Atlanta, here come the Irish: Notre Dame completes comeback to beat Penn State in Orange Bowl

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A game that rapidly turned into one of the best of this 2024-25 College Football Playoff took on a new narrative with some slight contact near the goal line in the northwest corner of Hard Rock Stadium. Notre Dame made sure that new narrative wouldn’t be the prevailing one, though.

Two plays after sophomore safety Adon Shuler was controversially flagged for pass interference on a Drew Allar pass intended for Tyler Warren that Jack Kiser intercepted, Penn State took a late seven-point lead in the Orange Bowl on running back Nicholas Singleton’s third touchdown of the game. The Irish, though, responded with a 54-yard strike from Riley Leonard to Jaden Greathouse.

New game. New life. A ton of reason for Notre Dame special teamers to fly down the field on the ensuing kickoff and flail their arms excitedly in the direction of their fans sitting on the south side of the stadium. The players were met with more excited flailing, of course, but none as demonstrative as when the game, one Notre Dame trailed by two scores for the first time all season, went final.

Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24.

The Irish are playing in the national championship game for the first time since the 2012 season and can win it for the first time since 1988. Sophomore corner Christian Gray intercepted Allar in Penn State territory with 33 seconds left. The Irish went from the 41 to the 25, trotted kicker Mitch Jeter out for a 42-yard game winner with 12 seconds left, and he drilled it.

“What a gritty performance, and they found a way when it matters the most to get their job done,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said.

The South Carolina transfer who hadn’t made a field goal since early November until the playoff because of a groin injury drilled it. He sent Notre Dame to the national championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

“That’s why I came here,” Jeter said. “I’m so grateful for that opportunity for the chance to compete and win a national championship.”

The Orange Bowl was following the Sugar Bowl script for quite a while. The first quarter went by without a single score. Penn State got the scoring started early in the second quarter with a field goal, just like Georgia. That’s when things took a turn for the worse for Notre Dame.

Starting left tackle Anthonie Knapp went out with an ankle injury. Graduate senior Tosh Baker, who Knapp beat out for the starting job in fall camp, replaced him. Knapp never returned. On the other side of the line, senior right guard Rocco Spindler also injured his ankle and didn’t come back into the game. Sophomore Charles Jagusah slid into his spot, seeing his first action on offense this season after tearing his pectoral muscle in fall camp.

On the same play Spindler was hurt, Leonard banged his head on the ground after taking a huge hit. He was looked at for a concussion, but he came back into the game to begin the second half, Notre Dame trailing 10-3 after Jeter made a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.

And that’s when things began looking up for the Irish, seemingly out of nowhere.

Leonard completed a 36-yard over-the-shoulder dime to freshman running back Aneyas Williams, the best throw of the night made by either QB. Four plays later, he did what he did best and plowed into the end zone from three yards out for Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the game and his 16th rushing score of the season, extending his own single-season program record.

Leonard was tied with sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love for the team lead in rushing touchdowns … briefly. In the first minute of the second quarter, Love scored his 17th. It was another of the astonishing highlight reel variety. He fought through multiple tackles working his way toward the pylon and still somehow managed to free himself up enough to stretch the ball over the goal line.

“He’s just that guy,” Gray said. “He’s just that guy, ever since freshman year. He’s been scoring touchdowns like crazy.”

It took 45 minutes and 53 seconds of game time, but Notre Dame had its first lead. That also didn’t last long.

Penn State matched Notre Dame’s 72-yard drive with a 75-yard march that ended in running back Nicholas Singleton’s second score of the Orange Bowl. He muscled his way past multiple would-be tacklers just like Love, but it ended up being an inconsequential score.

Notre Dame had just a little more to keep its season alive and end Penn State’s. It took everybody.

“You have to be selfless to achieve anything great,” Freeman said. “We’ve got a locker room full of selfless players and selfless coaches.”