NEW ORLEANS — Kirby Smart didn’t pull any punches when it came to telling fans what to expect against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

“We’re not going to beat ourselves, in terms of Georgia and Notre Dame, either team” Smart said of the CFP quarterfinal matchup at 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday in Caesar’s Superdome.

“Don’t turn the ball over, not be highly penalized, great special teams play, run the ball and believe in the run, set a standard so you can be explosive, athletic quarterbacks.”

Smart conceded, this matchup does indeed “mirror” the past two meetings between Georgia and Notre Dame in 2017 and in 2019 even if the personnel is different.

The Bulldogs beat the Irish 20-19 in the 2017 game in South Bend, out-rushing Notre Dame 185-55 in a game that saw both teams turn the ball over twice. UGA was on top in the 2019 classic between the hedges, the Sanford Stadium crowd triggering six Irish false starts in a 23-17 Bulldogs win the ground game 152 yards to 46 yards.

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“Those great games we had against them were really physical,” Smart said. “Both of those games were four-quarter battles, games that could have gone either way.”

Georgia is a 1-point favorite in a game that will see both teams missing key team leaders who were injured in their most recent outing.

Notre Dame, which played a CFP first-round game but had the benefit of not playing in a conference championship game, lost veteran sacks leader Rylie Mills in its 27-17 win over Indiana on Dec. 21.

Georgia lost quarterback Carson Beck on the final play of the first half in its 22-19 overtime win over Texas on Dec. 7 and will see Gunner Stockton make his first career start.

Smart knows, because of the history Georgia has facing Freeman (2020 Peach Bowl), Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock (2020 peach, 2022 SEC title game) and ND linebackers coach Max Bullough (2021 SEC title game), there won’t be many secrets.

“We have intertwined staff,” Smart said. “We’ve gone against each other at different times.

“I think we turn on the tape, their play speaks for itself—their physicality, their toughness.”

Smart noted on Tuesday’s coaches’ press conference that Freeman reminds him a bit of himself.

“I think we both have a history with defense, and that’s what you pride yourself on is everybody playing as one,” Smart said. “They certainly did that during his years at Cincinnati, and we talk about effort in our building, and they play with tremendous effort.”

Smart said Notre Dame “starts and ends with effort and toughness,” and he expects Georgia to be challenged like it would against any SEC contender.

The Irish did, in fact, open the season with a road win at Texas A&M.

“When we talk about their team, it’s depth, like their backups, their starters, their offensive line, their receiving corps, their defensive line, they’re big,” Smart said. “And that’s what it starts with in the SEC, the line of scrimmages have to have size and girth because you have to take on these teams week in and week out that have great size.

“Notre Dame is built that way.”