Notre Dame Escapes With Thrilling 27-24 Victory Over Penn State

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Notre Dame Escapes With Thrilling 27-24 Victory Over Penn State

Jeter’s game-winning field goal sends the Irish to the national championship

In a game that will be remembered for years to come, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish escaped with a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The game came down to the final possession, with Irish kicker Mitch Jeter drilling a 41-yard field goal with 12 seconds left to send Notre Dame to the national championship game.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading blows throughout. Notre Dame got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-0 early in the first quarter. However, the Irish defense did enough to keep the team in the game, and Notre Dame was able to cut the deficit to 10-3 at halftime.

In the second half, Notre Dame’s offense came to life. Quarterback Riley Leonard returned from an injury to lead the Irish on a scoring drive, tying the game at 10-10. The two teams then traded touchdowns, with Notre Dame taking a 17-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Penn State responded with two touchdowns of their own, taking a 24-17 lead with just over seven minutes left in the game. However, Notre Dame refused to give up. Leonard connected with Jaden Greathouse on a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 24-24 with 4:38 remaining.

The Irish defense then came up with a huge stop, forcing a Penn State three-and-out. Notre Dame’s offense then drove into Penn State territory, but was forced to punt with just under a minute left.

With the game on the line, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was intercepted by Notre Dame’s Christian Gray with 33 seconds left. The interception set up Jeter’s game-winning field goal, sending the Irish to the national championship game.

Key takeaways from the game:

• Notre Dame’s offense was able to overcome a slow start to put up 267 yards passing, its highest output in a game this season.
• The Irish defense came up with several big stops, including a crucial interception late in the fourth quarter.
• Notre Dame was able to convert 11-of-17 third down attempts, while holding Penn State to just 3-of-11.
• Jeter’s game-winning field goal was his second of the game.
• Notre Dame will play the winner of Ohio State and Texas in the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Top performers for Notre Dame:

• Riley Leonard: 17-of-26 passing for 267 yards and one touchdown
• Jaden Greathouse: seven receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown
• Jeremiyah Love: 17 carries for 77 yards and one touchdown
• Mitch Jeter: two field goals, including the game-winner
• Christian Gray: one interception

Quotes from the game:

• “This is a special group of guys,” said Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. “They never gave up, even when we were down. I’m so proud of them.”
• “This is a dream come true,” said Jeter. “I’m just glad I could do my part to help the team win.”
• “We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Leonard. “But we never lost faith in ourselves.”

Additional notes:

• The game was played in front of a sold-out crowd at Notre Dame Stadium.
• The game was the first meeting between Notre Dame and Penn State since 2007.
• Notre Dame is now 2-0 all-time against Penn State in the College Football Playoff.
• The Irish are making their second appearance in the national championship game in the last three years.
• Notre Dame will be looking to win its first national championship since 1988.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about Notre Dame’s thrilling victory over Penn State. Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts on the game.

Go Irish!

I also wanted to add a few additional thoughts on the game:

• I think this was a huge win for Notre Dame. Not only did they beat a very good Penn State team, but they also showed a lot of resilience in coming back from a 10-point deficit.
• I think Riley Leonard is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. He played a great game against Penn State, and he has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the country all season.
• I think Notre Dame has a good chance to win the national championship. They have a talented team and they are well-coached.
• I think this game was a great advertisement for college football. It was an exciting, back-and-forth game that came down to the wire.

I think it is important to note that Notre Dame’s victory over Penn State was a team effort. Everyone on the team contributed to the win.

This is a testament to the culture that head coach Marcus Freeman has built at Notre Dame. He has created a team that is truly united and committed to winning.

This is a big reason why Notre Dame is one of the best teams in the country.

I am impressed with the way that Notre Dame has been able to overcome adversity this season. They have had to deal with a number of injuries, but they have never given up.

This is a sign of a true championship team.