The Penn State Nittany Lions and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced off in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with the winner advancing to the national championship game. The game was a defensive battle early on, with both teams holding the other scoreless in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Penn State opened the scoring with a 20-yard field goal and later added a five-yard touchdown run by Nicholas Singleton, taking a 10-0 lead. Notre Dame responded with a 41-yard field goal just before halftime, leaving the score at 10-3 in favor of Penn State.
The second half saw a shift in momentum as Notre Dame’s offense, led by quarterback Riley Leonard, gained traction. In the third quarter, Leonard ran for a three-yard touchdown, tying the game at 10-10.
The fourth quarter was an intense back-and-forth. Notre Dame took a 17-10 lead with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Jeremiyah Love. However, Penn State quickly tied the game with Singleton’s second seven-yard touchdown run. Shortly after, Singleton struck again with another seven-yard run, giving Penn State a 24-17 lead.
Notre Dame responded with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to Jaden Greathouse, tying the game at 24-24 with less than five minutes remaining. In the final moments, Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal, securing a 27-24 victory.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter:
Penn State: Ryan Barker 20-yard field goal.
Penn State: Nicholas Singleton five-yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame: Mitch Jeter 41-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter:
Notre Dame: Riley Leonard three-yard touchdown run.
4th Quarter:
Notre Dame: Jeremiyah Love two-yard touchdown run.
Penn State: Nicholas Singleton seven-yard touchdown run.
Penn State: Nicholas Singleton seven-yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame: Riley Leonard 54-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Greathouse.
Notre Dame: Mitch Jeter 41-yard field goal.
Key Stats
Notre Dame Passing: Riley Leonard completed 15 of 23 passes for 223 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions.
Notre Dame Rushing: The team rushed for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns, led by Jeremiyah Love (45 yards, 1 touchdown).
Notre Dame Receiving: Jaden Greathouse recorded 105 yards and 1 touchdown on seven catches.
Penn State Passing: Drew Allar completed 12 of 23 passes for 135 yards and 1 interception.
Penn State Rushing: The team rushed for 204 yards, with Nicholas Singleton accounting for 84 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The victory sends Notre Dame to the national championship, highlighting a gritty p
erformance and a clutch final drive to secure the win.