It was a disastrous start and marvelous finish. Henceforth, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are heading to Atlanta. Courtesy of Marcus Freeman, Riley Leonard, and some late-game Mitch Jeter heroics, the luck of the Irish shined bright in the Orange Bowl.
At the sight of Hardrock Stadium in Miami, Notre Dame marched onto victory over Penn State in a thrilling finish. It took a complete effort and all 60 minutes in a 27-24 victory.
It didn’t start as you would expect. Of course, it was all defense. However, Penn State imposed its will and got out to a hot start. Notre Dame differed after winning the coin toss and put the ball instantly into the hands of Drew Allar.
Penn State controlled the ground game which ultimately came as the biggest surprise. Just about everything was working against the Irish. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price were essentially held in a chokehold as Penn State’s Abdul Carter caused quite the disruption up-front.
The Nittany Lions countered Al Golden’s aggressive blitz attack with quick passes from Drew Allar as well as some trickery with Tyler Warren. Give credit where credit is due, Andy Kotelnicki dialed up fast-paced schemes and had Notre Dame’s defense scrambling. Quite simply, Notre Dame was beaten.
The ultimate punch in the mouth came with Penn State owning the line of scrimmage and plowing their way into the end zone. The first half told that whole story. Most expected this game would be decided upon one thing only. The battle in the trenches. Simply, Penn State won that category.
But Notre Dame found a way. Behind closed doors, the adjustments were made apparent. After falling behind 10-3 in the first half, Notre Dame was unsure if Riley Leonard would come back into the game. Leonard took a massive hit and was sent to concussion protocol. Back-up quarterback Steve Angeli led the Irish to pick up three points before the end of the half and brewed up the Irish’s first wave of momentum.
It was a quick response from Mike Denbrock and the Irish offense to start the second half. Finally, the Irish scored how you would expect, Jeremiyah Love led the way and Notre Dame finally established the run. Like any Playoff game, the defense was tested to the max. Both Notre Dame and Penn State had effectively tired out their defenses with costly errors.
Early in the first half, Riley Leonard threw an interception that led to Penn State’s first points. Notre Dame marched all the way back to score 17 unanswered points and led the game at the start of the fourth quarter. Likewise, the “Middle 8” proved effective for Marcus Freeman. All momentum favored the Irish, until Nick Singleton’s touchdown tied the game.
Leonard ended up throwing a crucial interception that led to another touchdown for the Nittany Lions. With their backs against the wall, the Notre Dame rose to the occasion. Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for 54-yard passing touchdown and Notre Dame notched the game at 24 a piece.
The rest was history. With just 38 seconds remaining Drew Allar threw a costly interception across the middle of the field. It was none other than Christian Gray, who intercepted Allar in the first quarter but was called for a pass interference penalty. This time, he got what he wanted, and Notre Dame was on the brink of the final say.
Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter hit a 41-yard field goal to clinch a berth to the National Championship for the first time since 2013.
As mentioned, it took a complete effort. Notre Dame contained Tyler Warren for as much as you would expect. 6 receptions for 75 yards and 21 rushing yards was the stat line for the beast wearing number 44. Additionally, Nick Singleton cashed a hat trick into the end zone. Singleton finished with 84 yards and 3 touchdowns in Penn State’s prominent rushing attack.
After a rather tough game for the veteran quarterback, Riley Leonard, multiple guys stepped up. The Irish combined for just 116 rushing yards while Love accounted for 45 rushing yards and a touchdown. On the receiving end, Leonard passed for 267 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Greathouse hauled in 7 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. Both Aneyas Williams and Mitchell Evans secured 5 receptions for a combined 124 yards.
For once, it wasn’t about the defense as a whole. For once, it wasn’t about the rushing attack. For once, it wasn’t about the special teams. Notre Dame surrendered a will to win and left it all on the field. The Irish are Championship-bound and have displayed all the necessary means to find a way to win.