James Franklin was proud of Penn State’s opening half in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. However, the head coach knows Marcus Freeman’s team generated some momentum heading into halftime.

On the final drive of the half, the Fighting Irish rallied behind backup quarterback Steve Angeli. He was able to go 6-for-7 for 44 yards to get Notre Dame into position for a field goal to make it 10-3, Penn State, at the break.

Heading into halftime, Franklin is pleased with a strong first half but knows the middle 8 of the game will be important. Notre Dame opens the 2nd half with the ball.

“That was big for them to get some points at the end of the half, the middle 8 will be big because they won the toss and deferred, so that will be really important,” said Franklin. “Overall, very good first half of football. But we’re going to have to finish, it’s going to be a 4-quarter game.”

The Nittany Lions have been dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball with 141 rushing yards and a touchdown. Penn State’s defensive front has been able to get after the QB throughout the game, including the injured Abdul Carter who registered a sack and has been effective all game long.

The health of Notre Dame is another key factor. The Fighting Irish lost their starting left tackle early, and starting QB Riley Leonard was being evaluated for an injury on the final drive of the half. If Leonard cannot return, it will be up to Angeli to try and lead the charge against what has been a dominant defense from Penn State.