MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – A diving interception off an ill-advised pass set up Notre Dame’s trip to play for the program’s 12th national title after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.
Fighting Irish defensive back Christian Gray snared Drew Allar’s pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, then the Irish moved 19 yards to set up Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard winner with 7 seconds left.
The game featured three ties, three lead changes and 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Notre Dame (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring its first title since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 against the winner of Friday night’s Texas-Ohio State semifinal.
In that game, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level.
No. 6 seed Penn State (13-3) fell agonizingly short in a game it controlled over the first 28 minutes. Coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter that sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half, including the last one.
He finished with 223 yards passing, including a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to convert third-and-3 on the last drive. Leonard also had 35 yards rushing, and passed and ran for a score each.
The game started slow (and boring), but Riley’s injury injected life into things. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards in the third quarter to turn a 10-0 deficit into a 17-10 lead.
At that point, the game was just getting started.