CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl Recap
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #7 Notre Dame (14-1) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 27 |
| #6 Penn State (13-3) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
PLAYER OF THE GAME
PLAYER OF THE GAME
A few seconds later, Gray and Notre Dame found themselves with a spot in the national title game after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.
Gray's snag of Allar's ill-advised pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, set up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter's winning 41-yard field goal.
The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring their 12th title and first since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner Friday night of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.
“Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball,” Gray said about his interception. “That was going through my mind and I knew I was going to make a play.”
Allar explained he saw his first two options covered on the play, then wanted to throw the ball into the dirt. But the throw, under pressure and across his body, didn't have enough zip on it to reach either receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slid in.
“Honestly, I was trying to ‘dirt’ it at his feet,” said the junior quarterback. “I should’ve thrown it away when I saw the first two progressions were not open. I didn’t execute.”
It was the most memorable play of a game that was the best of what's been a sleepy few weeks of playoff football. It featured three ties and three lead changes, along with 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.
In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. Freeman, whose mother is South Korean, also is the first coach of Asian heritage to get this far.
“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”
Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions ended the season at 13-3.
“Everyone wants to look at a specific play,” Franklin said. “But there's probably eight to 12 plays in that game that could have made a difference. I'm not going to call out specific plays or specific players. There are a ton of plays where we could have done better.”
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter that sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He came back and led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half, including the last one.
“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does," Freeman said. "That’s what this team does.”
Leonard finished with 223 yards passing, including a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to convert third-and-3 on the last drive. Leonard also had 35 yards rushing, and passed and ran for a score each.
With 4:38 left in the game, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard score to tie it at 24 after a defender slipped.
The game started slow (and boring), but Riley’s injury injected life into things. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards in the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead.
At that point, the fun was just getting started.
Penn State had its chances, and Allar, considered a first-round pick by some if he leaves for the NFL, will spend the offseason reliving that last throw — or trying to forget it.
Penn State forced a Notre Dame punt and looked assured of at least going to overtime when they took over at their 15 with 47 seconds left.
After a gain of 13, Allar dropped to pass and had pressure coming. He threw across his body to the middle of the field, where Gray dove for the pick.
A review showed it was a catch, and the Irish were onto the next step on a road that looked all but impossible when they fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois back in September.
“To see how far we’ve come after the hiccup early on, just to know that we have one more guaranteed, one last one guaranteed, it’s just so exciting," Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser said.
Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and all three Penn State touchdowns. Off target for much of the day, Allar finished 12 for 23 for 135 yards with the interception.
“He's hurting right now. He should be. We're all hurting,” Franklin said.
The quarterback didn't duck questions about the play or his role in the loss.
“We didn’t win the game so it wasn't good enough, it’s plain and simple,” Allar said. “I’ll try to learn from it, do everything in my power to get better and just grow from it.”
When Leonard went out, backup Steve Angeli came in and injected life into the Fighting Irish offense on the way to its first score.
Angelli went 6 for 7 for 44 yards and moved Notre Dame to field goal range to trim its deficit to 10-3 just before halftime.
“We have a lot of confidence in Steve,” Freeman said when asked why he allowed the Irish to play aggressively when he entered.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score (V-H) | Team | Scoring Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 14:56 | 0-3 | Penn State | Ryan Barker 20 yd FG | 14-55 (10:13) |
| 2nd | 02:18 | 0-10 | Penn State | Nicholas Singleton 5 yd rush (Ryan Barker kick) | 15-90 (07:17) |
| 2nd | 00:00 | 3-10 | Notre Dame | Mitch Jeter 41 yd FG | 13-52 (02:18) |
| 3rd | 10:46 | 10-10 | Notre Dame | Riley Leonard 3 yd rush (Mitch Jeter kick) | 8-75 (04:14) |
| 4th | 14:07 | 17-10 | Notre Dame | Jeremiyah Love 2 yd rush (Mitch Jeter kick) | 10-71 (05:19) |
| 4th | 10:20 | 17-17 | Penn State | Nicholas Singleton 7 yd rush (Ryan Barker kick) | 7-75 (03:47) |
| 4th | 07:55 | 17-24 | Penn State | Nicholas Singleton 7 yd rush (Ryan Barker kick) | 5-39 (02:20) |
| 4th | 04:38 | 24-24 | Notre Dame | Jaden Greathouse 54 yd pass from Riley Leonard (Mitch Jeter kick) | 7-81 (03:11) |
| 4th | 00:07 | 27-24 | Notre Dame | Mitch Jeter 41 yd FG | 7-19 (00:26) |
Team Statistics
| UND | PSU | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 20 |
| Rushing | 10 | 11 |
| Passing | 11 | 7 |
| Penalty | 2 | 2 |
| Rushes-Yards | 42-116 | 42-204 |
| Passing Yards | 267 | 135 |
| Passes Comp-Att-Int | 21-31-2 | 12-23-1 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yards) | 73-383 | 65-339 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 2-8 | 1-0 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 1-19 | 1-21 |
| Punts (Number-Avg) | 4-39.2 | 5-42.0 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Sacks By (Number-Yards) | 1-8 | 5-22 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4-30 | 5-44 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 11-of-17 | 3-of-11 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0-of-0 | 2-of-2 |
Individual Statistics
| UND | PSU | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Jeremiyah Love 11-45, 1 TD; Riley Leonard 18-35, 1 TD; Jayden Thomas 1-18; Aneyas Williams 2-17; Jadarian Price 7-13; Steve Angeli 2 - -12 0 0 -6.0. | Nicholas Singleton 15-84, 3 TD; Kaytron Allen 19-82; Tyler Warren 2-21; Drew Allar 6-17. |
| Passing | Riley Leonard, 15-23-2, 223, 1 TD; Steve Angeli, 6-7-0, 44. | Drew Allar, 12-23-1, 135. |
| Receiving | Jaden Greathouse 7-105, 1 TD; Aneyas Williams 5-66; Mitchell Evans 5-58; Jordan Faison 2-25; Kris Mitchell 1-7; Jeremiyah Love 1-6. | Tyler Warren 6-75; Nicholas Singleton 2-33; Khalil Dinkins 2-21; Luke Reynolds 1-7; Kaytron Allen 1-6. |
| Punting | James Rendell, 4-157, 39.2. | Riley Thompson, 5-210, 42.0. |
| Returns | Punt: Max Hurleman 2-81; Kickoff: Jayden Harrison 1-19; Intercept: Christian Gray 1-0. | Punt: Zion Tracy, 1-0; Kickoff: Nicholas Singleton, 1-21; Intercept: Zakee Wheatley, 1-0; Dani Dennis-Sutton, 1-0. |
| Field Goals | Mitch Jeter, 2-2 (41 Good, 41 Good). | Ryan Barker, 1-1 (20 Good). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) |
Jack Kiser (4-6-10, 0, 0); Xavier Watts (5-3-8, 0, 0); Drayk Bowen (3-5-8, 0, 0); Jaylen Sneed (2-4-6, 0, 0); Bryce Young (1-3-4, 0, 0); Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (1-3-4, 0, 0); Gabriel Rubio (0-4-4, 0, 0); Jaiden Ausberry (3-0-3, 0, 0); Rod Heard II (2-1-3, 1.0-8, 1.0-8); Adon Shuler (1-2-3, 0, 0); Howard Cross III (0-3-3, 0, 0); Christian Gray (2-0-2, 0, 0); Luke Talich (2-0-2, 0, 0); Junior Tuihalamaka (1-1-2, 0, 0); Joshua Burnham (1-1-2, 0, 1.0-2); RJ Oben (0-2-2, 0, 0); Leonard Moore (1-0-1, 0, 0); Donovan Hinish (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jayden Harrison (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jordan Clark (1-0-1, 0, 0). | Zakee Wheatley (9-7-16, 1.0-4, 1.0-4); Kobe King (4-5-9, 0, 0); Jaylen Reed (4-2-6, 0 0.5-2); Dani Dennis-Sutton (4-2-6, 2.0-6, 2.0-6); Coziah Izzard (3-3-6, 1.0-4, 1.0-4); Abdul Carter (3-2-5, 1.0-8, 2.0-10); AJ Harris (2-1-3, 0, 0); Zane Durant (2-1-3, 0, 1.0-4); Elliot Washington II (2-1-3, 0, 0); Tony Rojas (1-1-2, 0, 0); Zion Tracy (1-1-2, 0, 0); Dominic DeLuca (1-1-2, 0, 0); Jalen Kimber (1-1-2, 0, 0); Cam Miller (1-0-1, 0, 0); Liam Clifford (1-0-1, 0, 0); Tyler Elsdon (1-0-1, 0, 0); Smith Vilbert (0-1-1, 0 0.5-2); Audavion Collins (0-1-1, 0, 0); Amin Vanover (0-1-1, 0, 0); Dvon J-Thomas (0-1-1). |
Starters & Reserves
Notre Dame Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| WR | 1 | Jaden Greathouse |
| WR | 10 | Kris Mitchell |
| QB | 13 | Riley Leonard |
| RB | 4 | Jeremiyah Love |
| WR | 5 | Beaux Collins |
| OL | 50 | Rocco Spindler |
| OL | 54 | Anthonie Knapp |
| DL | 59 | Sean Sevillano Jr. |
| OL | 74 | Billy Schrauth |
| OL | 78 | Pat Coogan |
| TE | 88 | Mitchell Evans |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| S | 0 | Xavier Watts |
| CB | 15 | Leonard Moore |
| LB | 24 | Jack Kiser |
| CB | 29 | Christian Gray |
| LB | 3 | Jaylen Sneed |
| LB | 34 | Drayk Bowen |
| LB | 40 | Joshua Burnham |
| DL | 56 | Howard Cross III |
| S | 8 | Adon Shuler |
| DL | 9 | RJ Oben |
| DL | 97 | Gabriel Rubio |
Notre Dame Reserves
0 - Deion Colzie, 1 - Jordan Clark, 10 - Loghan Thomas, 13 - Ben Minich, 16 - James Rendell, 18 - Steve Angeli, 2 - Rod Heard II, 2 - Jayden Harrison, 20 - Aneyas Williams, 21 - Kedren Young, 22 - Devyn Ford, 23 - Kennedy Urlacher, 24 - Jadarian Price, 25 - Preston Zinter, 26 - Chris Salerno, 27 - Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, 28 - Luke Talich, 30 - Bryce Young, 35 - Teddy Rezac, 37 - Max Hurleman, 38 - Davis Sherwood, 38 - Tommy Powlus, 39 - Rino Monteforte, 4 - Jaiden Ausberry, 41 - Donovan Hinish, 44 - Junior Tuihalamaka, 45 - Kobi Onyiuke, 55 - Chris Terek, 56 - Charles Jagusah, 59 - Aamil Wagner, 6 - Jordan Faison, 75 - Sullivan Absher, 76 - Guerby Lambert, 79 - Tosh Baker, 82 - Leo Scheidler, 83 - Jayden Thomas, 84 - Kevin Bauman, 88 - Armel Mukam, 89 - Charlie Selna, 9 - Eli Raridon, 96 - Joseph Vinci, 98 - Mitch Jeter.
Penn State Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| RB | 10 | Nicholas Singleton |
| QB | 15 | Drew Allar |
| WR | 3 | Julian Fleming |
| TE | 44 | Tyler Warren |
| OL | 53 | Nick Dawkins |
| WR | 6 | Harrison Wallace III |
| OL | 66 | Drew Shelton |
| OL | 71 | Olaivavega Ioane |
| OL | 72 | Nolan Rucci |
| OL | 77 | Sal Wormley |
| TE | 85 | Luke Reynolds |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| S | 1 | Jaylen Reed |
| LB | 11 | Abdul Carter |
| LB | 13 | Tony Rojas |
| DT | 28 | Zane Durant |
| DB | 3 | Jalen Kimber |
| DE | 33 | Dani Dennis-Sutton |
| CB | 4 | AJ Harris |
| LB | 41 | Kobe King |
| S | 6 | Zakee Wheatley |
| CB | 7 | Zion Tracy |
| DT | 91 | Dvon J-Thomas |
Penn State Reserves
0 - Dominic DeLuca, 10 - Dejuan Lane, 12 - Jon Mitchell, 13 - Kaytron Allen, 15 - Amin Vanover, 16 - Khalil Dinkins, 17 - Kenny Woseley, 2 - Liam Clifford, 23 - Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, 24 - Ta'Mere Robinson, 29 - Audavion Collins, 31 - Kolin Dinkins, 34 - Tyler Holzworth, 43 - Tyler Elsdon, 48 - Tyler Duzansky, 5 - Cam Miller, 5 - Omari Evans, 50 - Cooper Cousins, 52 - Dominic Rulli, 55 - Chimdy Onoh, 56 - JB Nelson, 63 - Alex Birchmeier, 74 - J'ven Williams, 9 - Elliot Washington II, 92 - Smith Vilbert, 94 - Ryan Barker, 95 - Riley Thompson, 95 - Jordan Mayer, 99 - Gabe Nwosu, 99 - Coziah Izzard.
