When the game was on the line in the Orange Bowl, it wasn’t Penn State quarterback Drew Allar who made the decisive play—it was Notre Dame safety Christian Gray. With the score tied at 24-24 and less than a minute remaining, Allar attempted a pass over the middle. Gray, reading the play perfectly, intercepted the pass, positioning the Fighting Irish just 10 yards shy of field goal range.
Notre Dame capitalized on the turnover, methodically running down the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal with only 8 seconds left. The 27-24 victory secured their spot in the national championship game, their first appearance since 2013.
Allar’s late-game mistake highlighted a difficult night for the Penn State quarterback, who completed just 11 of 21 passes for 139 yards, no touchdowns, and one costly interception. Penn State’s offense found more success on the ground, with Kaytron Allen and Nicolas Singleton combining for 166 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Here’s what fans had to say about it on social media.
Drew Allar thought he was Patrick Mahomes throwing back across the field like that.
— John Williams (@john9williams) January 10, 2025
more like Drew AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHllar
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 10, 2025
Are u serious Drew Allar?! 🤦🏾♂️
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) January 10, 2025
Penn states Wr room to Drew when they see him try to come back next year 🤣 pic.twitter.com/K5TQRmQpCM
— Nando 🍀 (@nando17celtics) January 10, 2025
Notre Dame now awaits the winner of the Cotton Bowl, where Ohio State and Texas will battle for the other spot in the national championship. The Cotton Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the victor set to face the Fighting Irish for the title.
