MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 09: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on prior to the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium on January 09, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Notre Dame and Penn State haven’t played each other since the current players on both teams were little kids. So it stands to reason that both teams would struggle in the first quarter of the Orange Bowl, which is doubling 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 and ended the frame knocking on the door of the end zone. That drive was made possible when Riley Leonard threw an interception to Zakee Wheatley.

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

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

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame vs. Penn State: First-Quarter Analysis