The Orange Bowl stage is set. Penn State will face Notre Dame, a program that outlasted Georgia for a 23-10 victory in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday and will look to return to the national championship for the first time in over a decade. The Nittany Lions, a rookie in the College Football Playoff, will have its first title since 1986 on the line when it travels to Miami next week for the semifinals.
James Franklin and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman have constructed their programs in a similar fashion, valuing development and traditional roster building over the transfer portal. Penn State signed just six transfers last offseason. The Fighting Irish signed nine. That’s been essential in crafting national contenders built primarily on returning players.
Penn State and Notre Dame each possess two of the most storied histories and passionate fan bases in the country, setting the stage for a highly anticipated matchup between two programs that have played each other just twice this century. Here’s everything to know about the Fighting Irish ahead of next Thursday’s Orange Bowl.
What did we learn from Sugar Bowl?
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard hardly had to throw the ball. He could run all he wanted as his defense and special teams commanded a Georgia team without its starting quarterback. A loss to Northern Illinois early in the regular season is long behind this Fighting Irish team. They can contend for a national title. Beating Georgia, a playoff mainstay, by 13 is no small feat.
Notre Dame has won 12 consecutive games since a 16-14 loss to the Huskies on Sept. 7. And of its 13 total victories this season, 11 have been won by double-digits. This team gets it done, and has squashed the claims that it cannot win against quality opponents, defeating No. 8 Indiana and the No. 2 Bulldogs in the first two rounds of the postseason.
Penn State, Notre Dame history
What was once an annual rivalry from 1981 to 1992, Penn State and Notre Dame haven’t faced each other since 2007 — a 31-10 victory by the Nittany Lions in what was Beaver Stadium’s first full-stadium White Out game. The two teams have played 19 times since 1913, and have each won nine games; the remaining contest was a scoreless tie in pouring rain on Nov. 7, 1925.
Penn State beat the Fighting Irish on the way to claiming each of its two national championships in 1982 and 1986. The Nittany Lions will again have to follow that pattern with the title game just a win away.
What does Notre Dame do best?
In some ways, it’s a shame Notre Dame maintains its independence, because it would make a hell of a fit in the Big Ten. The Fighting Irish are built through the trenches. Their offensive and defensive lines are both elite, their secondary is one of the nation’s best and they run a ground and pound offense that’s worked to near perfection this season.
There’s a reason safety Xavier Watts has been named an All-American each of the past two seasons. His six interceptions rank second nationally, and his nine pass deflections list among the best in the Power Four. He leads a defense that may be even more prolific in the backfield, having sacked Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton three times on Thursday.
Offensively, everything runs — literally — through 1,000-yard rusher Jeremiyah Love and Leonard, who led the Fighting Irish with 14 carries for 80 rushing yards against the Bulldogs. It, of course, helps having one of the nation’s top offensive lines, which held a dominant Georgia defense to just one tackle for loss in the Sugar Bowl.
What are some concerns?
There’s nothing more concerning than the injuries (see below), but what else? The pass game, or lack thereof, stands out most. The Fighting Irish don’t have a true No. 1 receiver. In the regular season, it was Beaux Collins, who currently leads the team with 458 receiving yards. In the playoffs, it’s been first-round hero Jordan Faison.
Notre Dame is a one-sided offense, but that hasn’t been a fault to this point in the playoffs. The Fighting Irish are running angry, and finding success on the ground against anyone they play. Time will tell if they’re able to hold off a Penn State defense that ranks No. 8 nationally in opponent rushing yards per game.
Notable injuries across the roster
Notre Dame’s run to the Orange Bowl is even more impressive when considering the injuries it’s sustained along the way. It began with standout cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s season-ending hip injury in October. Then came leading pass rusher Rylie Mills’ season-ending knee injury in the first round of the playoffs. This is not the same Fighting Irish team of even two weeks ago.
Against the Bulldogs, Love was injured in the third quarter and did not return. He’s been banged up over the past month. Howard Cross III, the team’s second-leading pass rusher, was also injured in action. With the Sugar Bowl pushed back a day, Notre Dame will have one fewer rest day in preparation of the Orange Bowl.
