NEW ORLEANS — Georgia football will open the new year with a new quarterback with its season on the line in the Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal.

Gunner Stockton, who sparked the Bulldogs to a 22-19 come-from-behind overtime win over Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7, will make his first career start against Notre Dame.

The winner of the Sugar Bowl will face Penn State in the Orange Bowl CFP semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 in Miami Gardens, Fla. Texas and Ohio State will play in the other CFP semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

Here are four things to know about the 4 p.m. Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal matchup at Caesar’s Superdome on Thursday:

Rock fight

Notre Dame and Georgia are much more similar than different, each approaching the game with an aggressive and physical mindset, intent on using the run game to help set up big plays.

“I do believe they’re an offense that believes in running the football, and that’s what we believe in and our offensive philosophy,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “We have to be able to run the football. That creates a lot of openings in the pass game.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said much the same thing in a different way.

“We’re not going to beat ourselves, in terms of Georgia and Notre Dame, either team” Smart said. “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.”

Mobile quarterbacks

Both Stockton and Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard are expected to utilize their feet as much as their talented arms, both capable of making yards off the scramble or extending plays with their ability to escape pressure.

Leonard, a senior transfer from Duke, was credited with 11 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown in the Irish’s playoff win over Indiana and has rushed for 751 yards this season and 15 touchdowns.

Stockton, who has taken just 86 snaps this season — 45 against Texas — had 16 yards on six runs and was sacked twice in his outing against the Longhorns.

But it was Stockton who set up the Bulldogs’ game-winning touchdown on an 8-yard scramble on which his helmet was knocked off.

“The thing I probably notice more than anything,” Freeman said, “is he’s an ultra-competitive individual.”

Leaders sidelined

Former Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck will be on the sideline supporting his teammates. Beck joined the team in New Orleans earlier this week after undergoing surgery to repair the season-ending elbow injury he suffered on the final play of the first half of the game with the Longhorns.

The Irish will also have a former team captain on the sideline in the form of Rylie Mills, a graduate student who played defensive tackle and led Notre Dame in sacks. Mills suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Irish’s 27-17 first-round CFP win over Indiana on Dec. 20.

Elite coaches

Both Smart and Freeman are former all-conference players who have shown a unique ability to lead and relate to their players.

Smart was a Georgia team captain who earned All-SEC honors as a safety his senior season (1998).

Freeman was a linebacker and team captain at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors twice, helping to lead the Buckeyes to national championship game appearances in 2007 and 2008.

Freeman was named the Dodd national coach of the year earlier this week, while Smart is a semifinalist for the George Munger national coaching award.

Notre Dame also features decorated veteran assistant coaches Al Golden and Mike Denbrock as coordinators, while UGA counters with Mike Bobo and Glenn Schumann. Defensive assistant Will Muschamp is also expected to be on the sideline for the Bulldogs.

Common opponent

Notre Dame and Georgia both played and beat Georgia Tech this season, but under very different circumstances.

The Irish beat the Yellow Jackets 31-13 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Oct. 19, with Leonard rushing 10 times for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Georgia Tech played that game without its star quarterback Haynes King. Back-up QB Zach Pyron threw two interceptions as the Yellow Jackets struggled to move the ball, rushing for only 64 yards on 29 carries.

Georgia beat Georgia Tech 44-42 in an 8-overtime classic, overcoming a strong effort from King, who was 26-of-36 passing for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 24 carries for 110 yards and 3 touchdowns.