Ad Disclosure
Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night to clinch a spot in the national championship game.
It was an instant-classic affair that saw multiple lead changes and a remarkable 31 points go up on the board in the 4th quarter alone. In the end, it was Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard field goal that proved to be the difference for the Fighting Irish.
Here are 3 takeaways from Notre Dame’s big win:
Jaden Greathouse’s big game
There wasn’t much to be excited about offensively for Notre Dame in this game. The Irish struggled to run the ball up to their usual standard (although Jeremiyah Love still had his share of highlight-worthy plays). Riley Leonard threw 2 interceptions.
But Jaden Greathouse had arguably the best game of his career in a huge spot. He caught 6 passes for 95 yards and 1 touchdown, including the biggest one of the night: a 54-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at 24-24 with under 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.
Greathouse’s previous career-high for receptions in a game was 5 and his personal best for receiving yards was 71. By all accounts, it was a career-night for a player that Notre Dame needed to step up — and he delivered.
Notre Dame’s defense stepped up
It was a bit of an up-and-down night for the Notre Dame defense, but the Irish largely stepped up and made big plays when it counted.
Penn State scored 10 points off of Riley Leonard turnovers, but was otherwise held relatively in-check on the night. The Nittany Lions managed just 2 full-field touchdown drives — 1 in each half.
Notre Dame’s defense ended the game on a very strong note. The Irish forced a 3-and-out against Penn State in the 4th quarter on its penultimate (full) drive. Then, with under a minute to go, Christian Gray picked off Drew Allar to help set up Mitch Jeter’s game-winning field goal with under 10 seconds remaining.
3rd down disparity
Another area where Notre Dame’s defense stood out was on 3rd down. The Fighting Irish held Penn State to just 3-of-11 on 3rd down, which helped halt several drives.
Offensively, though, Notre Dame excelled in late-down situations. The Fighting Irish went a staggering 11-of-17 on 3rd down. In a game where both teams averaged exactly 5.2 yards per play, Notre Dame’s ability to extend drives more often ended up proving to be the difference in the contest.
Notre Dame will now head to the national championship game where it will face either Ohio State or Texas to cap off the College Football Playoff.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
