CNN
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The final game of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals –between Georgia and Notre Dame – is here, with the chance to face Penn State in the Orange Bowl on January 9 up for grabs.
The mood, however, is somber in New Orleans, with the city 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 will take place. The attacker is also dead.
The game, originally due to kick off at 8:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, was subsequently postponed and now has a new start time of 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.
A moment of silence honoring the victims of the attack will be held before the start of the game, a Sugar Bowl spokesperson told CNN. The moment is set to happen before the playing of the National Anthem.
While the victims and their families remain in the hearts of players, coaches and officials, those involved in the game are remaining focused on the task on the field.
How to watch the rescheduled Sugar Bowl
The game will still be broadcast on ESPN, with a new start time of 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.
What have those involved in the Sugar Bowl said about the attack?
In a media briefing in the hours after the attack, Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley announced that the game would be postponed.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families as we work through this,” he later said in a statement.
“Any time we have an event like the Sugar Bowl, public safety is paramount, and all parties involved agree that could only be achieved with a postponement. Now, we will move ahead to take care of the details to make the Sugar Bowl the first-class, fun and safe event that it has been for over 90 years.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman joined Hundley in paying respect to those involved.
“We’re hurt for all those affected by this tragedy. The city of New Orleans has welcomed us with open arms and we join them in prayers for all those victims and families that are affected by this tragedy,” he told ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Freeman said that he held a meeting with players on Wednesday. “The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country,” he said. “But the end of the meeting was to redirect our focus to preparing for this game.”
Will there be any other changes to the Sugar Bowl?
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said there would be an increased police presence for Thursday’s game.
“We are going to have absolutely hundreds of officers and staff lining our streets, lining Bourbon Street, lining the French Quarter,” she told NBC’s Today show Thursday morning. “So we are staffing up at the same level, if not more so, than what we were preparing for the Super Bowl.”
A Sugar Bowl spokesperson told CNN that there will be enhanced security at the Superdome, and that fans should plan to arrive early.
The spokesperson also said that parking will not be affected other than the enhanced security measures, and there will be no changes to what can and cannot be brought to the game. All tickets to attend the game remain valid.
Georgia vs. Notre Dame preview
Trivial though it may be in comparison to the attack, Thursday’s game is a huge deal for both the Bulldogs and the Fighting Irish.
At stake is a place in the College Football Playoff semifinals, where the winner will face the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Georgia is 3-0 in games against Notre Dame, with the most famous meeting coming 45 years ago when the Bulldogs won the 1981 Sugar Bowl to complete a 12-0 season and secure their second claimed national championship.
Indeed, history would suggest that Georgia has the upper hand, with head coach Kirby Smart holding a 6-2 record in playoff games.
However, the Bulldogs will be without starting quarterback Carson Beck after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery to deal with an injury he sustained in Georgia’s SEC championship win over Texas on December 7 and then subsequently declared for the NFL draft.
Gunner Stockton is his replacement. The sophomore was 12-of-16 passing for 71 yards and an interception following his introduction in the game against the Longhorns. In his very limited minutes across two years as a backup QB, he has just two touchdowns to his name, neither of which came in 2024.
He faces off against a defense that has three championship-level players Xavier Watts, Jaiden Ausberry and Rylie Mills.
The Fighting Irish have won their last 11 contests and are 5-0 in games against AP Top 25 teams this season.
Their offense is powered by signal caller Riley Leonard, who has thrown for 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.
Running back Jeremiyah Love will likely also prove crucial. The 19-year-old has rushed for 1,057 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He has recorded 100-plus yards in three of Notre Dame’s last four games, and 99 in the other.
CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to reporting.