No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 6 Penn State are preparing to face off Thursday in the Orange Bowl. The last time the two teams played each other was in 2007, when the Penn State Lions wasted no time and took a 31-10 win.
Notre Dame
Despite the loss against Northern Illinois that shocked Notre Dame fans around the country, for the first time in Notre Dame history, the Irish have won 13 games — including 12 in a row. Notre Dame football will look to make it a 14-1 record against Penn State.
Notre Dame took the 27-17 win over the Indiana Hoosiers and, in last week’s Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, a big 23-10 win over Georgia. Here are a few factors that led to the team’s success.
Xavier Watts: The graduate student safety proved his presence on the field without a doubt in the first two championship games. Watts has contributed six assisted tackles, 17 tackles and one interception so far in the postseason.
Jeremiyah Love: A sophomore running back known for his long hurdles over opposing team defenders and 60-plus-yard touchdowns has been key to the success of the Irish. Even without any touchdowns in the playoffs so far, Love has totaled 20 yards gained off of receiving and 129 rushing yards, averaging 73.5 yards over the past two games.
In a podcast interview, Marcus Freeman said, “He hurdles a guy [and] he’s in the air for about four yards. 90% of people that do that, they fall down. He stays on his feet.”
Limited at practice due to a lingering knee injury this week, Love’s status going into the Orange Bowl will be worth monitoring.
Riley Leonard: The senior quarterback transfer from Duke has excelled on offense for the Irish. Over the past two games, Leonard has a total of 110 rushing yards and 291 total passing yards, a completion percentage of 71.9 against Indiana and 62.5 against Georgia. Overall, he’s completed 38 passes with three total touchdowns while turning the ball over just once.
Offense: After the two playoff games, the offense has collected 347 rushing yards, 291 passing yards and 638 total yards, helping the team toward 50 total points.
Defense: The Irish defense has proved to be one of the keys to Notre Dame’s success in the playoffs. The Irish used their defense to their advantage most notably against Georgia, as sophomore safety Adon Shuler, Watts, graduate linebacker Jack Kiser and junior defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka all finished with multiple tackles, helping the Irish force two turnovers and generate four sacks.
Penn State
The Penn State Nittany Lions are currently 13-2 on the season coming off of a 38-10 win over SMU and a 31-14 win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Here are some key players that got them to the Orange Bowl.
Drew Allar: Allar, a junior quarterback from Medina, Ohio, leads the Nittany Lions with a total of 298 passing yards and 26 completed passes so far in the playoffs.
Kaytron Allen: Allen is a junior running back for Penn State and has been essential in moving the ball down the field. So far in the playoffs, Allen has a total of 204 rushing yards, two touchdowns and averages better than seven yards per carry.
Tyler Warren: Warren, a senior tight end for Penn State, has made an impact on the Nittany Lion offense, garnering two touchdowns and 96 receiving yards on 10 catches so far in the playoffs.
Notre Dame will face Penn State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium near Miami.
