Orange Bowl Tale of the Tape: Penn State Vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame is a slim favorite over the Nittany Lions, but the teams enter the Orange Bowl evenly and uniquely matched.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs the ball against the Boise State Broncos during their Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State's playoff run will continue on Thursday in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. Both historic programs have the opportunity to advance to their first national championship game of the College Football Playoff era. The Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish play a similar brand of football, focusing on the run, good defense and winning the turnover battle. This style helped Penn State advance past SMU and Boise State, but how will it fare against a more talented Notre Dame team? Let’s go to the tale of the tape.

When Penn State is on offense 

Notre Dame has the nation’s top-ranked defense, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, which is led by coordinator and Penn State alum Al Golden. The Fighting Irish specialize in forcing turnovers, leading the nation with 31 takeaways and having the third most interceptions with 18. 

Leading the way on that front is ball-hawking safety Xavier Watts, who has a team-leading six interceptions and also has the second-most tackles on the team with 67. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar hasn’t thrown an interception in the last two games, but the Irish defense has the playmakers to make him pay for errant throws. 

Notre Dame’s defense has been stingy in yards allowed and is one of nine teams allowing fewer than 300 per game. The unit also ranks third in points allowed, giving up a measly 13.6 per game. Notre Dame’s run defense was particularly impressive in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia, which mustered only 66 rushing yards.  

Penn State will test that run defense with its star backfield of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who have been on a tear this postseason. The Nittany Lions’ offensive line had its way with SMU and Boise State, and the pressure is now on Notre Dame’s front seven to prevent that same push. Linebacker Jack Kiser is one of the key defenders who could help the Irish stop the run. He leads the team with 75 tackles and also has two forced fumbles.

Penn State coach James Franklin called Notre Dame’s defense “very sound, very aggressive [and] very disruptive.”

“I think they do a really good job on the back half as well,” Franklin said. “[Golden’s] blitz packages are challenging. A lot of stuff that I think he's done over his career as a defensive coordinator, but also time in the NFL in terms of attacking the quarterback, they do a really good job.”

That’s where Singleton and Allen will be important. Allen in particular has been on a postseason tear, rushing for 328 yards in his last three games.

“Kaytron, specifically the month of December, has run like a wild man,” Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. “... His vision, how he’s seeing it and then what he's doing and how he's running people over, I mean, he has some legitimate big-boy carries on film right now, and it's fun to watch.”

Penn State Vs. Notre Dame: Tale of the Tape

Penn State	Statistic	Notre Dame
33.7	Scoring Average	37.7
436.3	Total Offense	406.6
202.2	Rushing Offense	217.5
78.1	Quarterback Passer Rating	77.5
15.8	Scoring Defense	13.6
288.8	Total Defense	295.4
100.9	Rushing Defense	127.9
+10	Turnover Margin	+18
2.6	Sacks Per Game	2.64
16.92	Explosive Play % Offense	12.81
11.43	Explosive Play % Defense	9.8

When Penn State is on defense

Like Penn State, Notre Dame's offense is run-first offense led by two solid backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love is the home-run hitter, leading the team with 16 touchdowns, including a 98-yard sprint against Indiana in the first round of the playoffs. Penn State will need to play gap-sound, because Love’s speed is enough to exploit even small creases in the defense.

The X-factor for the Fighting Irish is quarterback Riley Leonard, who can do significant damage with his legs. Leonard is the team’s second-leading rusher with 831 yards and 15 touchdowns. He had only 90 passing yards against Georgia but coupled that with 80 yards rushing to help Notre Dame get the win. 

That said, Leonard is still an efficient passer, completing 66.5 percent of his attempts for 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Against Indiana, he was more productive through the air with 201 yards passing and a touchdown. Penn State will have to defend against Leonard as a passer and as a scrambler, and he’ll make the Nittany Lions pay if they aren’t disciplined. 

Leonard’s top passing target is receiver Beaux Collins, who caught a touchdown pass against Georgia last week. A graduate transfer from Clemson, Collins leads the team with 458 yards receiving and three touchdowns. 

Scouting Notre Dame’s special teams

Notre Dame’s special teams are worth mentioning, as they’ve played a key role in the playoff run. Last week, Jayden Harrison had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to help the Irish pull away from Georgia. Moreover, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman deploys his special teams units as a weapon. Against Georgia Tech, Notre Dame executed a fake punt for a first down, blocked a Georgia Tech field goal and faked a field goal. Notre Dame is tied for first nationally in blocked kicks (6), ranks second in blocked punts (3), and is eighth in kickoff return defense (15.72). 

JAYDEN HARRISON

9️⃣8️⃣ YARDS#GoIrish | @j_harrison5

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— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 2, 2025

Kicker Mitch Jeter also had a strong day in the Sugar Bowl, booting three field goals from 44, 47 and 48 yards. Jeter is only 11 of 18 this season but appeared to find his mark against the Bulldogs. Penn State’s Ryan Barker is tested as well, having made an overtime game-winner vs. USC and going 6-for-8 on attempts from 40-49 yards. In a game where points could be at a premium, an accurate kicker from distance could be the difference-maker.

Penn State will take on Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. 

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson