In a game that pits two of college football’s storied programs, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn State Nittany Lions will battle it out for a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP) championship game, The 13-1 Irish have a slightly better mark than the 13-2 Lions but the latter’s two defeats came against CFP playoff teams Ohio State and Oregon.
This series dates back to 1913, with both teams winning nine times and also ending in a scoreless deadlock. They’ve met only two times since the 1992 “Snow Bowl” classic.
Below are some of the key matchups to watch
QB Riley Leonard vs. Penn State Defense
Leonard continues to deliver solid numbers, though he relied more on his legs in the win over Georgia. Still, he’s developed into a consistent passer after a slow start. His only postseason mistake thus far was an interception on the Irish’s first play from scrimmage against Indiana. His aggressive style of running runs the risk of injury but his competitive spirit will ignore such danger in this contest.
The Nittany Lions have held 10 of 14 opponents to two touchdowns or less and have a strong pass defense with 18 interceptions on the year. However, their two losses showed that they can be run on by teams with quality running backs and Southern Cal also managed to gain nearly eight yards per carry in that near-upset. That potential flaw could turn out to be the difference.
Notre Dame Defense vs. QB Drew Allar
Holding a potent Georgia offense to just one touchdown and 10 points was simply the latest outstanding effort for this unit that’s allowed just 13.6 points per game. They’ll get a major test with highly productive personnel at the skill positions for Penn State. Keeping a tight rein on them could be difficult but simply tamping down their numbers might be the ticket to the title game.
Allar has already indicated that he’ll be returning to Happy Valley next year, even though he’s coming off his second straight excellent season. Like Leonard, he doesn’t make too many mistakes with just nine career interceptions on 760 pass attempts. He doesn’t possess Leonard’s running chops but he’s talented enough to have caught a pair of passes during the 2023 campaign.
MLB Drayk Bowen vs. RB Kaytron Allen/Nicholas Singleton
Bowen has stepped up his relatively modest regular season number in crunch time. Against Georgia, he made six stops, including one behind the line. That came after a season-high two tackles-for-loss against Indiana. He delivers hard hits on those tackles and has forced a pair of fumbles. He’ll need help from fellow backers Jack Kiser, Jaylen Sneed and Junior Tuihalamaka in keeping the Penn State running game in check.
Allen and Singleton compare favorably to the Irish’s tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, with the Penn State duo each rushing for 1,000 yards this season. Nicknamed the Lawn Boyz because they “tear the field up,” Allen and Singleton are in their third year of doing damage to rushing defenses, which presents a formidable challenge for Notre Dame.
LT Anthonie Knapp vs. RDE Abdul Carter
Knapp has perhaps his stiffest challenge of the season but has managed to remain in the lineup at a crucial position all season long. That steady development has occasionally been short-circuited by penalties but he continues to grow into the latest contribution from the pipeline of top offensive line. Protecting Leonard’s blind side makes his efforts crucial to the Irish hopes.
Carter has spent much of his Nittany Lion career making a habit of getting into enemy backfields. He’s got 22 career sacks and 39 tackles-for-loss and had multiple sacks in four games this season. However, he suffered an injury in the win over Boise State, though he appears to be on track to face Notre Dame. Whether or not he’s full healed may be in question, but if his production is limited, that could have a devastating impact on Penn State’s chances to advance.
SS Adon Shuler TE Tyler Warren
Shule has take hold of his position and will get a major test against one of the nation’s top tight ends. He sometimes gets overshadowed by All-American Xavier Watts but he’s made 52 stops on the year and manages to win his shre of 50-50 balls, In the postseason, he’s been even busier than Bowen, with 13 tackles, a pair of pass breakups and a crucial forced fumble against Georgia.
Like Notre Dame, Penn State has had its share of top tight ends who ended up playing in the NFL. Warren is likely the latest edition to emerge with a monster year in which he’s caught 98 passes for 1,158 yards and eight touchdowns. Offering a huge target at six-feet-six and 250 pounds, Warren had only caught 49 passes over four previous seasons. Besides his receiving exploits, he’s also a running threat with 24 carries for 197 yards and four touchdowns
