Notre Dame prepares for College Football Playoff semifinal vs. Penn State
MIAMI (WISH) — Notre Dame is preparing to take on Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinals in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
WISH-TV sports reporter Andrew Chernoff is in Miami with the Fighting Irish and will be providing coverage, starting on Wednesday night at 5 p.m.
Notre Dame is looking to make it to the national championship for the first time since the 2012 season.
They have looked the part so far in the playoffs, winning both games so far by double digit points. The Fighting Irish beat Indiana by 10 points in the first round and beat Georgia in the quarterfinals in the Sugar Bowl by 13.
Despite the success that they have had so far this season, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is stressing the importance of focusing on the task at hand.
“I think it’s human nature to enjoy people saying good things about you,” Freeman said. “But we’ve talked all year about being misfits, right? And that’s what we have to continue to be. You have to make the choice to either waste time listening to people tell you how good you are or what the past has been, or you’re going to put your time into preparing for this opportunity right in front of us and that’s been my message loud and clear.”
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has gotten the job done in both playoff games. He’s thrown for just 291 yards in the two games, but he added 110 yards on the ground.
“He is an ultra competitive individual that finds ways to get his job done,” Freeman said about Leonard. “And it’s never perfect. But in the most crucial moments, he’s going to find a way, and that’s through decision making. That’s through his legs. That’s through having to jump over somebody and flip on his head to get a first down. He’s doing exactly what we ask him to do.”
This is the first time Notre Dame has played Penn State since 2007, a game the Nittany Lions won, 31-10.
Notre Dame is playing in their first College Football Playoff semifinal game since the 2020 season. The Fighting Irish have played in two College Football Playoff semifinal games, losing both of them.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.