Notre Dame’s Stunning Win Over Penn State Sends Them to National Championship: Takeaways

Mitch Jeter and Notre Dame stun Penn State in final seconds to win Orange Bowl

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates a touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Orange Bowl was hyped as being an evenly matched game between two heavyweights and it lived up to the hype.

Notre Dame outpunched Penn State just enough to escape Miami with a 27-24 victory thanks to a clutch interception by Christian Gray and an even more clutch late field goal by Mitch Jeter.

Here are your instant takeaways from the thrilling Notre Dame victory over the Nittany Lions.

Notre Dame Football 2024: RESOLVE

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates a touch down with teammates in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Resolve.

Resolve.

Resolve.

The amount this team overcame to simply get to the Orange Bowl is absurd and then what it overcame to win the Orange Bowl is another level. A 10-0 deficit, multiple injuries, a backup quarterback in just before halftime and giving away a late lead?

Jeremiyah Love beat up and not looking himself? Then he kickstarts the opening drive of the second half to get the game back to even.

Notre Dame answered every punch thrown their way Thursday night in Miami. That's the number one takeaway from the game. Penn State landed punches, put Notre Dame on the mat a couple of times, and each time the Irish got back up and punched back harder. That comes from the top as praise is thrown at Marcus Freeman and the environment he's created.

Steve Angeli's Huge Moment for Notre Dame

Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli warms up before a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Riley Leonard was forced out of the game just before halftime as he entered concussion protocol. While he was out, backup Steve Angeli led Notre Dame on a last-second first half drive to get the Irish into field goal range and on the board. In a game full of huge moments, Angeli leading that Irish drive can't be forgotten about.

Notre Dame vs. Penn State: Irish Own Middle Eight Minutes Again

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) scores touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Penn State scored to go up 10-0 and things looked bleak at best for the Irish late in the first half. The aformentioned Angeli drive got points on the board right before halftime to kill some Nittany Lions momentum and out of the half, Jeremiyah Love kickstarted a game-tying drive.

Penn State scored with just over two-minutes left in the first half but yet again, the Irish controlled things right before halftime and right out of halftime and it played a massive part of them winning the game.

Notre Dame's Jaden Greathouse's Coming Out Party

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (1) celebrates a touch down the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It's well documented that Notre Dame doesn't have a ton of downfield targets and has been all year. On Thursday night those downfield targets were infinitely better than what Penn State offered as Nittany Lions wide receivers didn't record a single catch until the final razzle dazzle play to end the game.

For Notre Dame, sophomore Jaden Greathouse was huge, hauling in seven receptions for 105 yards and the longest touchdown reception of the year for Notre Dame. Greathouse etched his name forever into Notre Dame lore with his performance on Thursday.

Notre Dame's Last-Minute Forced Turnover

For the second time in as many weeks, a Notre Dame forced turnover at the end of a half dictated the game. Drew Allar's awful decision to throw across his body late in the fourth quarter with the game tied was punished by a Christian Gray interception that helped set up Notre Dame's game-winning field goal.

Just like against USC, Christian Gray delivered in the biggest way possible with the season on the line.

Give Mitch Jeter His Flowers!

GOOD FROM 4️⃣1️⃣

MITCH JETER IS CLUTCH.

MR. JANUARY. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/W3HO408OHQ

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 10, 2025

It was real easy to want to give up on an injured Mitch Jeter this fall, as the roughed up kicker had gone sour. He wasn't hitting the easiest of kicks as late as the USC game and was a huge question mark entering the postseason.

Jeter came up huge twice Thursday night, hitting field goals at the end of both halves to first get the Irish on the board, and then to send the Irish to the national championship game.

Hats off to the kicker some wanted to give up on just over a month ago.

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