Penn State’s elite run defense vs. Notre Dame’s three-headed rushing attack and other key matchups for the Orange Bowl

When No. 6 seed Penn State and No. 7 seed Notre Dame meet in Miami Gardens on Jan. 9 in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Orange Bowl (7:30 p.m., ESPN), two of the best defenses in college football will take the field. Notre Dame boasts the second-best scoring defense nationally (13.6 points allowed), behind only Ohio State. Penn State is seventh in that department (15.8).

On paper, the Irish and Nittany Lions are similarly structured. Notre Dame’s run-based offense is led by running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and the dual-threat skill set of quarterback Riley Leonard. Meanwhile, Penn State’s backfield tandem of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton has averaged 203.3 yards over the last three games on 7.8 yards per carry.

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A chess match between the opposing coordinators lies ahead as neither defense has surrendered 20 points in their first two playoff games. Here are the key stats to know before the Irish and Nittany Lions meet for the first time since 2007 (Penn State’s first “White Out”) and the 20th time overall:

Penn State put forth a dominant performance against Boise State’s Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty in the Fiesta Bowl. Though Jeanty eclipsed the 100-yard mark, he was held under 125 yards for the first time all season and averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, his lowest mark since September 2023. The Nittany Lions took pride in slowing Jeanty down and forcing Boise State to pass the ball. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s unit, which ranks eighth nationally in rushing yards per game (100.9) likely will need to replicate that performance against Notre Dame.

The Irish own the No. 11 rushing offense nationally (217.5), though Georgia largely held Notre Dame’s rushing attack in check during Thursday’s Sugar Bowl. Love and Price combined for just 56 yards on 16 carries, granted Love was in and out of the game after tweaking his knee. Meanwhile, Leonard rushed for 80 yards and picked up several key first downs with his legs to clinch a 13-point win over the Bulldogs.

Notre Dame’s offense was held under 150 rushing yards just twice this season, in a loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7 (123) and a win over Louisville (117) on Sept. 28.

The growth of quarterback Drew Allar has been apparent since his dismal performance against Ohio State on Nov. 2. Since finishing that loss with 146 yards and one interception, Allar is averaging nearly 201 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns to two interceptions. Tight end Tyler Warren has accounted for 552 of Allar’s 1,406 yards in that span and four receiving touchdowns, two of which came against Boise State.

» READ MORE: Drew Allar’s game reaches new heights in leading Penn State to college football’s final four

Stopping the Allar-to-Warren connection will be a top priority for Notre Dame’s defense, which is led by former Nittany Lions letterman and Temple coach Al Golden. Nationally, the Irish rank fifth in defending the pass this season (167.4) and have the top opposing quarterback completion percentage per game (50.6%).

The Irish defense is spearheaded by safety Xavier Watts. He has 13 interceptions over the last two seasons, the most in college football in that span, and could see time defending Warren one-on-one. Notre Dame plays a lot of man coverage, a big reason for its success in forcing quarterbacks into low-percentage throws. Linebackers Jaiden Ausberry and Jack Kiser are active dropping into pass coverage and do a nice job of taking away crossing routes in the middle of the field.

Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, whose offense ranks 58th nationally in passing yards (234.1), will have to dial up some downfield throws to take advantage of the man coverage Notre Dame likes to deploy defensively.

Penn State and Notre Dame’s defenses have turned up the heat in terms of forcing turnovers during the playoff. The Nittany Lions have forced seven turnovers (six interceptions, one fumble), leading to 21 points, while Notre Dame has forced three (one interception, two fumbles) that turned into 14 points.

The Irish defense forces 2.2 turnovers per game, tied for the best mark nationally, and have the nation’s second-best turnover margin this season at plus-18. Penn State’s defense is not too far behind, forcing 1.6 turnovers, tied for 30th nationally. The Nittany Lions have a turnover margin of plus-10 (tied for 13th nationally).

» READ MORE: Does Penn State have the ingredients to win a national title? Dominant running game, defense will be key.

Both teams average only 0.9 turnovers per game offensively. Taking care of the ball will be important in this game, especially if points are at a premium in this matchup.