Notre Dame vs. Penn State: First quarter analysis

Notre Dame and Penn State haven’t played each other since the current players on both teams were young kids. So it stands to reason that both teams would battle it out in the first quarter of the Orange Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal. Sure enough, neither team has scored so far.

There wasn’t even a field-goal attempt during the quarter. While the teams were able to pick up some first downs and even had a big play or two, they couldn’t get far enough down the field to even think about scoring until the Nittany Lions converted on a fourth down later in the quarter to tie . the frame is knocking on the door to the end zone. That drive was made possible when Riley Leonard threw an interception to Zakee Wheatley.

While it may be the case that teams aren’t taking enough chances early on, the reality is that you don’t want to make a mistake at this point that could come back to haunt you later. Therefore, going for it on fourth down, as the Lions did on their final possession of the quarter, is only an option once you’ve moved the ball far enough.

It may be a long night in Miami, but a winner will eventually be decided.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame vs. Penn State: First quarter analysis