The College Football Playoff quarterfinals were scheduled to be completed Wednesday evening, but the tragedy in New Orleans postponed the Sugar Bowl one day to Thursday.
The Sugar Bowl on Thursday afternoon features numerous St. Louis ties including a few key contributors.
Thursday also brings the Gator Bowl, which begins a stretch in which the last of the non-playoff bowls are finished up in the coming days.
The Gator Bowl features a pair of nine-win teams, though one of them is missing its starting quarterback.
Here's a look at Thursday's bowl games.
Sugar Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)
Matchup: No. 7 seed Notre Dame (12-1) vs. No. 2 seed Georgia (11-2)
Site: New Orleans
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Time: 3 p.m. CST Thursday
TV: ESPN
Line: Notre Dame by 1
Notable
- Notre Dame will be without sack leader Rylie Mills, who injured his knee in the playoff opener vs. Indiana. Mills was a force on Notre Dame’s defense, which is ranked first in the nation in team passing efficiency defense (96.94), first in turnovers gained (29), first in defensive touchdowns (6) and third in scoring defense (13.8). Notre Dame’s defense punished opponents this season despite losing four starters to season-ending injuries.
- St. Louis native and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was still recovering from a knee injury and an illness in the playoff opener, but he still managed a record 98-yard touchdown run. Love could be much closer to optimal speed this time around.
- After an early loss to Northern Illinois, the Irish have won 11 straight.
- Gunner Stockton will replace injured Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck. Beck had season-ending elbow surgery last month. Stockton took over when Beck suffered the injury in the the first half in the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game Dec. 7.
- Georgia beat Notre Dame in the 1981 Sugar Bowl to capture its second national title.
St. Louis-area ties
- Notre Dame sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love (CBC) leads the Irish with 1,057 rushing yards and 16 TDs. He is fourth nationally at 7.4 yards per carry.
- Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Christian Gray (De Smet) has 28 tackles and two interceptions.
- Notre Dame junior defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio (Lutheran St. Charles) didn't start his season until Oct. 12 after suffering a fractured foot. He tallied 14 tackles and a sack in eight games.
- Notre Dame freshman running back Aneyas Williams (Hannibal, Mo.) is named after former St. Louis Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams. Aneyas Williams has 198Â rush yards and two touchdowns
- Georgia senior receiver Dominic Lovett (East St. Louis), a Mizzou transfer, has 571 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. With 56 receptions, he ranks sixth in the SEC.
- Georgia linebacker Sam M'Pemba (Ladue), a sophomore, appeared in the team's first four games, coming off the bench in all. He left the team and transferred to Texas A&M last month.
Why you should watch
Between Jeremiyah Love, Christian Gray, Aneyas Williams and Dominic Lovett, numerous players from the St. Louis region could play big roles.
Gator Bowl
Matchup: Duke (9-3) vs. Mississippi (9-3)
Site: Jacksonville, Florida
Time: 6:30 p.m. CST Thursday
TV: ESPN
Line: Ole Miss by 17
Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) dodges a tackle attempt by Mississippi State defensive lineman Trevion Williams (23) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. Mississippi won 26-14. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Notable
- Duke QB Maalik Murphy deparated the team after the regular season, choosing Oregon State.
- Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers, a second-team All-America by The Athletic, finished the season in the top 20 nationally among defensive backs in pass breakups (12), total tackles (52), tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (1).
- Duke is looking for a 10-win season for just the second time in program history, joining the 2013 squad.
- Duke, with four wins win trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, is tied for the FBS lead.
- Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, with 10,213 passng yards in his career, passed Eli Manning for the career record in the Rebels' last game.
- Ole Miss junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen became the 14th consensus All-American in Ole Miss history last month. Nolen is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss at 14.0, ranks third with 6.5 sacks and fifth at 48 total tackles – alongside three pass breakups, three QB hurries and two fumble recoveries.
St. Louis-area ties
- Ole Miss receiver Izaiah Hartrup (Fort Zumwalt North), who previously spent four years at Southern Illinois, hasn't appeared in a game with the Rebels, though he has appeared on many injury reports.
- Duke assistant V'Angelo Bentley played four years at cornerback at Illinois (2012-15), earning both a bachelor's and master's there.
- Ole Miss offensive line coach John Garrison is a Blue Springs, Missouri, native got his coaching start at Blue Springs High.
- Ole Miss assistant George McDonald played receiver at Illinois, completing his Illinois football career with 57 receptions for 589 yards. He led the Big Ten in kickoff return yardage in 1996 (736). He also coached with the Illini from 2021-23.
- Ole Miss assistant Jake Schoonover, a Mound City, Missouri, native, played Missouri Western, starting 30 games at linebacker.
Why you should watch
No. 16 Ole Miss is the highest-ranked team to play in the Gator Bowl in nearly two decades.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Some of the notable events throughout 2024 captured by St. Louis Post-Dispatch videographer Allie Schallert.
