Penn State Falls Short in CFP Semifinal Despite Allar’s Efforts

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tears welled in Penn State quarterback Drew Allar‘s eyes as he reflected on a game that slipped through his fingers. Despite a valiant effort, Allar and the Nittany Lions fell short in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl, losing 27-24 to Notre Dame on Thursday night.

Allar, who showed significant improvement in his second year as Penn State’s starter, struggled for much of the game. He completed only 12 of 23 passes for 135 yards, failing to connect with any of his wide receivers. Notre Dame’s defense, ranked fifth nationally in third-down conversion defense, held Penn State to just 3 of 11 on third-down attempts.

The game’s turning point came in the final minute. With the score tied at 24-24, Allar attempted a deep pass on first down from the Penn State 28-yard line. The ball was intercepted by Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts, setting up a game-winning 41-yard field goal by Spencer Shrader with seven seconds remaining.

‘I was going through my progression, got to the backside, and honestly, I was just trying to dirt it at his feet,’ Allar said. ‘I should have just thrown it away when I felt the first two progressions not open, because of the situation we were in.’

Penn State head coach James Franklin praised Allar’s growth throughout the season but acknowledged the pain of the loss. ‘He’s hurting right now, should be hurting, we’re all hurting, this ain’t easy,’ Franklin said. ‘He’ll handle it great. He’ll be hurting tonight and he’ll be hurting tomorrow and he’ll hurt a little bit less than the next day and so on and so forth.’

Despite the loss, Penn State’s season was historic, with a team-record 13 wins and their first two College Football Playoff victories. However, the Nittany Lions’ inability to capitalize on key moments, particularly on third downs, proved costly. Notre Dame converted 11 of 17 third-down opportunities, keeping their offense on the field and wearing down Penn State’s defense.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki defended Allar, emphasizing that the loss was not solely on the quarterback’s shoulders. ‘That ain’t you. That’s not on you. You don’t need to take that on your shoulders and feel the blame for that,’ Kotelnicki said.

Allar, who announced his intention to return to Penn State for the 2025 season, vowed to learn from the experience. ‘We didn’t win the game, so it wasn’t good enough, I think it’s plain and simple,’ Allar said. ‘So I’ll learn from it, just do everything in my power to get better from it and just grow from it.’

Notre Dame now advances to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where they will face Ohio State on January 20 in Atlanta. The Buckeyes, who defeated Georgia in the Cotton Bowl, are seeking their first national title since 2014, while Notre Dame aims to end a 36-year championship drought.