hangs their hat on run the football they got a good physical offens of line they got a two-headed monster running back with Singleton and Allen both those guys are over 800 yards they rush for over 200 yards as a team so that’s who they want to be now they’re going to mix in Drew Aller but the thing about SMU red Lashley smart now he utilized that portal he’s got some legit guys and depth on that defensive line they’re fourth in Rush defense this season holding opponents to 93 yards if they can sty me that rushing attack of Penn State and force Drew all to beat them I think they got a shot to go in there and make this a ball game and Kevin jinnings look he ain’t no punk right he had a slow sluggish start against Clemson he was excellent those last three quarters and I know Abdul Carter and that Rush at Penn State’s going to be really good and give SM fits but Kevin Jen’s got some Mobility some shakes some move around can extend plays but the key to this whole thing can SMU stop Penn State’s rushing attack if they can’t it’s going to be a long morning a long early afternoon if they can strap up baby we might have ourselves a good ball game you know my gu Stanford Steve and I like to talk about signing up for 60 and SMU did against Clemson they battled until the very end and that fight I think probably got them onto this grid and that opportunity they’ll have at noon you’ll be on the call with Dave Pash for Eastern and a and we look forward to watching man thanks so much for making the time for us here tonight my friend thanks scvp appreciate you
