In a thrilling College Football Playoff semifinal, the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish edged out the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 at the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida. The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, featuring multiple lead changes and a dramatic finish.
Penn State’s defense was formidable, recording eight tackles for loss, including five sacks, and securing two interceptions that led to 10 points. Zakee Wheatley was particularly impressive, registering 16 total tackles, a sack, and an interception. Dani Dennis-Sutton also made significant contributions with two sacks and an interception.
Running back Nicholas Singleton made history by becoming the second player in Penn State history to record three rushing touchdowns in a Bowl/CFP game, joining Ki-Jana Carter from the 1995 Rose Bowl. Singleton finished with 84 yards and three scores on 15 carries. Tight end Tyler Warren added 75 receiving yards on six catches and also rushed twice for 21 yards. Quarterback Drew Allar completed 12 of 23 passes for 135 yards.
Notre Dame’s quarterback, Riley Leonard, demonstrated resilience by returning from a potential concussion to lead the team on a game-tying 54-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Greathouse with 4:38 remaining. The Fighting Irish defense then capitalized on a critical interception by Christian Gray off a pass from Allar, setting up a 41-yard field goal by Mitch Jeter with seven seconds left, securing the victory.
This victory propels Notre Dame to the national championship game, where they will face the winner of the Ohio State vs. Texas semifinal. For Penn State, despite the loss, the season marked a significant achievement as they made their first appearance in the College Football Playoffsemifinals.
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