Notre Dame vs Penn State game balls
In a game that featured three lead changes and countless mood swings, a late fourth-quarter interception by Irish sophomore cornerback Christian Gray set up a 41-yard game-winning field goal by graduate place kicker Mitch Jeter to secure a 27-24 Irish Orange Bowl win over Penn State, and a place in the National Championship Game.
You could empty the truck handing out game balls for this historic win.
But we had to settle on these three.
WR Jaden Greathouse
Playing the best game of his season, the sophomore wide receiver finished with 7 catches for 105 yards — both career highs — and added a touchdown catch late in the fourth-quarter touchdown that tied the game at 24-24 and kept hopes alive for a Notre Dame comeback victory.
The 54-yard touchdown catch by Greathouse was the longest pass play of the season for Notre Dame, and only his second touchdown grab of the year.
More of a complementary receiver most of this season, Greathouse had caught only 6 passes in the previous 5 Irish games.
QB Riley Leonard
In another gritty performance, the senior quarterback finished the game 15-of-23 passing for 223 yards, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
Leonard also added 35 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, and an unmistakable leadership quality that lifted Notre Dame to the comeback win.
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Trailing 10-3 at halftime, Leonard led the Irish on 3 touchdowns and 1 field-goal drives in the second half, the most critical one coming when he hit Greathouse with the 54-yard scoring toss that tied the game at 24-24 and set up the game-winning field goal.
OL Tosh Baker & Charles Jagusah
With Notre Dame trailing 10-0 and Penn State in control of game momentum, circumstances seemingly couldn’t have gotten any worse for Notre Dame when it lost starting offensive linemen Rocco Spindler and Anthonie Knapp in the second quarter.
But, by sticking to the “next man up” mantra, the graduate tackle Baker and the freshman guard Jagusah stepped in and gave the Notre Dame running game the necessary boost to pull this win out.
The Irish managed only 15 rushing yards in the first half.
Then, with Baker and Jagusah in the game, Notre Dame went for 101 rushing yards to spark the comeback win.