Notre Dame vs. Penn State: A Wild Semifinal

The first semifinal of the 12-team College Football Playoff lived up to the hype. Notre Dame and Penn State traded punches for 60 minutes, with the Fighting Irish ultimately coming out on top 27-24.

The Middle Eight

Notre Dame's offense was clicking in the middle eight minutes of the game. The Fighting Irish scored 17 points in under 60 seconds on both sides of halftime, and they also managed the clock perfectly in the second half, driving for a field goal at the halftime buzzer and then roaring down the field for a touchdown drive to start the second half.

Third Downs

Notre Dame's third-down conversions were the difference in the game. The Fighting Irish went 11-for-17 on third downs, while Penn State went 3-for-11. Notre Dame's quarterback, Riley Leonard, was a big reason for the team's success on third downs, as he rushed for 25 yards on four carries and also completed two passes for 37 yards.

One Horrid Pass

Penn State's quarterback, Drew Allar, threw an interception with 33 seconds remaining that sealed the win for Notre Dame. Allar was trying to make a play, but he double-clutched and threw an inaccurate pass across his body. Christian Gray picked it off and returned it 19 yards to the Penn State 33-yard line.

Key Stats

• Yards: Notre Dame 383, Penn State 339
• Yards per play: Notre Dame 5.2, Penn State 5.2
• Third downs: Notre Dame 11-for-17, Penn State 3-for-11
• Fourth downs: Penn State 2-for-2, Notre Dame 0-for-0
• Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard: 15-for-23 for 223 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 3 sacks and 15 carries for 45 yards
• Penn State QB Drew Allar: 12-for-23 for 135 yards and 1 interception
• Notre Dame RBs Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams: 26 combined carries and catches, 147 yards and 1 touchdown
• Penn State RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen: 37 combined carries and catches, 205 yards and 3 touchdowns
• Notre Dame wide receivers: 9 catches for 130 yards and 1 TD; Penn State wide receivers: 0 catches for 0 yards
• Tackles for loss: Penn State 8, Notre Dame 2
• Sacks: Penn State 5, Notre Dame 1

Impact Plays

• Dennis-Sutton Interception: Penn State defensive lineman Abdul Carter dropped into coverage to pick off a Riley Leonard pass along the sideline. It was an absolutely perfect defensive playcall, maybe the best of the night.
• Singleton TD: Running back Nicholas Singleton scored his third touchdown of the night to give Penn State the lead. He broke the ankles of multiple Notre Dame defenders on his way to the end zone.
• Greathouse TD: Notre Dame wide receiver Jaden Greathouse broke free for a 54-yard catch-and-run. He juked multiple defenders on his way to the end zone.
• Gray Interception: Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray picked off a Drew Allar pass with 33 seconds remaining. He returned the interception 19 yards to the Penn State 33-yard line.

See You Next Fall, Penn State

This one's going to hurt for quite a while. James Franklin's Nittany Lions were the vastly superior team over the first 28 minutes or so, but the failed Allar-to-Singleton third-down pass cost them four points and turned a potential 14-0 lead into just a 10-0 advantage. They responded well to Notre Dame's midgame 17-0 run with a 14-0 burst of their own, but they couldn't make the huge Dennis-Sutton pick last. And when the defense came up big late, Allar suffered maybe his biggest brainfart of the season at the worst possible time.

What's Next

Notre Dame will face either Texas or Ohio State in the national title game. The Irish are likely to be either a slight underdog against Texas or a touchdown-or-so underdog against Ohio State. If the Irish are to win their first national title since 1988, they'll have to do it how they've done it all year: with a depth chart that keeps getting thinner.