With 8:42 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Orange Bowl, Notre Dame’s Jack Kiser intercepted a pass from Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Allar had thrown a fade route to Tyler Warren on the left side of the end zone. However, Notre Dame’s excitement was short-lived.
The officials flagged defensive pass interference on the play, which wiped out the interception and moved Penn State to Notre Dame’s 9-yard line. Just two plays later, the Nittany Lions scored a touchdown to take a 24-17 lead.
After Penn State kicked the extra point, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had a heated conversation with three officials on the sideline. Despite his protests, the call stood.
Penn State had struggled in the passing game against Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions had not completed a pass to a receiver in the first half, relying instead on Tyler Warren.
Although Warren couldn’t catch the touchdown pass against the Irish, his contact with the defender led to the pass interference penalty. The impact of the controversial call on the game’s final result remains to be seen.
Penn State DE Abdul Carter wears Darth Vader eyeblack
Penn State defensive star Abdul Carter made a unique statement on Thursday by wearing eyeblack that read “Darth Vader.” The choice referenced a post Carter made earlier in the week on X, where he shared a clip from the Disney+ show Obi-Wan Kenobi. The clip featured Darth Vader healing in a “bacta-tank,” and Carter saw a connection to his own recovery from a shoulder injury he sustained in Penn State’s win over Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Like Vader, Carter is a force to be reckoned with when fully healthy. The junior has 63 tackles and a team-high 11 sacks this season, ranking seventh in the country for sacks in the 2024 campaign.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, Carter’s NIL representative, Drew Rosenhaus, praised his tough mentality.
“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. “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.”
