MIAMI - Penn State and Notre Dame are two programs entrenched in the historical fabric of college football. Thursday they’ll write a new chapter into those history books and play for a spot in the national championship at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish are set for their 20th all-time matchup and the first contest since 2007, a matchup that resulted in a 31-10 Penn State win. The Blue & White is coming off a 31-14 VRBO Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals while Notre Dame toppled Georgia 23-10 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl to earn its spot in the semifinals.
Penn State proved, in its 21-point win over the Broncos, that it’s able to pair a dominant run attack with a potent run defense, and those dynamics will take center stage on Thursday. The Nittany Lions held the nation’s leading rusher and Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty to a season-low 104 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry.
Penn State’s rushing defense is ranked eighth in the FBS allowing just over 100 rushing yards per game while Notre Dame’s rushing offense stands at No. 11 with 217.5 rushing yards per contest. Both teams possess physically imposing offensive lines and electrifying running back duos, including Penn State’s junior backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen and Notre Dame’s sophomore Jeremiyah Love and junior Jadarian Price.
Singleton, Allen and Love have all amassed over 1,000 rushing yards on the season with the first two aforementioned rushers combining for 381 rushing yards over the last two games against SMU and Boise State. Head coach James Franklin said, “I would make the argument we have got the best duo in all of college football.”
“When those guys are going, obviously the run game really in any football game is going to be really important so having that is huge for us as an offense,” senior tight end Tyler Warren said. “We have a pass game, we have a run game, we have a lot of different things you have to defend, that is going to help us and be able to let us do a lot of different things. This is as good a time as any for them to be playing the way they have been so it’s awesome to be able to block for them and the way they run the ball has been great.”
The defenses for Penn State and Notre Dame have performed as two of the best in the country throughout the season and have shined in the playoff with game-changing turnovers. The Nittany Lions generated three turnovers in the opening-round win over SMU and tallied another four takeaways against Boise State, including three interceptions.
Notre Dame forced a pair of turnovers in its win over Georgia including a strip sack by RJ Oben which set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Riley Leonard on the ensuing play. Both teams have a double-digit turnover margin with the Nittany Lions at plus-10 and the Fighting Irish third nationally at plus-18.
Protecting the football will be pivotal for Leonard and Penn State junior quarterback Drew Allar especially with two defenses that have stifled opposing offenses when it matters. Penn State and Notre Dame are fourth and fifth nationally, respectively in red zone defense and Allar noted the latter’s defense as physical and one that isn’t missing assignments.
A key for Penn State’s defense will be not only slowing down Love and Price, but Leonard, who has 831 rushing yards on the season. Facing mobile quarterbacks like SMU’s Kevin Jennings, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Boise State’s running back Jeanty has given the Penn State staff multiple looks and redshirt senior defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas said it’s a challenge the front seven is prepared for.
“Our defensive staff did a tremendous job of coaching us and showing us the right way to balance the cage while also being aggressive in our pass rush,” J-Thomas said. “I think it’ll be no different this week especially with their offensive line and [Riley Leonard] being more of a mobile quarterback and running a lot of QB sneaks… that’ll be important for us this week, just balancing the cage and making sure we’re very sound in our assignments and our gaps.”
Franklin praised the development of the wide receiver room and that growth will need to take another leap on Thursday against a Notre Dame passing defense that ranks fifth-best in the FBS at 167.4 passing yards per game allowed.
Junior wide receiver Omari Evans showcased his deep threat ability against Boise State and the Killeen, Texas, product has recorded a receiving touchdown in three of the last five games including a 38-yard score against the Broncos. Franklin said the maturation of the room has been “exciting” and noted “the scary part is I don't think Omari is anywhere close to where he can be. I think as we continue to play this year, he's just going to keep getting better.”
“You look at the year Tre [Harrison Wallace III] has had, we felt like Tre has been able to have those years the last couple years but he's had injuries,” Franklin said. “Omari [Evans] coming and playing to his superpower off line of scrimmage. Julian [Fleming]; you think about the catches Julian had against USC, we are not here without those. And I get it they are not gaudy numbers, but you watch how Julian is blocking. Where are the explosive plays coming from? The receivers owning all of the responsibilities of being true wide receivers.”