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Steve Angeli, a Bergen Catholic High School graduate, was unexpectedly called into action on the final first-half drive of the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 9. Starting QB Riley Leonard entered the concussion protocol after taking a big hit from a Penn State defender with about 1:30 left in the second quarter.
Angeli was put in a tough spot in the College Football Playoff semifinal when he stepped on the field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. In the 2024 season, he only played in blowout victories, throwing for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 18-for-28 passing.
In his first appearance since Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, Angeli ignited the stagnant Notre Dame passing attack. The junior completed throws on his first two plays, quickly moving the Fighting Irish into Nittany Lions territory.
His third play nearly ended in disaster.
Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton sacked Angeli, knocking the football out of his hand. Miraculously, offensive tackle Aamil Wagner fell on the fumble, keeping the Irish drive alive.
Angeli continued passing Notre Dame down to the Penn State 15-yard line with 16 seconds before halftime. Another sack knocked ND back eight yards but Angeli had done enough to set up the Irish's first three points on a 41-yard field goal from kicker Mitch Jeter.
That would be it for Angeli in the Orange Bowl, completing six of seven passes for 44 yards. That one drive, however, seemed to energize the Golden Domers.
Leonard returned to the game and led three touchdown drives in the second half, highlighted by a 54-yard score on a pass to wide receiver Jaden Greathouse with about four minutes remaining. After a heartbreaking interception for Penn State with 33 seconds to go, Jeter made another 41-yard kick, this one sending Notre Dame to its first national championship game since 2013.
Leonard was named the Orange Bowl's offensive MVP but the Duke transfer thanked Angeli for helping put the first Irish points on the board.
"You talk about a guy who's had my back all year, prepares like he's gonna be the starting [QB] every single week," Leonard said to ESPN's Molly McGrath in the postgame celebration. "I have so much respect for this guy. He's an outstanding player. Everybody on our team believed that he was gonna go down there and drive us."
Angeli now has 772 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception in his three seasons in South Bend. His previous biggest moment was in his only college start, throwing for 232 yards and three touchdowns in ND's 40-8 win over Oregon State in the 2023 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
ESPN.com ranked Angeli the No. 3 high school player in New Jersey's 2022 recruiting class. That came after he led Bergen Catholic to a 12-0 record and a NJSIAA state championship in 2021.
More than three years later, Angeli is one game away from adding a national title to his résumé.
Notre Dame will play in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 20. The Fighting Irish will take on the winner of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic between Texas and Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 10.
The national title game will kick off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m.
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