JACKSONVILLE, Dec. 31 -- With an eye on breaking a three-game postseason losing streak, No. 18 Notre Dame hopes to have quarterback Jarious Jackson available Friday when it takes on 14th-ranked Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl in a matchup of 9-2 teams. Jackson, a senior, sprained his right knee in the final seconds of a win over LSU on Nov. 21 when he was tackled in the end zone while taking an intentional safety. Jackson missed a 10-0 loss to Southern California and watched as an inept offense resulted in Notre Dame's first shutout since a 24-0 blanking against Miami 11 years ago. 'From the time we started, when the expectations weren't high, we've just focused on what we had to do,' said Notre Dame coach Bob Davie. 'I think this is one of the best matchups of the year in college football. This class has won nine games before, but they haven't won 10. ' The Fighting Irish lost to Louisiana State in the Independence Bowl last season, fell in the 1996 Orange Bowl to Florida State and were defeated by Colorado in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl. Prior to the slide, Notre Dame had won three straight and five of its previous six bowl games. Despite the tradition-rich history of the Irish, they are just 13-8 all-time in bowls. They did not venture into the postseason from 1926- 69. This is their second trip to the Gator Bowl, having defeated Penn State in 1976.
Georgia Tech has been a hot bowl team, winning its last four forrays into the postseason, including a 35-24 triumph over West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl last season. The Yellow Jackets' last bowl defeat came in the 1978 Peach Bowl, a 21-14 verdict against Purdue. 'There's no question that there will be a lot of people from the Atlanta-Georgia Tech contingency heading down there,' said Yellow Jackets coach George O'Leary. 'I recruit against them (Notre Dame) enough to know what kind of athletes they have.'