Our Lady heads to the first College Football Playoff National Championship game of the expanded format era after a comeback 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
Fighting Irish kicker Mitch Jeter kicked the game-winning 41-yard field goal to cap a back-and-forth battle between the two storied programs.
Notre Dame’s comeback victory might never have happened if quarterback Riley Leonard hadn’t mustered the strength to return to the game after an injury.
“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said immediately after the game in a postgame interview on ESPN. “It’s an honor to be part of this with him.”
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Penn State Nittany Lions face off at the line of scrimmage against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on January 9, 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Leonard had to leave the game in the second quarter, forcing backup Steve Angeli to come on. At that point, Notre Dame was already down 10-0. But Angeli helped the Irish get back into it with a field goal to give Notre Dame its first points as the Irish went into halftime trailing 10-3.
But Leonard returned to the game in the second half and led a touchdown drive to tie the game. The two teams then traded score for score in a competitive second half.
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) celebrates a tackle on Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) in the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Leonard had a chance to take the lead with two minutes left, but Penn State’s defense came up with a big third-down sack to force a Notre Dame punt.
Then Allar, with a chance to lead a game-winning drive with less and potentially put himself in the conversation for the top quarterback in the NFL Draft, came back on the field for the biggest moment of his career. And at that moment he threw an interception to give the ball back to Leonard and the Irish.
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates a touchdown with teammates in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Leonard then came back on the field and led the final drive that put Jeter in position to seal the deal.
“I just trusted Jesus,” Leonard said in an ESPN post-game interview.
Notre Dame’s storybook streak continues after scoring a historic victory against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, just one day after a deadly terrorist attack left fourteen innocent people dead.
The Irish meet the winner of the Cotton bowl on Friday between Ohio State and Texas.
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