MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Earlier than Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard subject purpose despatched Notre Dame to the nationwide championship sport, earlier than Christian Grey’s diving interception set it up or earlier than Jeremiyah Love’s mutant efficiency on a braced proper knee, Marcus Freeman stood earlier than his crew contained in the Diplomat Lodge on Hollywood Seaside on Wednesday afternoon.
Notre Dame’s head coach had simply returned from a last information convention earlier than kickoff, the type of throwaway media gathering normally forgotten earlier than the final bowl trophy photograph may be snapped. This wasn’t a type of occasions. Not for Freeman, Notre Dame’s head coach whose youth had reduce towards the grain of what it takes to reach this sport of outdated guards and classic attitudes. A head coach panned for not profitable sufficient large video games determined to make some extent about his counterpart.
Penn State head coach James Franklin playfully requested Freeman how outdated he was. He complimented his hairline. He may as nicely have patted the 38-year-old on the top and instructed him what a great job he was doing. As a result of that’s how Freeman heard it, gritting his tooth all through. And now Freeman was going to provide that power to a brand new supply.
His gamers might hardly consider it.
“He was angry. He was angry with the press conference thing, whatever was going on between that,” security Xavier Watts stated. “He was mad about that. All the anger went toward us and that anger went onto the field.”
In a sport the place Notre Dame wanted every part, from its backup quarterback to 2 backup offensive linemen, Franklin managed to provide the Irish just a bit bit extra. There was extra to this spectacular School Soccer Playoff semifinal than Franklin’s self-inflicted verbal wounds — the confetti littering Exhausting Rock Stadium instructed that story. Notre Dame didn’t win due to one thing stated from the opposite sideline. It gained as a result of this program is aware of tips on how to catalyze each benefit and tips on how to deal with each problem.
Franklin simply provided a bonus one.
“I’m not gonna speak on their head coach, but we felt like their team didn’t really respect us,” Love stated. “We wanted to come into this game and make a statement. Be the aggressors. Dominate them physically. That’s the message. Be physical and play violent. The whole game.”
In the long run, Notre Dame’s 27-24 victory over Penn State was all of that and extra. The Combating Irish misplaced three offensive starters within the first half, with two offensive linemen happening for the sport and quarterback Riley Leonard struggling a head harm, which Notre Dame cleared as one thing aside from a concussion. In his absence, backup Steve Angeli saved the primary half, if not the day, main Notre Dame on a subject purpose drive after the Irish fell behind 10-0, their first double-digit deficit of the season.
There was extra fireplace on the half, Freeman demanding Notre Dame observe its biggest bowl win in a technology towards Georgia on the Sugar Bowl with one thing greater right here. The Irish had been gashed on the bottom by Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton within the first half, by no means thoughts tight finish Tyler Warren. They didn’t set the perimeters, didn’t make their drops, didn’t get the main points proper that they’d nailed all yr.
And Notre Dame’s offense, a catastrophe class within the first half, wanted Like to play the hero when so few others might. Left deal with Anthonie Knapp had already been misplaced, changed by profession backup Tosh Baker to face a future top-five choose in Abdul Carter. When guard Rocco Spindler went down, redshirt freshman Charles Jagusah stepped in, a deal with who hadn’t performed all season requested to make it work at guard. And inexplicably he did, as Notre Dame constructed a 17-10 early within the fourth quarter when Love’s 2-yard run via 4 Penn State tacklers in some way outshined his 98-yard rating towards Indiana to open the School Soccer Playoff.
This view of Jeremiyah Love’s landing 😳 pic.twitter.com/oSdhKereqU
— ESPN School Soccer (@ESPNCFB) January 10, 2025
Love aggravated his MCL harm towards Georgia, sufficient that his availability gave the impression to be in query earlier than Notre Dame arrived in Florida. And even throughout the week, Love didn’t know if he’d have the ability to do extra than simply take snaps, which wouldn’t have been sufficient for Notre Dame. Not in a sport like this.
“I kind of just kind of came out here and said f— it and went out there and played,” Love stated. “Whatever happens happens, I trust in God. I trust in his plan for me.”
After two Singleton touchdowns pushed Penn State forward 24-17, making it appear to be Notre Dame may not have a response to those newest questions being requested, Leonard shook off a brutal interception to seek out Jaden Greathouse for a 54-yard landing with 4:38 to play. It was a part of Greathouse’s seven-catch, 105-yard night time, the primary 100-yard efficiency of his school profession.
“This team has battled adversity all year, challenges and struggles, we’ve been able to face them all,” Greathouse stated. “That’s the feeling tonight.”
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman turned 39 on Friday. (Carmen Mandato / Getty Photographs)
After which Notre Dame closed the door on Penn State the best way it greatest is aware of how, baiting Drew Allar into an interception it believed had been coming all night time. One by Grey within the first half acquired wiped off by penalty. One other within the second half by linebacker Jack Kiser acquired taken off the board by go interference. Grey made certain the third would stand, taking part in a protection that defensive coordinator Al Golden stated he hadn’t known as all night time.
“He’s gonna throw us one, he’s gonna throw us one,” Watts stated. “We knew it was coming at some point and it came at the biggest moment.”
Linebacker Jaylen Sneed acquired simply sufficient stress on Allar to go away the quarterback rather less time to throw, which was all Grey wanted. Once more, fantastic margins. Some earned within the movie room. Some taken on the sector. Some gifted, if you already know the place to pay attention when the microphones are rolling.
Notre Dame turned Grey’s choose right into a seven-play, 19-yard procession into subject purpose vary. By then, Franklin had burned via his timeouts, not even capable of ice Jeter’s game-winning attempt. And possibly it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The switch kicker drilled his second 41-yarder of the night time to ship Notre Dame to Atlanta, searching its first nationwide championship since 1988.
Contained in the Notre Dame locker room, Kiser tried to make sense of all this, his six-year journey to changing into an Irish captain beneath this up-and-coming head coach, employed to take this system the place some felt it may not go once more. Kiser didn’t wish to get into an excessive amount of element in regards to the fireplace and brimstone Freeman spewed the day earlier than kickoff when the 38-year-old head coach confirmed that this program has a weapon main it.
And but, as Kiser turned again to the locker room, a crimson digital clock flashed 12:17 a.m. Midnight had handed. It was now not sport night time. It simply occurred to be Marcus Freeman’s birthday, now the early morning minutes of Jan. 10.
“Let’s just say that 17 minutes ago coach Freeman turned 39,” Kiser stated. “So he’s not that young guy that a lot of people treat him as. Guys want to play for coach Freeman, and when you put gas on that fire, it can get really explosive in this locker room.”
GO DEEPER
Drew Allar’s late interception in Orange Bowl loss leaves Penn State with acquainted intestine punch
(Photograph: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photographs)
