MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Penn State quarterback Drew Aller said he was trying to throw the ball into the ground. Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray dove in anyway, and with some luck from the Irish, the ball ended up in his hands.
Seconds after a thrilling 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, Gray and Notre Dame clinched a spot in the national title game.
With 33 seconds left, Gray snagged an ill-advised pass across the middle from Aller at the Nittany Lions' 42, setting up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter's 41-yard field goal for the win.
The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in the inaugural 12-team College Playoff, will return to the bottom of the Golden Dome for their 12th title and first since 1988 in a Jan. 20 game in Atlanta. will get a chance. Their opponent will be the winner of Friday night's Cotton Bowl semifinal between Texas and Ohio State.
“Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball,” Gray said of the interception. “That was in my head, and I knew I would make a play.”
Penn State's QB was looking to throw it away
Aller explained that he wanted to throw the ball into the dirt after seeing his first two options covered on the play. But the pitch he threw across his body under pressure didn't have enough zip to reach receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slipped in.
“Honestly, I was trying to throw it at his feet,” the junior quarterback said. Some believe he will be a first-round pick if he leaves for the NFL. “I should have thrown it out when I saw the first two progressions weren't opening up. I didn't do it.”
It was the best game and most memorable play of a sleepy few weeks of playoff football.
Notre Dame 27-24 during the third quarter of college football
Defeated Penn State in the playoff semifinals. Getty Images
In the fourth quarter alone, there were three ties, three lead changes, and 31 points.
In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first black coach to win a title at college football's highest level.
Freeman, whose mother is Korean, is also the first coach of Asian descent to reach this point.
“We found a way to make plays when it mattered most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, good teams, good programs find a way to make that happen.”
Penn State coach James Franklin went 4-20 against the Nittany Lions, a team ranked in the AP Top 10.
“Everyone wants to see certain plays,” Franklin said. “But there were probably eight to 12 plays in that game that could have made the difference. I'm not going to blame any particular play or any particular player. There's a ton of plays that could have been done better.”
A hit on Leonard that shook the QB and shook the Irishman.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter and was taken to the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion. He returned and led the Irish with four scoring drives, including the final one in the second half.
“He's a competitor, and competitors find a way to win, and that's what Riley does,” Freeman said. “That's what this team does.”
Leonard completed 223 yards passing, including a crucial 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse for a third-and-three conversion on the final drive.
Leonard also rushed for 35 yards and scored one score each on a pass and a run.
With 4:38 left in the game, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard score after a defender slipped, tying the game at 24.
The game started slow (and boring), but Riley's injury injected some life into things.
In the third quarter, he led Notre Dame with TD drives of 75 and 72 yards to take a 17-10 lead.
At that point, the fun was just beginning.
Penn State had a chance, and Aller, along with all Nittany Lions fans, will spend the offseason remembering or forgetting that last pitch.
To Notre Dame Cathedral. Getty Images
Penn State forced Notre Dame to punt and looked confident it would at least go to overtime when it took over down by 15 points with 47 seconds left.
After a 13-point gain, Aller made a pass and was pressured.
He threw across his body to the middle of the field, where Gray dived for a pick.
Upon review, it turned out to be a catch, and the Irish took the next step on a path that seemed nearly impossible during a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois in September.
Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and scored all three of Penn State's touchdowns.
Aller was out of bounds for most of the day, going 12-for-23 for 135 yards with an interception.
“He's hurting right now, as he should be. We're all hurting,” Franklin said.
The quarterback did not dodge questions about the play or his role in the loss.
“It wasn't good enough because we didn't win the game, plain and simple,” Aller said. “I’m going to learn from it and do everything I can to get better and grow from it.”
Cameo appearance from Notre Dame Cathedral backup
After Leonard was ejected, backup Steve Angeli came in and energized the Fighting Irish offense, giving them the lead.
Angeli went 6-for-7 for 44 yards, moving Notre Dame into field goal range and closing the gap to 10-3 just before halftime.
Asked why he allowed the Irish to play so aggressively when he played, Freeman said: “We have a lot of confidence in Steve.''
