With 8:42 left in the fourth quarter of the Orange Bowl, Notre Dame‘s Jack Kiser intercepted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who lobbed up a fade route to Tyler Warren toward the left side of the end zone. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, its glorious moment was short-lived.
The officials called defensive pass interference on the play, erasing the interception and moving Penn State up to Notre Dame’s 9-yard line. Only two plays later, the Nittany Lions punched in a touchdown to secure a 24-17 lead.
After Penn State kicked in its extra point, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had a heated exchange with three officials on the sideline. Nonetheless, the call couldn’t be reversed.
Penn State hasn’t had success in the passing game against Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions did not complete a pass to a receiver through the entire first half, instead relying on Tyler Warren.
While Warren was unable to reel in the touchdown catch against the Fighting Irish, he drew contact and, ultimately, a pass interference call. Only time will tell how the controversial call will impact the final outcome of the game.
The Force is strong with Abdul Carter. On Thursday, the Penn State defensive standout wore eyeblack that read “Darth Vader.” The seemingly odd choice was a reference to a post he’d made on X earlier in the week.
On Monday, Carter posted a clip from the Disney+ show, “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which showed Darth Vader in a “bacta-tank” healing from his wounds. Paralleling Vader’s recovery, Carter was recovering from a shoulder injury this week that he suffered in Penn State’s win over Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Like Vader, when Carter is at full strength, he’s nearly unstoppable. The junior standout boasts 63 tackles this season, along with a team-high 11 sacks. Carter’s 11 sacks are also tied for the seventh-most in the country in the 2024 campaign.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, Carter’s NIL representative, Drew Rosenhaus, raved about Carter’s gritty attitude.
“This guy is a warrior, he loves his coaches and his team, he would fight to win the championship no matter how much was at risk,” Rosenhaus said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “I was at the last game where he hurt his shoulder and the guy went out there and tried to play with one arm… He’s going to give it his all for Penn State, his teammates deserve that, that’s who he is, that’s how he was raised by his parents, and that’s what makes him great.”
