Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter’s status was up in the air ahead of the Orange Bowl. He suffered a left shoulder injury in the quarterfinal round against Boise State that caused him to miss a majority of the game, and most of his left arm was wrapped tonight.
Still, he suited up and made his presence felt. Carter finished the game with five total tackles, two for a loss, and one sack. He also collected several quarterback pressures while moving all over the field in Penn State’s pass-rush packages. One of those pressured forced Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard into throwing an interception.
Carter did all that in spite of the fact his left shoulder was still bothering him. Now he’s likely off to the NFL Draft, where most projections have him going off the board early in the first round.
Penn State running back Nick Singleton deserves special mention for his Herculean efforts. The Nittany Lions star carried the ball 15 times for 84 yards and scored all three of his team’s offensive touchdowns. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren also did a lot for the Nittany Lions and finished the game with 96 total yards.
But those efforts underscored a serious problem for Penn State, one that tanked its hopes as the game wore on: the Nittany Lions seriously lack in playmakers on the outside. Penn State’s wide receivers did not record a single catch on just five targets.
Though Warren and Singleton are excellent options, the lack of a threat elsewhere allowed Notre Dame’s defense to focus on stopping that dynamic duo. Penn State’s final drive was an example: no one was able to get open deep or break a big play.
Compare that to Notre Dame, which had a star emerge in sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse. He was a safety valve with the biggest play of the night — a 54-yard score with a pair of ankle breakers that tied the game at 24 with just under five minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.
Third down is the money down for a reason. In a game where Penn State and Notre Dame traded blows and finished with relatively comparable stats (though the Nittany Lions did have a significant rushing advantage) third downs made all the difference.
Penn State did almost everything wrong in third-down situations. The Nittany Lions were 3 of 11 and coverted just one in the second half. Notre Dame went 11 of 17 despite some long-to-go situations, gaining an average of seven yards and converting all eight attempts on third-and-short (4 yards or fewer).
This is the same Notre Dame team that lost to Northern Illinois early in the year. This is the same Notre Dame team that has lost several of its top players, including a potential first-round cornerback in Benjamin Morrison and its leading sack artist in defensive lineman Rylie Mills, to injury.
Through it all, the Fighting Irish have displayed a tremendous amount of grit and determination. That grit was on full display in the Orange Bowl.
Quarterback Riley Leonard left the game late in the first half with an apparent head injury. He returned for the first drive in the third quarter, completed a 36 yard pass to Aneyas Williams and then rushed for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10. One of the key blockers on that play? Offensive lineman Charles Jagusah, who tore his pectoral muscle less than a month before the 2024 season began and only recently started playing again.
Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love — who has been limited with a knee injury throughout the College Football Playoff — plowed through three Penn State defenders and bullied his way into the end zone to give Notre Dame its first lead of the game.
Then, with less than a minute to play, Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray — who has stepped into an increased role this year due to Morrison’s injury — was the one that intercepted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.
Notre Dame keeps finding a way, and now it’s one win from a national title.
Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter just nailed a 41-yard field goal to give Notre Dame a late lead with less than 10 seconds to play. Penn State will get chance to either tie the game or win, but it’s going to take some real heroics since the Nittany Lions are out of timeouts.
That was an inexcusable mistake from Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Trying to lead the Nittany Lions on a potential game-winning drive, he instead threw an ill-advised interception to Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray. Now Fighting Irish take over in Penn State territory with three timeouts.
This after Notre Dame fumbled its own opportunity to potentially walk the game off. On third-and-5 from Penn State’s 44-yard line — not far from field goal range — quarterback Riley Leonard dropped back to pass. He came under immediate pressure and sacked by Coziah Izzard, forcing the Fighting Irish to punt instead. Penn State will take over at its own 15-yard line with 47 seconds and two timeouts left.
As they always say, football is a game of runs. Penn State appeared to be in firm control after ripping off a 14-0 scoring streak, but Notre Dame just swung momentum right back in its favor with a huge touchdown play. Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse got open in Penn State’s secondary after a defensive back slipped and fell. Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard hit Greathouse in stride, which allowed him to dance around another Penn State defender in the open field and finish the play by sprinting into the end zone. It’s the first passing touchdown for either team and, at 54 yards, is also the longest play all evening.
Might want to change Penn State’s mascot to the Nick Singletons, because he is literally carrying the offense in the Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions got the ball inside Notre Dame’s 10-yard line thanks to a pass interference penalty on Notre Dame’s Adon Shuler. There, Singleton took another handoff and dragged a Notre Dame defender into the end zone for his third touchdown of the night.
Penn State was granted that scoring opportunity after Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw his second interception of the game. This is just Leonard’s second multi-interception game of his career; the other was the NIU loss.
That was a back-breaking mistake from Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. One play after Notre Dame tied the game with a big touchdown, Leonard stared tight end Mitchell Evans down and thew an interception to Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton, who did a good job of undercutting Evans’ route and reading Leonard’s eyes. It’s Penn State’s second interception of the night, and it gives the Nittany Lions possession just outside field goal range.
Not to be outdone, Penn State running back Nick Singleton just had an incredibly tough run of his own. On second-and-goal from Notre Dame’s 7-yard line, Singleton took a handoff, changed direction, made one Notre Dame defender missed and then plowed through another would-be tackler near the goal line to score his second touchdown of the evening. That capped a huge drive for Penn State, which moved the ball down the field — largely without star tight end Tyler Warren, who missed a chunk in the injury tent after a hard landing — thanks to some solid play from quarterback Drew Allar. The Nittany Lions needed that answer after allowing 17 straight points to Notre Dame.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love’s knee looks alright. It certainly didn’t keep him plowing through Penn State’s defense for a crucial touchdown to open the fourth quarter. Love took an inside handoff and bounced off one Penn State defender. As he got near the line of scrimmage, he met a crowd of would-be tacklers, bowled through them and stretched the ball to break into the end zone. It’s Notre Dame’s second rushing touchdown of the night, and it gives the Irish their first lead. Penn State’s offense, which managed just 25 yards in the third quarter, has to find its footing.
Entering halftime, it appeared as if Notre Dame was taking on water. But a last-second field goal, and then a hot start to the third quarter, have momentum on the Fighting Irish’s side as they enter the fourth quarter of their Orange Bowl showdown against Penn State.
Key to Notre Dame’s turnaround has been its play in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Though the offensive line has still allowed some leaks, it has done a much better job of opening lanes in the running game and keeping a clean pocket for quarterback Riley Leonard, who scored on a rushing touchdown early in the third quarter to tie the game at 10-all. He also had a big 36-yard completion to Aneyas Williams to put the Irish in scoring range.
Defensively, Notre Dame allowed just 25 yards — including -3 yards rushing — in the third quarter. The Fighting Irish also got their first sack of the game, courtesy of Rod Heard II, to force a punt near the end of the third frame. Notre Dame will open the fourth quarter with the ball and a chance to take its first lead of the evening.
Penn State has had some problems fielding punts in the Orange Bowl. Thus far, none of the decisions have ended in disaster, but it has made things more difficult for the Nittany Lions. After allowing a touchdown on the opening drive in the third quarter, Penn State’s defense buckled down and just forced a punt. Return man Zion Tracy, instead of calling for a fair catch in the face of Notre Dame’s punt coverage unit, decided to field the kick at the 15-yard line. He was blasted by a Notre Dame gunner and just held on to the ball. Earlier in the first quarter, Tracy called for a fair catch at Penn State’s 2-yard line, so he’s having some trouble making decisions on the fly.
Game on. At one point near the end of the first half, this one seemed to be slipping away from Notre Dame. But a last-second field goal in the second quarter apparently gave the Fighting Irish the momentum they needed to swing the Orange Bowl right back. Riley Leonard looks fine. After exiting the game late in the first half, he led Notre Dame’s offense onto the field in the third quarter and looked dialed in. He delivered a perfect 36-yard pass to Aneyas Williams to put Notre Dame in striking distance, and then finished the scoring drive a couple of plays later by rushing into the end zone from three yards out. Notre Dame’s offensive line needed that drive. The Irish did a good job creating space in the run game and keeping the pocket clean after a rough first half. The pressure is back on Penn State now.
Notre Dame will receive the second half’s opening kickoff. There’s plenty to keep an eye on as the Fighting Irish take the field. Top of the list is the status of quarterback Riley Leonard, who exited late in the first half with an apparent head injury. Backup Steve Angeli did well to get Notre Dame in field goal range as time expired, but Notre Dame has crafted its offense around Leonard this year. Notre Dame also has a couple of offensive linemen, including starting left tackle Anthonie Knapp, that have been dealing with injuries.
Penn State leads Notre Dame 10-3 after the first half of play in the Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions scored all 10 of their points in the second quarter thanks to a renewed focus on the run game and a pair of lengthy drives that took plenty of time off of the clock.
Penn State took 14 plays to kick a 20-yard field goal near the start of the second quarter, and then embarked on a 17-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a 5-yard touchdown with just over two minutes left in the half. The Nittany Lions got 81 of those 90 yards running the ball thanks to an offensive linethat imposed its will. Penn State averaged a brisk 5.4 yards per carry in the first half. Tight end Tyler Warren, who also had 17 yards receiving, contributed 21 yards to Penn State’s rushing attack.
Penn State’s defense also deserves plenty of credit. Notre Dame averaged 22.3 points per game in the first half over its 12-game winning streak entering the Orange Bowl but scored just three points on a last-second field goal in the second quarter. This is also just the second time this season that Notre Dame has trailed at the half.
Like the offense, Penn State’s defense did a lot of its work in the trenches. Despite having his left arm heavily wrapped, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter was a consistent presence in Notre Dame’s backfield. He was one of five Penn State players with at least a half tackle for loss and also contributed one of Penn State’s three sacks in the first half.
To make matters worse for Notre Dame, more key injuries starting to mount. Quarterback Riley Leonard left the game late in the second quarter with an apparent head injury and his status for the second half is up in the air. Notre Dame also lost left tackle Anthonie Knapp and starting guard Rocco Spindler, which undoubtedly contributed to Penn State’s dominance at the line of scrimmage.
The blows keep mounting for Notre Dame, which is in a 10-0 hole near the end of the first half. Starting quarterback Riley Leonard just took another hit and went to Notre Dame’s medical tent at the behest of the game officials. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli entered the game for Leonard, who was able to walk off the field under his own power.
What a drive for Penn State. The Nittany Lions moved Notre Dame off of the ball to embark on a 15-play, 90-yard drive that took 7:17 off of the clock and ended with a 5-yard rushing touchdown from running back Nick Singleton. Penn State gathered 81 of those 90 yards on the ground, as Singleton and Kaytron Allen consistently carried the ball for gains of at least five yards. Tight end Tyler Warren also rushed for 21 yards and caught a screen pass for a first down on fourth-and-2 in the red zone.
Penn State is in the midst of a dominant drive. The Nittany Lions have worked the ball all the way to the red zone behind a strong rushing effort. They are winning at the point of attack thus far, as running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are consistently getting chunk gains to keep the chains moving. Tight end Tyler Warren has also factored heavily into the game plan. He converted a fourth-and-2 with a quick screen catch and also had an athletic run earlier in the drive that turned what looked like a big loss into a gain of nine.
Notre Dame starting left tackle Anthonie Knapp was injured following a first-down run from quarterback Riley Leonard. It appeared as if Leonard fell on Knapp’s legs as he was getting tackled. Knapp was slow to get up after the play and eventually fell to the turf before making it back to the huddle. He was taken to the locker room with the help of trainers. The Fighting Irish can hardly afford anymore injuries — especially along the offensive line, where they entered the 2024 season shorthanded.
Penn State just took an early lead off of a 20-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Barker, but the Nittany Lions definitely left points on the board. On third-and-goal from Notre Dame’s 1-yard line, quarterback Drew Allar short-armed an easy throw in the flats to running back Nick Singleton, who was unable to make the catch. A better throw from Allar and Singleton would have walked into the end zone. Settling for the points was a smart move, though there may have been temptation to go for it.
Penn State and Notre Dame are locked in a defensive battle after one quarter of play in the Orange Bowl. Moving the ball hasn’t necessarily been an issue — both teams have at least made it around midfield, and each has had decent chunk gains on offense — but finishing drives has been an issue.
It is a testament to the defensive strength in this matchup. Penn State has been especially impressive. The Nittany Lions forced a crucial turnover, courtesy of a Zakee Wheatley interception, near the end of the first quarter to set up a prime scoring opportunity.
Though he has a heavy wrap on his left arm, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter is dominating the game early on. He already has one tackle and a couple of quick quarterback pressures — one of which led to Penn State’s interception — as Notre Dame does not have an answer for him.
In spite of the slug fest thus far, Penn State will have a prime scoring opportunity when the second quarter starts. The Nittany Lions face third-and-goal from Notre Dame’s 1-yard line.
Penn State is going to have favorable field position after the defense forced yet another turnover. On third-and-12 from Notre Dame’s 33-yard line, Irish quarterback Riley Leonard tried to hit a wide receiver on a deep crossing route. But the ball sailed well over the intended receiver’s head and Penn State defensive back Zakee Wheatley jumped into the air to snag the overthrow. The Nittany Lions will take over on their own 42-yard line with a premium chance to break the scoring seal.
Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter has been favoring his heavily wrapped left arm, but that hasn’t stopped him from having a big impact on this game thus far. On Notre Dame’s first offensive drive, he cut a quarterback run short with a quick tackle. Then, on the first play of the Irish’s second drive, he ripped into the backfield and applied immediate pressure on Riley Leonard, who was forced to throw the ball away before Carter could meet him. He also got pressure on Leonard a couple plays later in the same drive, which resulted in Leonard throwing an interception. Carter still has explosiveness off the edge, even if one of his arms is clipped.
Both Notre Dame and Penn State have had an opportunity to make an offensive impression, and each has achieved a nice chunk gain. For the Nittany Lions, quarterback Drew Allar completed a short pass to running back Nick Singleton for a gain of 23 yards. Notre Dame’s explosive play came on a 32-yard connection between quarterback Riley Leonard and tight end Mitchell Evans, who made a nice catch with a defensive back draped all over him and picked up extra yardage while tip-toeing the sidelines. But in both instances, the drives stalled around midfield and ended with a punt. It could take a while for a breakthrough to happen.
Penn State looked like it was building some early momentum, especially after a 23-yard completion to running back Nick Singleton out of the backfield, but Notre Dame’s defense locked things down near midfield. A false start on Penn State gave the Nittany Lions third-and-14 and a short pass to Kaytron Allen came up well short of the sticks. It’s worth watching how Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love looks when the Fighting Irish’s offense takes the field. He’s been dealing with a nagging knee injury, and he was sporting a brace as Notre Dame went through its pregame warm ups.
Notre Dame won the toss and deferred its selection to the second half, which means that Penn State will start with the ball. In what’s expected to be a low scoring, defensive battle, the Nittany Lions have an opportunity to set the tone with their scripted drive. Expect offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to get creative with his play-calling to try and find weaknesses against an excellent Notre Dame defense.
It seems like, at some point, all of the injuries will catch up to Notre Dame. The Irish are in an especially precarious position if Love can’t play given what he means to the offense. Yet, Notre Dame has more than made do with its lot as the Irish have continued carving a path of dominance all the way through the postseason against teams deemed by the selection committee as worthy of playing for a national championship. Notre Dame’s played dominant along the lines of scrimmage, and it has a proven winner at quarterback in Riley Leonard, who has literally put his body on the line to keep his team’s hopes alive. I’m not going to pick against the Irish at this point; they’ve shown no signs of slowing down. Pick: Notre Dame -2.5 (-105)
Notre Dame players and staff members are dealing with a “flu or a virus” ahead of Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Penn State, a school official confirmed in a statement to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. The statement downplayed the severity of the outbreak, which it says occurred over the past 10 days to two weeks, and maintains that it will not impact any availability for the Orange Bowl.
“It will have no impact on the game,” Notre Dame’s statement read. “Beaux Collins was impacted in the Sugar Bowl, but still played and was on the mend during the game.”
