4 Keys to Victory for Penn State to Beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl

One of the College Football Playoff semifinals match up is set as Penn State takes on Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night. We break down four ways the Nittany Lions can defeat Notre Dame to make it to the National Championship game on January 20.

Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton continue their hot streak

Penn State’s running game has gelled at the exact right time. The offensive line has come together to help create many explosive plays with wide open running lanes. Nicholas Singleton has been back to his explosive self after being hampered with bumps and bruises early in the season. I’m not sure what’s gotten into Kaytron Allen, but he’s looked like one of the most unstoppable backs in the nation during the past three games, exploding through holes and punishing would-be tacklers.

The Orange Bowl is shaping up to be an extremely physical, possibly low-scoring affair. Whichever team can establish the run game will have a clear advantage if points are at a premium.

Penn State’s defense bottles up the run (again)

Notice a theme here? While it’s always crucial to limit the run, it will be incredibly advantageous for Penn State to do so against this Irish squad. Notre Dame loves to pound the ball thanks to its physical backs, a strong interior line, and most notably, quarterback Riley Leonard who can create plays when he sees a lane, as well as designed runs when with an extra blocker. However, Leonard and the rest of the offense are far less dangerous once that dimension is taken away.

Penn State has one of the most stout run defenses in the nation, which was showcased as they limited Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty to his least productive game of the season in the Fiesta Bowl. If they can find a way to replicate that effort again, the Irish could struggle to get points on the board.

Big-time throws from Drew Allar

Allar has looked extremely confident as of late, making several jaw-dropping passes that he somehow squeezes into the tightest windows. He’s shown that he can make the types of passes that require a rare ability, and why he will have his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft eventually.

Allar will have his work cut out for him in the Orange Bowl though. The Irish have an opportunistic secondary who stick to receivers, and makes quarterbacks pay for bad decisions. Allar will also be dealing with a tenacious pass rush that will force him to get the ball out of his hands quickly and not get rattled.

It may not be the most prolific game for Allar against this level of defense, but generating a few explosive plays and getting Trey Wallace, Omari Evans, and especially John Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren involved in the passing game could ultimately make the difference in a game that could be light on points.

Limiting the big play

Notre Dame has found ways to make clutch plays in all three phases on their way to the semifinals. The defense leads the nation in takeaways, while the offense does a great job of taking advantage of the opportunities. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, the defense created turnovers in the first half that the offense immediately scored the next play to help set the tone and pull ahead early. The Irish also returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown to take complete control over Georgia.

The Orange Bowl could easily come down to a crucial mistake and big play that swings the game in one direction. The Nittany Lions will need to find a way to end the trend of Notre Dame creating big plays at the right moment to advance to the National Championship Game.

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