Texas AD on NFL interest in Steve Sarkisian: 'That's stupid'
Del Conte hired Sarkisian as head coach at Texas and 51 weeks ago signed him to a four-year contract extension as the job at Alabama opened due to Nick Saban's retirement.
But the timing of the latest reports, including from ESPN's Adam Schefter, that NFL teams could kick the tires on Sarkisian didn't sit well with Del Conte.
"We've got a game to play," he told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm not going to comment. Somebody's just creating fodder before our biggest game. That's stupid."
Texas plays Ohio State on Friday in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns are in college football's final four for the second consecutive year. The Longhorns lost 37-31 to the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl last January.
NFL interest isn't news for Sarkisian. He previously worked as an assistant coach with the Falcons and Raiders.
Sarkisian, in his fourth season at Texas, is under contract through the 2030 season. He received a pay increase to more than $10 million from $5.6 million annually last January, when Del Conte said Texas was "never worried" about Sarkisian bolting back to Alabama. Sarkisian was offensive coordinator under Saban with the Crimson Tide.
Clemson fires defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin
Goodwin was promoted to replace Brent Venables in 2022. Swinney said he informed Goodwin of the decision Sunday night.
"Wes has been a part of our program for 13 of the past 16 years, and he played an instrumental part in all of our success," Swinney said in a statement Monday. "I love Wes and his family and wish him all the best as he continues his journey. I know he has a bright future ahead."
Swinney said he hopes to have a new DC in place by the end of the month "or sooner."
Clemson extended Goodwin last February and owes him $1.5 million in 2025 and $1.6 million in 2026, according to the Post & Courier. The matter would go to mitigation if Goodwin lands another job, per the report.
Clemson allowed 160.6 rushing yards per game this past season, its worst performance since 2011, according to ESPN. In its last season under Venables in 2021, Clemson was seventh in the country against the run (96.3 yards per game) and No. 8 in total defense. Venables left Clemson to become the head coach at Oklahoma.
Clemson (10-4) qualified for the College Football Playoff and lost to Texas in a first-round game, 38-24.
CFP quarterfinals earn mixed TV ratings
In its first year with a 12-team field, the CFP has generated plenty of buzz. The most-watched quarterfinal was the Rose Bowl, eighth-seeded Ohio State's 41-21 drubbing of No. 1 seed Oregon, which averaged 21.1 million viewers.
Still, last year's Rose Bowl -- which was a semifinal game due to the four-team field under the CFP's previous format -- had a larger audience. An average of 27.2 million viewers watched Michigan, the No. 1 seed, edge Alabama, the No. 4 seed, 27-20 in overtime.
In this season's Peach Bowl, fifth-seeded Texas outlasted fourth-seeded Arizona State for a 39-31 victory in double overtime while drawing an average of 17.3 million viewers. The Sugar Bowl brought in an average of 15.8 million viewers, even after it had to be postponed from Wednesday to Thursday because of a domestic terrorist attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people.
No. 7 seed Notre Dame beat No. 2 seed Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl.
Sixth-seeded Penn State's 31-14 win over No. 3 seed Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl was the least-watched quarterfinal, with an average of 13.8 million viewers.
Branch brothers to transfer from USC to Georgia
Also a star punt and kick returner, Zachariah Branch was USC's second-leading receiver in 2024, gaining 503 yards and scoring just one touchdown on 47 receptions. He has 78 catches for 823 yards and four total touchdowns (three receiving, one rushing) over two college campaigns.
He was an All-American in 2023 and won the Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers Award as the country's top return specialist. He led NCAA FBS in punt return average (20.8 yards) in 2023, also pacing the Pac-12 with 332 punt return yards. He averaged 5.7 yards on 13 returns in 2024.
Zachariah Branch has one career TD on a punt return and one on a kickoff return.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, he is the No. 4 player and No. 2 wide receiver in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.
Zion Branch, who like his younger brother has two years of eligibility remaining, is the No. 269 overall player and No. 16 safety in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.
He finished the season with 19 tackles, one sack and three pass breakups in 12 games. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has 41 career tackles in 21 games. He ended the 2022 and 2023 seasons early due to injuries.
"I chose the University of Georgia because of its great coaching staff, their pedigree and the history of the program," Zion Branch told ESPN. "Georgia has consistently been one of the best programs in college football, and the culture of excellence they've built is something I want to be a part of. The coaches are not just about winning games; they're about building character, fostering growth and pushing players to be their absolute best both on and off the field."
The brothers, who are Las Vegas natives, join former USC assistant Donte Williams, a defensive backs coach at Georgia since December 2023.
QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele leaves Oregon, heads to Cal
Sagapolutele took part in Ducks' practices prior to their New Year's Day loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. On Sunday, his name showed up in the NCAA transfer portal and he immediately committed to Cal again, with the school reporting his signing on social media.
According to On3, Sagapolutele said he decided to head to Cal after spending time in the Oregon program and seeing that he wouldn't start as a freshman. Dante Moore is in line to replace Dillon Gabriel, who is out of eligibility, and Cal has an immediate open following the transfer of starter Fernando Mendoza to Indiana.
Moore, who was a five-star quarterback in the Class of 2023, transferred to Oregon after spending one season at UCLA. Sagapolutele was a four-star prospect in the 2024 class, ranked as the No. 8 quarterback and the No. 1 player from Hawaii by 247Sports.
Michigan QB Davis Warren has torn ACL
The Wolverines defeated Alabama 19-13, and Warren was 9-of-12 passing for 73 yards and a touchdown before the injury in the bowl game.
Warren, a Southern California native, posted a photo of himself on X on Saturday, showing him relaxing in the sun in a lounge chair, with a thigh-to-ankle brace on his knee visible below his shorts.
"Celebrating a win and so proud of the way the boys finished this season! I unfortunately suffered a torn ACL in the bowl game," he wrote. "Thanks to the Michigan faithful for all the support this season. Can't wait to battle to be back on the field with my guys in AA (Ann Arbor) and go blue!"
Warren joined the Wolverines as a walk-on in 2021 and took a redshirt season. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
In 2024, he started nine games, including the ReliaQuest Bowl and the big win against Ohio State in the regular-season finale. He threw for 1,199 passing yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He will have competition for the starting job in 2025 when Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and the No. 1 player in the 2025 class, Bryce Underwood, take part in training camp in Ann Arbor.
Keene has thrown for 8,245 yards at UCF (2021-22) and Fresno State (2023-24), completing 67.8 percent of his passes. He has 65 touchdowns and 28 career interceptions.
Buffalo wins fifth straight, stymies Liberty in Bahamas Bowl
C.J. Ogbonna was 9-of-19 passing for 137 yards and Upton Bellenfant booted four field goals as the Bulls (9-4) finished the season on a five-game winning streak. They outgained the Flames 359-242.
Ryan Hunter, making his second career start, was 4-of-12 passing for 40 yards before giving way to backup Nate Hampton. Hampton tossed the pick-six that Murdock returned 31 untouched yards with 12:09 left in the game. Hampton bounced back to hit Reese Smith for a 36-yard touchdown with seven minutes remaining for Liberty's only points.
Liberty (8-4) was damaged by opt-outs and the transfer portal before the bowl game. It lost quarterback Kaidon Salter -- who led it to the Group of 5 spot in the BCS last season -- to Colorado, and saw running back Quinton Cooley (1,254 rushing yards) opt out.
Without that duo, the Flames generated just two legitimate scoring threats before their one touchdown. The first was just before halftime but ended when Colin Karhu pushed a 49-yard field goal wide right with seven seconds left.
The second came in the third quarter after Henderson's 45-yard touchdown run gave Buffalo a 16-0 lead at the 12:01 mark. Burger scrambled for 57 yards to the Bulls' 15, then picked up first-down yardage on a third-down run from the 10. But Murdock's hit dislodged the ball at the 5 and teammate Daishon Folsom recovered in the end zone for a touchback.
Bellenfant produced the only points in the first half with three field goals. He connected from 52 and 43 yards in the first quarter and then started the second quarter with a 20-yarder. Bellenfant added a 45-yarder with 12:28 left in the game.
Murdock finished with 13 tackles and two forced fumbles, while teammate and consensus All-American linebacker Shaun Dolac made nine tackles with a half-sack.
Father of Georgia coach Kirby Smart dies after Sugar Bowl fall
"Sonny fell while walking during the day on New Year's Eve in New Orleans and fractured his hip," the statement said. "He was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications arose. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries."
Sonny Smart was a longtime high school coach in Alabama and Georgia, including coaching football at Holtville High School in Alabama while also leading the baseball team to the state title in 1982.
The University of Georgia said the elder Smart passed away surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their three children, Karl, Kirby and Kendall.
Kirby Smart was able to visit his father in the hospital several times before and after Georgia's 23-10 loss in the Sugar Bowl, which was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday following a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street early New Year's Day that killed 14 people and injured dozens more.
The Smart family thanked the Ochsner Medical Center staff in New Orleans in the school's statement.
"Additionally, they ask for your continued prayers for those affected by the tragic events that occurred in the early hours of New Year's Day," the statement said. "The Smart family treasures everyone's thoughts and prayers and now prays for God's comfort, strength, and guidance."
Sonny Smart played college football at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He coached while Kirby played safety at Bainbridge High in Georgia and also coached at Rabun County High in north Georgia.
"He's taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way," Kirby Smart said of his father in January 2023, per ESPN. "Control the controllables. The moment's never too big if you're prepared. And I always watched the way he prepared our teams and our staff in high school.
"He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach. I've certainly evolved from going to coach for other people, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our programs in high school."
Florida State adds LB Caleb LaVallee, DL Deamontae Diggs
Lavalle appeared in 15 games (one start) across his two seasons with the Tar Heels. He had 14 tackles in 2024, including a tackle for loss.
Diggs appeared in all 13 games for Costal Carolina this past season, including seven starts. He had five sacks among his 34 tackles, and he recorded a career-best seven tackles against Marshall.
The Seminoles finished 2-10 this past season and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference to finish alone in last place. They ended the season with a 31-11 loss to Florida while losing five fumbles. It was the program's first season with double-digit losses since 1974.
Minnesota's defense dominates Virginia Tech in Mayo Bowl
Max Brosmer completed 18 of 29 passes for 211 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Minnesota (8-5). Elijah Spencer had six catches for 81 yards and two TDs for the Golden Gophers, who won their eighth consecutive bowl game.
Collin Schlee scored the lone touchdown for Virginia Tech (6-7). William Watson III completed 8 of 12 passes for 81 yards and one interception, and Schlee connected on 2 of 6 passes for 68 yards.
Minnesota outgained Virginia Tech 403-223 in total yards. The Golden Gophers had 23 first downs, compared with nine first downs for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech opened the scoring in the final minute of the first quarter. Schlee took the snap and sprinted left for a 3-yard touchdown to cap an 80-yard drive.
Minnesota scored on a trick play to pull even at 7-7 on the following possession. Brosmer turned and pitched a toss to Taylor, but the running back turned into a passer and lobbed a pass to Spencer in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard score.
Spencer caught his second touchdown pass, this time a 12-yard strike from Brosmer, to give Minnesota a 14-7 lead with 5:13 to go in the first half.
Taylor made it 21-7 with a 28-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds to go before halftime. He broke free down the left sideline for his 10th rushing score of the season.
The Hokies pulled within 21-10 as time expired at the end of the first half. John Love drilled a 60-yard field goal, which marked the second-longest kick in school history.
Dragan Kesich made a 44-yard field goal to increase Minnesota's lead to 24-10 with 11:59 remaining in the third quarter.
Za'Quan Bryan had a fourth-quarter interception to help the Golden Gophers preserve the victory.
Texas State outlasts North Texas for 2nd straight bowl win
Pare finished with 143 yards on 21 carries for the Bobcats (8-5), who won the First Responder Bowl for the second straight season. Jordan McCloud completed 26 of 35 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jaden Williams caught eight of McCloud's throws for 155 yards and a score.
Drew Mestemaker, a former walk-on quarterback pressed into starting duties for the Mean Green (6-7) because of transfer portal defections, finished 26-of-41 for 393 yards with a pair of touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for a 70-yard score to trim the North Texas deficit to two with 1:49 left in the game.
The Mean Green forced a punt after Mestemaker's scintillating run, but the freshman signal-caller was intercepted on fourth down from his own 7-yard line to seal the game.
It was Mestemaker's first college start and his first of any kind since his freshman year of high school.
The Bobcats struck first, moving 58 yards in 11 plays to a 34-yard field goal from Mason Shipley at the 8:58 mark of the opening quarter. Mestemaker hit Miles Coleman with a 46-yard touchdown pass two and a half minutes later to push North Texas in front at 7-3.
Shipley booted a 21-yard field goal with 2:45 left in the first quarter to bring Texas State to within 7-6. Mestemaker responded with a 16-yard scoring pass to Landon Sides on the first play of the second quarter to move the Mean Green ahead 14-6.
Shipley added a 47-yarder with 11:02 to play in the first half to trim Texas State's deficit to five points. The Bobcats roared to the lead when McCloud connected with Williams on a 24-yard TD with 3:27 to play until halftime.
Pare's 1-yard touchdown plunge on the opening possession of the second half increased the Texas State advantage to 23-14.
The Mean Green pulled to within two points after a 1-yard scoring rush by Mackenzie McGill II with 3:20 to play. But Pare provided the key run two snaps into the ensuing possession, bursting through a hole in the left side of the line and outsprinting the defense to boost Texas State's lead back to nine points.
Dirk Koetter gives up Boise State OC duties; Nate Potter promoted
Nate Potter, who was the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach the past two seasons, was promoted to offensive coordinator. The 2025 season will be the eighth on the Broncos' coaching staff for Potter, a former consensus All-American offensive tackle at Boise State.
"Coach Potter is a rising star in this business," Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said in a news release. "He truly Bleeds Blue as a Boise State Hall of Famer and one of the best to ever wear the Blue and Orange. I'm grateful for him working closely with Coach Koetter this past year and not only learning from one of the best but taking that opportunity to show his ability to lead and direct an offense. I know he is going to continue to make our offense thrive under his leadership and help us make a positive impact on our players' lives.
"I am also so thankful for Coach Koetter and all that he did for our team this season. I am excited that he will continue to be a part of our staff in a senior analyst role going forward."
The Broncos went 12-2 this season and lost in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals to Penn State, 31-14, on Dec. 31 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Koetter and Potter formulated the game plans that helped Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty rush for 2,601 yards, second all-time in college football history behind legendary Barry Sanders (2,628 in 1988) of Oklahoma State.
Koetter, 65, commented on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) issues on social media while announcing he would no longer be offensive coordinator.
"We are behind right now in the NIL game," Koetter said. "Our best players are getting offered between 2 and 10 times what we can offer. We are losing recruits to the (transfer) portal to schools that are just flat outbidding us."
Koetter served as Boise State's head coach from 1998-2000 and guided the team to a 26-10 record. He moved on to Arizona State and went 40-34 from 2001-06.
Koetter spent 11 seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2007-11), Atlanta Falcons (2012-14, 2019-20) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015).
He was Tampa Bay's head coach from 2016-18 and went 19-29 in three seasons.
Potter, 36, played for the Broncos from 2008-11, ending his career with the All-American season. Potter played in 21 NFL games for the Arizona Cardinals for two seasons (2012-13).
Report: Alabama co-DC Colin Hitschler won't return
Hitschler, 38, had one year left on his initial two-year contract. He worked primarily with the safeties and shared DC duties with linebackers coach Kane Wommack.
The Crimson Tide finished 9-4 in head coach Kalen DeBoer's first season, ending with a 19-13 loss to Michigan on Tuesday in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
The Alabama defense allowed 17.4 points per game. The Crimson Tide are ranked ninth nationally.
Hitschler was previously the co-defensive coordinator at Wisconsin (2023) and Cincinnati (2022).
Agent: Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke played season with torn ACL
He missed just one game in 2024 -- due a thumb injury -- and led Indiana to a school-record 11 wins. The Hoosiers lost at Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20.
The Indianapolis Star reported Friday that it was believed Rourke partially tore the ACL in July and fully tore it the following month. Per the report, Rourke didn't let the medical staff at Indiana know of "any further discomfort or aggravation after the initial injury, and thus no new examination or imaging was conducted across the course of the season itself."
While playing at Ohio in 2022, Rourke tore the same ACL.
He transferred to Indiana for his redshirt-senior season in 2024 and completed 69.4 percent of his pass attempts (222 of 320) for 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. He finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Rourke as the No. 9 quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
CFP denies request to flip dates of semifinal games
Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said on "The Paul Finebaum Show" on Thursday that he wanted the CFP committee to flip the dates of the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.
His request came after the Sugar Bowl, in which Notre Dame defeated Georgia 23-10, was delayed one day after the truck attack in New Orleans that killed 15 people and injured dozens more.
Notre Dame moves on to meet Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9. Ohio State and Texas will play in the Cotton Bowl the following day for a berth in the national championship.
Per ESPN, Sankey was worried the winner of the Sugar Bowl could be at a disadvantage having two fewer days of rest and preparation time than Penn State, which played on New Year's Eve.
But CFP executive director Rick Clark told ESPN on Friday the schedule will not change.
"We're not going to flip the games," Clark said. "The concession we made with the athletic directors was to start the Sugar Bowl earlier -- an 18-hour or so delay. We slipped the game 18 hours to ensure we could provide safety and security for teams, coaches, staffs, fans and others involved. (New Orleans) and Sugar Bowl officials were amazing."
Sankey told Finebaum that the "incredible horrible tragedy" in New Orleans warranted consideration of a change of dates.
"Sometimes just like within a game you have to adapt you have to adjust," Sankey said.
Clark said such a change would have a wide-ranging impact.
"Logistics are very complicated, disruptive to the other teams involved that have schedules in place, especially Texas and Ohio State," he said. "Fans have made arrangements already and this creates issues for them. There's more, but these are some of the major points."
No. 14 Ole Miss makes statement in routing Duke in Gator Bowl
Coach Lane Kiffin, who expressed his displeasure regarding the College Football Playoff selections, had his team out to prove a point. The Rebels were clicking for much of the game, and they held Duke's revamped offense in check.
Dart, who's expected to declare for the NFL draft, made a good final impression as a college player by completing 27 of 35 passes for 404 yards, including a 69-yarder to Jordan Watkins for a touchdown with 1:27 left.
Watkins caught two touchdown passes and Dae'Quan Wright and Antwane Wells Jr. each had one for Ole Miss (10-3), which won five of its last six games. Jordan Watkins was the team's top receiver with seven receptions for 180 yards.
Duke (9-4), playing under first-year coach Manny Diaz and appearing in the Gator Bowl for the first time, turned to quarterback Henry Belin IV as the starter. Maalik Murphy had departed via the transfer portal and Grayson Loftis, who was the quarterback for Duke's 2023 bowl victory, also exited for the transfer portal.
Belin was 25 of 44 for 236 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Sahmir Hagans posted the game's last points on a 99-yard kickoff return.
The Blue Devils were also without running back Star Thomas, who rushed for 871 yards during the regular season before entering the transfer portal.
Duke's Terry Moore snatched his fourth interception of the season, making a 59-yard return after picking off kicker Caden Davis' pass on a failed fake to end the game's opening possession.
But Ole Miss stopped Duke on fourth down on the other side of the field. The Rebels needed just four plays to go 68 yards for the game's first points on Dart's 32-yard pass play to Wells.
Duke had a total of 36 yards on 11 first-quarter plays. But trailing 17-0, the Blue Devils marched 75 yards on eight plays to score on Belin's 16-yard pass to Javon Harvey.
The Rebels scored with 1:52 left in the half on Dart's 21-yard pass to Wright for a 24-7 halftime lead.
The second-half scoring began on Isaiah Hamilton's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown as Ole Miss led 31-7.
Ohio State, Notre Dame open as favorites in CFP semifinals
No. 7 seed Notre Dame was installed as a 1.5-point favorite over No. 6 seed Penn State at various major sportsbooks on Thursday night, shortly after the Fighting Irish took down No. 2 seed Georgia 23-10 in their quarterfinal game at the Sugar Bowl.
No. 8 seed Ohio State, which trounced top-seeded Oregon 41-21 on New Year's Day, is a slightly bigger favorite against No. 5 Texas in the other semifinal. The Buckeyes were 4.5-point favorites at DraftKings on Wednesday night and that grew to a six-point spread by Thursday, while it stood at 5.5 points at Fanduel Sportsbook and elsewhere.
This is the first season of the 12-team playoff, and the top four seeds all lost their quarterfinal games at neutral sites after receiving first-round byes. Penn State defeated Boise State, the top Group of Five champion, 31-14. Texas outlasted Big 12 champion Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime.
Fanduel also lists Ohio State as the +110 favorite to win the national championship, a significant edge over Notre Dame at +340.
The Buckeyes (12-2) had lost to Oregon by one point in the regular season and turned the tables in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, storming out to a 34-0 lead shortly before halftime. Will Howard finished the game with 319 passing yards and three touchdowns, with Jeremiah Smith going for seven catches, 187 yards and two TDs.
Buffalo looks to keep rolling vs. Liberty in Bahamas Bowl
Not so at Buffalo.
"Our team is largely intact going into the bowl game," first-year coach Pete Lembo said. "Very few guys going into the portal, so that's great. I think it's a sign that the guys have bought into what we're doing."
So is the Bulls' 8-4 record, which is why they got the call to take on Liberty (8-3) in Saturday's Bahamas Bowl in Nassau.
Buffalo went 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference, highlighted by a 23-20 overtime win on Sept. 21 at then-No. 23 Northern Illinois. The Huskies were two weeks removed from their stunning upset at Notre Dame, which won 12 straight games after that, including Thursday's Sugar Bowl victory over No. 2 Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
The Bulls rolled through November with four straight high-scoring wins, closing the regular season with a 43-7 rout of winless Kent State. Senior quarterback C.J. Ogbonna, who started his career at Southeast Missouri State, nearly doubled his yards-per-game average over the season's second half from 125 to 249 -- with 14 touchdown passes in that span.
But the marquee names on Buffalo's roster belong to the defense. Linebackers Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock combined for a whopping 302 tackles, ranking 1-2 in FBS. Dolac collected 159 stops to become the program's first consensus All-America pick.
While the Bulls will end the year with most of their key faces still on their roster, the Flames must take the field without their star quarterback. Kaidon Salter hit the portal after the regular season to join Colorado, where he might get the chance to replace Shedeur Sanders next year.
After leading Liberty to its first New Year's Six bowl berth last season, Salter encored by throwing for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 587 yards and seven scores on the ground. He'll be replaced by Ryan Burger, an Appalachian State transfer who will make his first start since getting the call for the Mountaineers' season opener in 2023.
Burger will at least have the comfort of the nation's second-ranked rushing attack at his disposal. While Quinton Cooley (and his 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns) opted out, Billy Lucas is sticking around. Lucas rushed for 663 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Coach Jamey Chadwell said his team has scrimmaged frequently and done a lot of individual work in the four weeks leading up to the game to keep them sharp.
"I think we're in a pretty good place as far as guys looking at the opportunity to get better," Chadwell said. "But everybody's going to the bowl games with a shell of a team, except our opponent. That's just the way it is.
"Everybody's lost players, and that's not the best look for college football."
The Flames have won all three prior meetings with Buffalo, including a 55-27 decision last year in Buffalo.
Notre Dame stymies Georgia at Sugar Bowl, moves on to CFP semis
The Irish's Riley Leonard passed for just 90 yards but threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Beaux Collins and rushed for a game-high 80 yards in a game that was postponed from Wednesday night because of the terrorist attack that took place in the French Quarter earlier that day.
Notre Dame, 13-1 after winning its 12th consecutive game, will face No. 6 seed Penn State in a semifinal at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 in Miami.
Sophomore Gunner Stockton made his first start at quarterback for the Bulldogs (11-3) in place of Carson Beck, who suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the SEC championship game. Stockton completed 20 of 32 for 234 yards with one touchdown.
Notre Dame scored the game's first touchdown with 27 seconds left in the first half and extended its lead to 20-3 when Harrison returned the second-half kickoff a CFP-record 98 yards for a touchdown.
Stockton threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Cash Jones to trim the lead to 10 points at the end of the third quarter.
On the third play of the fourth quarter Mitch Jeter kicked a 47-yard field goal to push the lead to 23-10. The Bulldogs had a chance to make it a one-score game, but Stockton threw an incompletion on fourth-and-5 from the Irish 9.
The game was scoreless through one quarter. Peyton Woodring kicked a 41-yard field goal for Georgia and Jeter kicked a 44-yarder to tie the score.
Jeter added a 48-yarder to give Notre Dame a 6-3 lead with 39 seconds left in the half. On the next play, RJ Oben forced Stockton to fumble while being sacked, Junior Tuihalamaka recovered for the Irish and Leonard and Collins teamed on their touchdown to give them a 13-3 halftime lead.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe declares for 2025 NFL Draft
A two-year starter for the Crimson Tide, Milroe had one season of eligibility remaining.
Milroe's season ended Tuesday with a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
"To my teammates, my brothers, thank you for the blood, sweat and tears we've shared," Milroe posted. "The bonds we've built will last a lifetime. To Coach (Nick) Saban, thank you for believing in me and instilling the standard of excellence in me. To Coach (Kalen) DeBoer, thank you for challenging me and helping me grow into the player and leader I am today."
Milroe completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games in 2024. He also rushed for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in his first season as the starter in 2023, passing for 2,834 yards and 23 TDs and rushing for 531 yards and 12 scores in 13 games.
Milroe, who backed up 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young during his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa, already earned his undergraduate degree.