Penn State's biggest weakness Notre Dame must exploit in Orange Bowl

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Notre Dame football heads into the Orange Bowl against No. 4 Penn State coming off of its biggest win in decades. Head coach Marcus Freeman propelled the Fighting Irish to an impressive Sugar Bowl victory over No. 2 Georgia. This result marked the first time Notre Dame won a New Year’s Six caliber bowl game since 1994.

The effort in New Orleans was eye-opening on both ends for Marcus Freeman’s team. On offense, quarterback Riley Leonard continued the trend of running QBs gashing the Georgia defense with 80 yards on the ground. The Fighting Irish were able to wear down Kirby Smart’s team, putting up 23 total points in the affair. On defense Notre Dame football was even more impressive, dominating the line of scrimmage.

The Bulldogs were only able to rush for 66 yards on the afternoon and struggled to convert in the red zone. Marcus Freeman’s program has continued to show in the College Football Playoff that it is one of the best defensive teams in the country. That side of the ball will be the key for the Fighting Irish heading into January 9. While Penn State looked impressive in their passing game against No. 9 Boise State, there is a major weakness a talented secondary like Notre Dame’s can exploit.

Notre Dame needs to take advantage of Penn State’s struggling wideout group

Despite the loss of star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame football’s defense has been led by an elite secondary. The Fighting Irish rank fifth in the nation in yards allowed through the air a game. Against an elite passing attack from No. 8 Indiana, Notre Dame held star quarterback Kurt Rourke in check. Hoosiers, who averaged more than 40 points a game were shut down for much of the contest before a 14 point fourth quarter while the result was in hand.

Against Georgia, the secondary gave up a total of 234 yards through the air against backup QB Gunner Stockton. While that’s a big margin for this unit, it never broke throughout the contest, shutting down the Bulldogs offense whenever they were in plus territory. The Fighting Irish were largely focused on containing Georgia’s rushing attack which was the main reason it was able to win the SEC Championship game over No. 3 Texas. Stopping the run should be the main focus of Marcus Freeman’s team heading into the Orange Bowl.

Penn State’s most explosive offensive games have largely come from an elite rushing attack. The Nittany Lions have averaged well over 200 yards a game on the ground in their past three games. When head coach James Franklin’s team has struggled to run it has largely struggle to put points on the board. While quarterback Drew Allar and tight end Tyler Warren are an elite combo, the Nittany Lions’ wideout core leaves a lot to be desired.

The highest leading wide receiver on the Penn State roster is junior Harrison Wallace III at 723. If the Fighting Irish are able to contain Penn State’s offense to third-and-long situations while keeping a spy on Tyler Warren, they will largely be able to remain in single coverage on the Nittany Lions’ wideouts. That is a huge advantage that Marcus Freeman’s team has going into this game.

The more time the Fighting Irish offense has the ball, the better

Notre Dame football needs to restrict Penn State on the ground so that its offense can wear down an elite defense. The Nittany Lions’ defense is giving up just 15.8 yards per game. James Franklin’s teams thrives in the trenches, giving up just 100 rushing yards a game. That strength stood out in Penn State holding star running back Ashton Jeanty to his lowest rushing total in the win over Boise State.

The Nittany Lions, however, have not faced a versatile rushing attack like Notre Dame’s. With Jeremiyah Love set to go on January 9, the Fighting Irish need to have as much possession as possible to wearing their opponents defense down. Quarterback Riley Leonard will likely need to throw for more than he did against the Bulldogs in this matchup.

The grad transfer from Duke only threw for 90 yards in the signature win. However, should Leonard continue to pick up clutch first downs with his legs that he did against Georgia, Notre Dame will significantly increase its odds as it strives to win the battle in the trenches once again.

What’s at stake in the 2025 Orange Bowl

Both Notre Dame and Penn State have not won national titles since 1988 and 1986 respectively. While the Fighting Irish have made a national championship game and a few playoffs since then, this is really the first time this century where it feels like this program can win a championship. The win against Georgia reflects how this program is taking that step from good to great. It’s now up to Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football to close the deal which starts with a win in Miami.

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