On Thursday, Georgia football‘s season came to an end. The Bulldogs fell to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, with the final score being 23-10. The late-game magic that propelled Georgia in their last two games was nowhere to be found. Down by more than two scores early in the third quarter, Georgia’s attempt at a comeback constantly faltered due to a stingy Fighting Irish defense. In fact, that was the story the entire game. Notre Dame’s defense was a big reason why Georgia entered halftime with just three points, and why the Bulldogs only found the endzone once. It was also the reason why Georgia failed to convert on several fourth-down attempts.

Nevertheless, Georgia had its fair share of self-inflicted wounds on Thursday as well. And interestingly, no one in the QB room is to blame. Entering the game, the biggest concern for the Bulldogs was the absence of Carson Beck. The signal caller injured his elbow during the SEC championship, ruling him out for the entirety of the College Football Playoff. In his place was backup Gunner Stockton, who took on the reigns after seeing action in just three regular season games. Stockton held his own, throwing for 234 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the year.

So what exactly went wrong for Kirby Smart’s squad? To answer that, here are the main culprits of Georgia football’s Sugar Bowl loss.

Offensive Line

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) runs with the ball during the second half against Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Gi'Bran Payne (3) at Caesars Superdome

Anyone who watched the game could see how Stockton’s protectors were outplayed. The quarterback was sacked four times, and the Fighting Irish pass rush constantly pressured him into last-second throws. Notre Dame also accumulated nine tackles for loss, further indicating how their defense up front feasted throughout the afternoon.

The most crucial of Note Dame’s sacks happened with 33 seconds left before halftime. Down by just three points, Georgia had the ball at their 25-yard line. Stockton was sacked from behind by defensive lineman RJ Oben, causing a fumble and a recovery at the Georgia 13 by Notre Dame. In the ensuing possession, Riley Leonard threw a TD pass to put Notre Dame up double digits. It didn’t help that — early in the third quarter — the Fighting Irish immediately scored again courtesy of Jayden Harrison’s 98-yard kickoff return.

Turnovers

Besides the aforementioned fumble, Georgia also turned the ball over early in the game. With a 3rd-and-1 at the Notre Dame 16, Trevor Etienne lost the ball after a tackle by safety Adon Shuler, ending a 13-play, 71-yard drive that nearly gave an opportunity for an early lead. Who knows what could’ve been if the Bulldogs took care of the ball and scored in that possession? Even if Notre Dame’s sudden 17-point burst still happened, the deficit wouldn’t have been as bad.

In short, Georgia’s two first-half turnovers were costly.