The 91st Orange Bowl features two of the top defenses in the nation, with each team sitting top five in points allowed per game. The Nittany Lions are allowing 15.8 points, while the Irish sit two points ahead at 13.8. Penn State entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed after losing its conference title game to Oregon, while Notre Dame is in the semifinals as the No. 7 seed, not receiving an opportunity for a first-round bye as an independent program.
Both teams have cruised to the semis, with Penn State beating SMU 38-10 and Boise State 31-14. The Irish took down Indiana in the first round 27-17 in a game that was not as close as the score indicates, before controlling No. 2 Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl.
Both teams are powered offensively by their ground games, with each averaging over 200 rushing yards per contest. Penn State is led by the two-headed running back attack of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, witch each running over 1,000 yards on the ground this season. Notre Dame’s rushing attack is led by workhorse Jeremiyah Love at running back and dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard, who sits second on the team in rushing with over 750 yards.
There are two names to watch out for defensively for each team — Abdul Cater for PSU and Xavier Watts for Notre Dame. Carter, likely a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, is an explosive edge rusher for the Nittany Lions, tallying 11 sacks on the season. He went out with an apparent arm injury in the first half against Boise State. Penn State will certainly hope for his return come next Thursday.
Watts is a two-time All-American safety for the Irish, who leads his team with six interceptions and a forced fumble on the year. He is a quarterback’s worst nightmare in the secondary, and Notre Dame will rely on him again in the Orange Bowl.
Here is how the two teams matchup:
| Penn State | Stat | Notre Dame |
|---|---|---|
| 13-2 | Record | 13-1 |
| 33.7 | Points Per Game | 38.8 |
| 15.8 | Points Against | 13.8 |
| Drew Allar (3,192 yards, 24 TDs, 7 INT) | Leading Passer | Riley Leonard (2,383 yards, 18 TDs, 6 INT) |
| Kaytron Allen (1,026 yards, 8 TDs) | Leading Rusher | Jeremiyah Love (1,076 yards, 16 TDs) |
| Tyler Warren (1,158 yards, 8 TDs) | Leading Receiver | Beaux Collins (458 yards, 3 TDs)) |
| Jaylen Reed (92 tackles, 3 INT, 2.5 sacks) | Leading Tackler | Jack Kisner (75 tackles, 2 sacks) |
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