Notre Dame goes to the primary School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship recreation of the expanded format period after a comeback 27-24 win over Penn State within the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
Combating Irish kicker Mitch Jeter kicked the game-winning 41-yard discipline aim to cap off a back-and-forth battle between the 2 storied packages.
Notre Dame’s comeback victory might have by no means materialized had quarterback Riley Leonard not summoned the fortitude to return to the sport after an injury.
“He is a competitor and opponents discover a technique to win,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman mentioned in a postgame interview on ESPN proper after the sport. “It is an honor to be part of this with him.”
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Penn State Nittany Lions face off on the line of scrimmage towards the Notre Dame Combating Irish in the course of the Penn State Nittany Lions versus Notre Dame Combating Irish School Soccer Playoff Semifinal on the Capital One Orange Bowl on January 9, 2025, at Onerous Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
Leonard needed to depart the sport within the second quarter, forcing in backup Steve Angeli. At that time, Notre Dame was already behind 10-0. However Angeli helped get the Irish again into it with a discipline aim drive to offer Notre Dame its first factors, because the Irish went into halftime down 10-3.
However Leonard returned to the sport within the second half, and led a landing drive to tie the sport. The 2 groups then traded rating for rating in a aggressive second half.
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive finish Abdul Carter (11) celebrates a sort out on Notre Dame Combating Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) within the first half at Onerous Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Pictures)
Leonard had an opportunity to guide a go-ahead drive with two minutes remaining, however the Penn State protection got here up with an enormous third-down sack to power a Notre Dame punt.
Then Allar, with an opportunity to guide a game-winning drive with much less and presumably put himself into the dialog for the highest quarterback taken within the NFL Draft, got here again onto the sphere for the most important second of his profession. And in that second, he threw an interception to offer the ball proper again to Leonard and the Irish.
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Notre Dame Combating Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates a contact down with teammates within the second half towards the Penn State Nittany Lions at Onerous Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Pictures)
Leonard then got here again on the sphere and led the ultimate drive that put Jeter in place to seal the deal.
“I simply trusted in Jesus,” Leonard mentioned in a postgame ESPN interview.
Notre Dame’s storybook run continues after it got here up with a historic win towards Georgia within the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans simply sooner or later after a lethal terrorist assault killed 14 harmless folks.
The Irish will meet the winner of the Cotton Bowl on Friday between Ohio State and Texas.
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