For years, teammates have asked Devin Williams to teach them his changeup, a pitch so unusual and dominant it has its own nickname. Williams always helps. They just never get "The Airbender" right.

"I haven't seen anyone replicate it," Williams said.

Powered by The Airbender, Williams has established himself as one of the premier relievers in baseball since breaking into the majors in 2019. He has been so good that the Milwaukee Brewers, keeping with their frugal roster-building tactics, traded Williams to the New York Yankees last month for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin before he inevitably would become too expensive in free agency next winter.

So, for one season, at least, Williams will follow in the footsteps of another Yankees closer who perplexed hitters with one pitch: Mariano Rivera.

"Those are big shoes to fill," Williams said of Rivera, whose signature cutter helped him become the first player voted unanimously to the Hall of Fame. "I feel he kind of ruined it for everybody else. I mean, after him, it's hard to live up to those expectations. But at the end of the day, I can only be me."

Being himself has been more than good enough for the 30-year-old Williams. The right-hander won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award with a 0.33 ERA in 22 games as the Brewers' primary setup man during the COVID-shortened campaign. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023, his first full season as a closer.

Last season, after missing the first four months with stress fractures in his back, he posted a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 15 opportunities across 22 appearances. His 40.8% strikeout rate since 2020 ranks second in the majors among relievers. His 1.70 ERA is also second. His .144 batting average against ranks first.

"Obviously, he's one of the best in the league, if not the best," Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said.

For Williams, it all starts with The Airbender. Williams grips it like a changeup and its 84-mph average velocity plays off his fastball like a changeup. But it's a changeup with an exceptionally high spin rate that breaks to his arm side -- opposite from the typical changeup -- making it resemble a screwball or a left-hander's sweeping slider. It is without precedent.

"It's not anything to do with the grip," Williams said. "The grip is nothing special. That's why I think it's funny when people are like, 'Oh, don't give it away.' This is the most basic changeup grip they teach you when you're 8 years old."

Williams said his changeup is so different for two reasons: His elite extension, which ranked in the 98th percentile in 2024, and a singular ability to pronate his wrist.

"It's the way my wrist works, the way I'm able to manipulate the ball is something unique, uniquely me," Williams said. "It allows me to throw my changeup the way I throw it. I'm a really good pronator, not supinator. That's why my slider sucked. You need to get on the other side of the ball. I'm not good at that. I'm good at turning it over."

Williams did, however, modify his changeup grip to unearth the weapon. Entering 2019, Williams was a struggling minor league starter with a solid changeup, two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He was one year from reaching free agency, from perhaps seeing his career come to an end and going to college to play soccer.

That spring, seeking more movement, he altered his changeup grip from a two-seam to a four-seam, circle change grip. He first threw it during a live batting practice session to Trent Grisham, then a Brewers prospect. Grisham, now with the Yankees, told Williams the spin difference was noticeable. Williams stuck with it.

A starter through spring training, Williams was sent to Double-A as a reliever to begin the season. The demotion sparked desperation, and Williams decided to throw harder than ever, reaching back to lift his fastball into the high 90s. He was in the majors by August. But it wasn't until the COVID shutdown in 2020 -- when he realized spinning the ball more and dropping the velocity from high-80s to mid-80s created more movement -- that his changeup reached another level.

"I took that into the season and at summer camp I'm facing my own teammates," Williams said. "And Jedd Gyorko, I threw him one, and he swung and missed and he was just like, What is that? I've never seen [anything] like that. That gave me confidence and we just ran with it. And I literally started throwing it all the time."

Coincidentally, Williams said the closest changeup he's seen to his belongs to Luke Weaver, whose emergence as a shutdown reliever in 2024 was crucial in the Yankees reaching the World Series. Williams happened to be in New York when the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers played in the Fall Classic. He was on his annual autumn vacation after the Brewers were eliminated from the postseason. Past trips have taken him all over Europe: London, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Munich, Dortmund, with a soccer game invariably on his itinerary.

This time, he was in New York. He explored the city for 10 days. Instead of soccer, he watched the World Series from a bar. He shopped. He ate good food. He absorbed the city's energy.

"I'm a city guy," Williams said. "I love to explore cities. I like to immerse myself in the culture. I want to be like a normal, everyday person. You guys like bacon, egg and cheese? All right, I'm getting a bacon, egg and cheese."

Less than two months later, as part of a series of moves executed in their pivot from Juan Soto's decision to sign with the crosstown Mets, the Yankees added Williams. On Thursday, Williams settled for $8.6 million to avoid arbitration.

He'll partner with Weaver to create one of the best bullpen back ends in baseball -- in hopes of helping the Yankees win their first championship since Rivera was dominating hitters with his cutter.

When Kyrgios returned to action at the recent Brisbane International after an 18-month absence, it completed a comeback which even his wrist surgeon doubted was possible.

Kyrgios suffered a full rupture of the scapholunate ligament, which often leaves patients unable to regain normal function even after surgery.

"In the past, our ability to restore such a wrist after such severe injuries has been unreliable - let alone getting someone back to high level sport," Dr Michael Sandow, who is regarded as one of Australia's leading wrist surgeons, told BBC Sport.

"His return to tennis is better than we could have hoped for."

A 3D modelling and animation technique - developed over 20 years at the University of Adelaide and the Wakefield Orthopaedic Clinic where Dr Sandow works - allowed the surgeon to use an innovative and complex repair technique on Kyrgios.

The drilling of the wrist bones and use of artificial ligaments enabled the joint to be realigned.

Kyrgios picked up a racquet again nine months after the surgery in September 2023.

"As a surgeon you hold your breath when your patient is pushing the boundaries of competitive sport," added Dr Sandow.

"Nick's progress so far has been a massive team effort and we are looking forward to him pushing deeply in the Australian Open."

One Australian academic, speaking to the Guardian,, external said Djokovic's claim was a "wild accusation".

"It's possible but very unlikely given how long he was locked up," said Damian Maganja, research fellow in food policy at the George Institute for Global Health.

"These meals were probably made in mass amounts and there haven't been other reports as far as I know."

Djokovic was sent to an immigration hotel where refugees and asylum seekers had long complained of poor conditions.

In December 2022, shortly before Djokovic had arrived at the Park Hotel, detainees had complained about finding maggots in their food.

By the time Djokovic was sent there, the hotel had been certified and licensed by the City of Melbourne local authority as a food service premises. It was subject to auditing and inspection by the city's Department of Health.

Detainees are said to have had access to a variety of food and beverages, which was deemed nutritious, culturally appropriate and met any specific medical or dietary requirements.

Djokovic has long been known to eat a gluten and dairy-free diet, while following a largely plant-based nutritional regime - which he has regularly cited as a recipe for his success.

Fish and shellfish commonly have higher levels of mercury than other foods, according to the NHS., external

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to move into ninth on the NHL's career scoring list as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Thursday night.

The Penguins' captain tied Hall of Famer Joe Sakic at 1,641 points with an assist on Bryan Rust's first-period goal. Crosby then moved past Sakic with an assist on Drew O'Connor's sixth goal of the season later in the period as the Penguins raced to a 4-1 advantage.

Crosby's 12th goal 5:42 into the second put the Penguins up 5-1, providing some welcome wiggle room for a team that has struggled to hold multiple-goal leads this season.

The next name ahead of Crosby on the career scoring list is none other than Penguins icon Mario Lemieux, who had 1,723 points.

"I'm running out of superlatives [about Crosby]," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told reporters after the game. "What he's accomplishing, first of all, his body of work in the league, his legacy that has been built to this point, speaks for itself. He's the consummate pro. He just represents our sport, the league, the Pittsburgh Penguins in such a great way.

"He just carries himself with so much grace and humility and integrity. And he's a fierce competitor on the ice."

Rust also had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh, which snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Oilers for the first time since Dec. 20, 2019.

"For us, that was our goal -- to be on our toes, be all over them, be on top of them, because they're very fast, a skilled team," Rust told reporters after the game. "I think just a result of that was us being able to get some offense."

Alex Nedeljkovic made 40 stops for the Penguins and Rickard Rakell scored his team-high 21st goal as Pittsburgh won without injured center Evgeni Malkin.

McDavid finished with three assists. Leon Draisaitl scored twice to boost his season total to an NHL-best 31, but the Penguins beat Stuart Skinner four times in the first 14 minutes. Skinner settled down to finish with 21 saves but it wasn't enough as the Penguins ended Edmonton's four-game winning streak.

TAKEAWAYS

Oilers: Their attention to detail in the first period was shaky. Though Skinner wasn't at his best, the Penguins also had little trouble generating chances.

Penguins: Pittsburgh remains a work in progress at midseason but showed it can compete with the league's best.

UP NEXT

Edmonton finishes a four-game trip at Chicago on Saturday. The Penguins continue a five-game homestand Saturday against Ottawa.

The transfer window is open across Europe as clubs look to do some midseason business. But what are ESPN's reporters hearing about some of the deals that could be done, and which clubs are hoping to make moves?

Every Friday during January we'll bring you the latest updates and insights on the biggest transfer news around.

Manchester United have to raise funds before they can do anything, so who could go?

Manchester United need to improve the club's finances before they do any recruitment in January. The club posted annual losses of 113.2 million for the last financial year in their accounts in September 2024, putting them in the red zone in terms of breaching the Premier League's Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Antony are all available for transfer this month, and the club will also listen to offers for Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelöf due to both players being out of contract at the end of the season. The most likely departures are Rashford, Casemiro and Antony; collectively, the three players earn around 700,000 a week, so removing some or all of that figure off the wage bill will enable United to sign players, permanently or on loan, with the money saved.

But the reality is that United will have to subsidise the salaries of Rashford (325,000-a-week) and Casemiro (300,000) to persuade interested clubs into doing a deal. Antony earns a relatively low basic salary of 70,000-a-week, so the Brazil forward will be easier to shift, even though United face a huge loss on the 82m transfer fee paid to Ajax in August 2022.

Interest in Rashford from AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund will only develop if United take a huge hit on his wages -- the prospect of a permanent transfer and getting the 27-year-old off the books completely this month is a dream scenario, but an unlikely one. -- Mark Ogden

One player that has admirers far and wide, with Chelsea among them, is 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. His low wage -- just 20,000-a-week -- makes him even more attractive given Chelsea's model is predicated on signing players on an initial low salary but on a long-term deal with performance-related increases built in.

Chelsea's average wage is around 60,000-a-week so they could make Mainoo a tempting offer with the promise of a lot more to come. However, he is under contract with United until 2027, and there has yet to be any indication that Mainoo wants to leave. Chelsea continue to insist they are compliant with PSR rules, but their headroom is limited and they have more immediate priorities elsewhere, specifically searching for a centre-back. That said, you can never entirely rule anything out where the Blues are concerned. -- James Olley

They really need a left-back...

One of Ruben Amorim's priorities is to find a left wing-back to help him implement his 3-4-3 system, but United sources are playing down the possibility of signing PSG's Nuno Mendes in January. Amorim has problems on the left because Luke Shaw is injured and Tyrell Malacia is still getting up to speed after a long injury. United are assessing options for that position, but it's unlikely to be Mendes. -- Rob Dawson

Mendes and Amorim go back a long way ... the new United manager gave the then-18-year-old his debut for Sporting CP back in 2020. Mendes was a revelation and became a full Portugal international before moving to Paris in 2021 for 60m. However, he is is out of contract in June 2026 and has stopped negotiations over an extension as he likes the idea of being reunited with his former mentor. Nothing will happen in January, according to sources close to PSG, but a summer move could be on the cards.

Another player United like is Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez. The Hungary international, 21, has been excellent so far this season and Bournemouth value his transfer at around 40m. Kerkez has recently changed agents to join Fali Ramadani, one of the best in European football, and United consider him a better option than Mendes, especially because he knows the league already. -- Julian Laurens

Fulham's USMNT star Antonee Robinson has also been linked ... any interest there?

Robinson is not short of admirers, and he has been frequently linked with Liverpool and Manchester United as they look to bolster their options at left-back. But sources have told ESPN that Fulham will rebuff any approaches for their star defender in January. Robinson was recently crowned U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year and is seen as integral to Fulham's plans as they look to move up the table into the European spots.

One source told ESPN that Fulham have no desire or intention to let Robinson go, while another said it's extremely unlikely that he will be tempted away in this window. -- Tom Hamilton

Could Manchester City make three transfers this month?

It's possible, although Man City are privately urging caution because it's hard to get deals over the line in January. There's concrete interest in Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, Lens' defender Abdukodir Khusanov and 18-year-old Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis.

Marmoush, 25, is the most high-profile of those targets but there's an acceptance at the Etihad that Eintracht Frankfurt are going to be resistant to bids for one of their best players while they're third in the Bundesliga table and well-placed in the Europa League.

Khusanov and Reis are both young defenders. City are keen to get deals done in January but -- if agreements are reached -- decisions would have to be made about whether to immediately include them in the first-team squad, as both players are top prospects but with minimal senior experience.

Guardiola needs help now because of injuries to Rúben Dias and John Stones. City are also still chasing a central midfielder, but again it's tough. They retain an interest in Éderson at Atalanta, but it's a difficult deal midseason. -- Dawson

Any update on Liverpool's out-of-contract trio? And could the club make a shock move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer?

Liverpool's contract crisis continues to loom large, with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and -- perhaps most crucially -- Trent Alexander-Arnold yet to put pen to paper on new deals at Anfield. The repercussions of this ongoing saga were evident in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United, after which Alexander-Arnold received criticism from fans and pundits alike for his lacklustre display.

While reports in Spain have suggested Real Madrid have not totally abandoned hope of signing the right-back this month, a source has told ESPN that Liverpool are unlikely to sanction an exit in the January transfer window. -- Beth Lindop

Liverpool are planning ahead for their summer recruitment and sources have told ESPN that Branthwaite is high on their list of targets, despite the obvious challenges in persuading him to move to a rival. The 22-year-old was the subject of interest from Manchester United last summer, but Everton's 75m valuation was deemed too high by United, who were only prepared to spend 50m.

Everton are unlikely to drop their valuation of a player who is under contract until June 2027, especially in a deal with their local rivals. No player has left Everton for Liverpool since Portugal international Abel Xavier in January 2002. EFL League Two side Carlisle United are also due to receive 15% of any transfer fee Everton get for Branthwaite's transfer, due to a clause in the deal that saw him move to Goodison Park for 1m in 2020. -- Ogden

Could Ronald Araújo leave Barcelona this month? And are they looking to move anyone else on to raise funds?

The short answer is yes, he could. The long answer is more complicated. Araújo's preference is to stay at Barça and the club would like to renew his contract but, as is often the case at the club, it is not that simple.

Araujo has just returned from a long-term injury and has seen Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez strike up a partnership at centre-back in his absence. He is also aware of Barça's interest in adding Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah to the squad in the summer. Meanwhile, his contract expires in 2026 and, if there is no agreement to renew, the club will look to move him on, if not this month, then in the summer.

In that situation, Araújo would be willing to listen to offers, but would want control over his next move. He won't be forced to the highest bidder by Barça, who need to raise money to invest in strengthening elsewhere. Sources insist there are no firm offers at this stage, despite reports of interest from Juventus and Arsenal, but say there will be meetings to discuss various issues in the coming days.

Frenkie de Jong is in a similar situation to Araujo, with his deal also expiring in 2026, but his future is expected to be decided in the summer as he fights to return to full fitness. Eric García and Ansu Fati are other players who could leave this month, although neither would bring in a massive fee. Barça are also monitoring the futures of Celta Vigo's Óscar Mingueza and Sporting CP's Francisco Trincão as they are due a large percentage of any future transfer the duo are involved in. -- Sam Marsden

Will Real Madrid loan out young star Endrick?

Endrick's first season at Real Madrid since making a 72m move from Palmeiras over the summer has not been what he imagined. A starter in the 5-0 win over Deportivo Minera in the Copa del Rey, the Brazil striker has only played 248 minutes and his limited action has raised doubts about his future.

However, both Real Madrid and Endrick's management team are not considering a loan deal at this stage of the season. The only possibility of a move this month is if the 18-year-old himself asks to leave, which is unlikely.

There is no shortage of interest in signing him, though. Several European teams have inquired with the club about Endrick's situation with a view to a possible loan, but Madrid are holding firm. If he were to depart, Endrick would most likely remain in Europe as a return to Brazil has been ruled out. -- Daniel Bocatto, ESPN Brasil

Will the exit of sporting director Andrea Berta change anything for Atletico Madrid?

The confirmation of Andrea Berta's departure from Atletico after almost 12 years at the club came as no surprise when it was made official this week. An agreement was put in place several months ago, sources told ESPN, after the now former sporting director had seen his powers squeezed following the arrival of Carlos Bucero as director general for football in a restructuring in January 2024.

Berta's time at Atletico, first in the scouting department and then as sporting director, is widely viewed as a success, coinciding with two league titles, two lost Champions League finals and the club's consolidation in the LaLiga top four. He had previously turned down approaches from top European clubs, as he was happy in Madrid. However, more recently there had been some internal disagreement over transfers, and Berta's remit on the footballing side had been reduced to a point that an exit was the inevitable next step.

The impact on Atletico's transfer business will be minimal. The club are expected to be limited in their January movements, with a strong squad already in place. There's more work to do looking ahead to next summer, with a number of senior players, including club captain Koke, out of contract. -- Alex Kirkland

Where will PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani be playing next month?

Kolo Muani has hardly played this season and is ready for a new challenge. He wanted to be successful in his hometown after an 80m move from Frankfurt only 18 months ago, but Luis Enrique is not a fan and for the good of his career, the forward needs to leave. The good news for him is that he has plenty of offers on the table.

A number of Premier League and Spanish clubs are keen on him. Tottenham, Aston Villa, West Ham, Everton, and to a lesser degree Manchester United, have all contacted his entourage and PSG. The 26-year-old France international is keen to play in England and his game would suit the Premier League. Ideally, PSG would like a fee of around 60m, but a loan with an obligation or option to sign permanently could also do the trick. -- Laurens

With their superstar owners, what's going on at Wrexham and Birmingham?

Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will be looking to add some attacking power, and though manager Phil Parkinson isn't usually a fan of using this specific window, they will act if the right player becomes available. Reports of interest in Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford are wide of the mark as things stand, but Wrexham are in the market for a striker or two.

Meanwhile Birmingham, who boast minority owner NFL legend Tom Brady, are closing in on the signing of Hannover 96 right-back Phil Neumann. The club are in the market for cover at left-back after Lee Buchanan picked up a serious injury, while they are looking for cover on the wings and have also been linked with a move for USMNT international midfielder Lennard Maloney, who plays for Heidenheim. -- Hamilton

Any other interesting deals in the works?

- The big one is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Napoli are no further forward on contracts talks (he's on his original deal, which is puny) so the club are biting the bullet and listening to offers. PSG, who had been linked before, are likely to be in the mix, but other clubs should come forward in the coming days. Napoli want to avoid a situation like they had with Victor Osimhen and are willing to move him on now. -- Gab Marcotti

- Keep an eye on Yoane Wissa at Brentford. He's having a fantastic season, with 10 goals from 17 games so far, and the Bees wouldn't want to let him go, but there's tentative interest from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi market is set to be relatively quiet in January because almost all the spots for foreign players over the age of 21 are filled. But if players can be moved on, there might be one or two slots available, and Wissa is one of the names being talked about. -- Dawson

- Now that West Ham have hired Graham Potter, the club could move for Chelsea's out-of-favour left-back Ben Chilwell. Wages would be a potential issue, with Chilwell earning around 200,000-a-week, and whether he would take a pay cut to revive his career remains to be seen. -- Olley

- Liverpool winger Ben Doak could leave on a permanent transfer this month after the club already rejected offers from Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace. Liverpool value his transfer around the 30m mark and would accept a bid in this region. -- Lindop

- Chelsea's women are hoping to agree new contracts with defender Millie Bright and midfielder Erin Cuthbert, but are still on the hunt for another midfielder to bolster the side in January. -- Emily Keogh

- River Plate have been the star club in the Argentine transfer market so far. In one week, the club have signed Martínez Quarta from Fiorentina, Matías Rojas from Inter Miami, Giuliano Galoppo from Sao Paulo, Enzo Pérez from Estudiantes, and Gonzalo Tapia from Colo Colo. Sevilla full-back Gonzalo Montiel is their next target and they are also looking to sign one or two forwards, with Austin FC's Sebastián Driussi on the shortlist. -- ESPN Argentina

- Botafogo's Luiz Henrique has three offers to leave the club and return to Europe. The 24-year-old played for Real Betis in Spain (2022-2024) but returned to Brazil last January. French giants Lyon, who are owned by American businessman John Textor alongside Botafogo, are interested. Serie A side Fiorentina had an offer turned down in December last year and are still keen, while two unnamed Premier League clubs are also keeping tabs on the situation. Textor has a stake in Crystal Palace, but the London team are not in the running to sign Luiz Henrique. -- Roberta Barroso, ESPN Brasil

- Liga MX side Chivas are looking to add another striker after signing Alan Pulido from MLS and have sounded out AC Milan's Luka Romero, who is on loan at Deportivo Alaves. The Argentina U20 international forward has only played six games in LaLiga so far. -- Jesús Bernal, ESPN Deportes

- Mexico international winger César Huerta flew to Belgium on Wednesday ahead of signing with Anderlecht. Huerta spoke with reporters ahead of his flight and stated the move that could open more doors for Mexican players is a "great responsibility." -- Cesar Hernandez

- The agents of former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder James Rodriguez have been in contact with the board of León de México to discuss a possible move. León are looking to convince the Colombia international to sign with the chance to play in the Club World Cup next summer. Several clubs in South America and MLS have approached the 33-year-old to ask about his salary expectations, but so far they have not been able to seal an agreement. -- ESPN Deportes

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Tears welled in Drew Allar's eyes and began to fall down the Penn State quarterback's face as he spoke about a game that was in his grasp, until it wasn't.

Allar, who showed clear improvement during his second year as Penn State's starting quarterback, struggled for much of Thursday's 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. But after helping Penn State take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, he had a chance to lead a game-winning drive as the offense took possession with 47 seconds to play and the score tied at 24-24.

Then, on first down from the Penn State 28-yard line, Allar looked downfield for wide receiver Omari Evans but badly misfired, and Notre Dame's Christian Gray dove to intercept the ball. The Irish then picked up a key first down, setting up Mitch Jeter's 41-yard field goal attempt, which he converted with seven seconds left.

"I was going through my progression, got to the backside, and honestly, I was just trying to dirt it at his feet," Allar said. "I should have just thrown it away when I felt the first two progressions not open, because of the situation we were in."

Allar, who completed 71.6% of his passes during the regular season and helped Penn State reach the Big Ten title game, connected on only 12 of 23 attempts Thursday for 135 yards. Penn State converted only 3 of 11 third-down chances and didn't complete any passes to its wide receivers. Thursday marked the only game in the past 20 seasons that Penn State failed to complete a pass to a wide receiver.

Notre Dame entered the game fifth nationally in third-down conversion defense at a shade under 30%, while Penn State was 15th nationally in third-down conversions at 47%. On third-and-goal late in the first quarter, Allar's pass to running back Nicholas Singleton went a bit behind him, bouncing off his hands to prevent a likely touchdown.

"I thought we had a really good plan," Allar said. "I thought [offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki] and the offensive staff had a really good plan for normal downs, third down and red zone, but I missed a couple throws on it, so it comes down to just execution. Credit to Notre Dame for making it tough, for sure, but I think if we just execute those moments that we would have put ourselves in a better position. It starts with me hitting some of those throws."

Despite winning a team-record 13 games, including the first two CFP victories in school history, Penn State squandered two leads to fall just short of advancing to the national title game. Coach James Franklin, who dropped to 1-15 against AP top-five opponents, pointed to Penn State's third-down struggles on both sides of the ball -- Notre Dame converted 11 of 17 opportunities -- and the final minutes of the first half and start of the second half as the biggest factors in the outcome.

"He's hurting right now, should be hurting, we're all hurting, this ain't easy," Franklin said of Allar. "He'll handle it great. He'll be hurting tonight and he'll be hurting tomorrow and he'll hurt a little bit less than the next day and so on and so forth. But he's a committed guy that's going to do it the right way."

Kotelnicki said the team embraced a "playing to win" mindset and wanted to remain aggressive in the final minute. After Singleton rushed for 13 yards on the first play, Penn State tried to use tempo on the ill-fated pass.

"He's going to put that on himself, and he doesn't have to," Kotelnicki said. "I've got to be better for him and our offense to make sure that whatever we're doing, whatever play we're calling, that our people have a chance to separate and put him in a position where he can feel more comfortable. So I simply say to him, 'That ain't you. That's not on you. You don't need to take that on your shoulders and feel the blame for that.'"

Allar's interception marked his first of the CFP and just his eighth all season. He struggled with accuracy during four postseason games -- the Big Ten championship and three CFP contests -- hitting on only 58 of 109 (53.2%) of his attempts, while throwing six touchdown passes and three interceptions.

The 6-foot-5, 238-pound junior announced last month that he intended to return to Penn State for the 2025 season rather than enter the NFL draft.

"We didn't win the game, so it wasn't good enough, I think it's plain and simple," Allar said. "So I'll learn from it, just do everything in my power to get better from it and just grow from it."

Franklin called Allar's growth "significant" from 2023, his first year as Penn State's starter.

"He said it, and it may not feel like it right now, but he'll learn from this, and he'll be better for it, and so will we," Franklin said.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- There were moments this season when Mitch Jeter simply could not make a kick, as injuries to his hip and groin ruined his form and threatened to sink his confidence.

But over the past month, as he got healthy, he turned into "Mr. January." As a result, Notre Dame is headed to its first national championship game since 2013, with an opportunity to win its first title since 1988.

The Irish say they have built their season on resilience -- and it is possible nobody on the team embodies that more than Jeter. As he lined up for a 41-yard field goal attempt with the score tied at 24 and 12 seconds left on the clock against Penn State on Thursday night, all he could think was: "Let's go make it."

Jeter pushed the football through the uprights to give Notre Dame a 27-24 win over Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. In doing so, he became the first kicker to make a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

"Coach [Marcus] Freeman talks a lot about delayed gratification," Jeter said. "He's been talking like that all the way back to Week 2, when the [loss to Northern Illinois] happened. So it's kind of been my mindset, going through an injury, having delayed gratification now to be able to come out and give our team a chance to go win a national championship."

In addition, Freeman is the first Black head coach to have a chance to win a college football national championship.

Jeter was not the only player who stepped up big Thursday night. Many of those clutch performances came from unexpected players. Cornerback Christian Gray came up with a huge play to set up the game-winning field goal, when he intercepted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with 30 seconds left.

Defensive coordinator Al Golden called the play by the sophomore "amazing" because he recognized what Allar was doing and beat his receiver to the ball.

"Christian got a great break on it," Golden said. "And generally speaking, that kid works really hard on his hands, so if he has an opportunity to catch it, he usually does."

Added Freeman: "In that moment, Christian had to make a play and he did, and was a huge reason why we won that game."

A game that was an offensive slog for the first three quarters turned into a back-and-forth contest in the fourth, as the teams combined to score four touchdowns in less than 10 minutes.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, playing with a knee brace and at less than 100%, got the scoring going in the final quarter with a remarkable second effort from the 2-yard line, when he jumped through one tackle, stayed on his feet, then dragged a defender with him into the end zone as his legs refused to stop moving to give the Irish a 17-10 lead.

Love usually celebrates his touchdowns by making a heart shape with his hands. But he forgot in the heat of the moment.

"I don't know what I was on that play, but I felt like some extra strength," Love said. "I just wanted to scream and rage. I just felt like the Hulk or something. I wasn't even thinking about throwing up the heart. It was just expressing the dominance I just asserted over them."

Penn State answered with two touchdown drives to take a 24-17 lead with 7:55 remaining. That is when Irish sophomore receiver Jaden Greathouse took his turn in the spotlight. On second-and-8 from the 46-yard line with 4:38 to go, Riley Leonard stepped back to throw. Greathouse made a move on Cam Miller, who fell down -- leaving Greathouse wide open in the middle of the field.

Leonard lofted the ball and Greathouse caught it. He had a safety to beat, and one juke move later, Greathouse was in the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 24.

"While I was out there, I really got a flashback to my 7-on-7 days in high school, and it was a similar play," Greathouse said. "And I was like, 'I just need to cut inside and I'll be in the end zone celebrating.'"

Greathouse finished with seven catches for 105 yards and a score -- the first 100-yard game of his career. Greathouse missed two days of practice earlier in the week because he was sick, but he said he woke up Thursday and believed, "Tonight is going to be my first 100-yard game."

That brought things back to Jeter and his opportunity to break a tie at 24. His injury saga goes back to Week 4, when he took a hit to a hip on an errant field goal snap against Miami (Ohio). He played through it, but a few weeks later against Stanford, he injured his groin. As time went on, his bones were not in completely perfect alignment -- and that affected his form.

Jeter missed four of his five field goal attempts in the final four games of the regular season. His dad, Andrew, works as a chiropractor and offered to help get his body back into alignment. He would come up on Thursdays and then stay for several days to help Jeter get his body aligned so everything could heal properly.

"Bones were in places that they shouldn't have been," Jeter said. "That was my femur, my back, my hips. He was able to move those bones back into position where they're supposed to be, which allowed the healing process to almost accelerate."

Once the playoffs started, Jeter felt 100%. It has shown in his performance, as Jeter has gone 7-of-8 in three playoff games -- including several clutch kicks in the quarterfinal win against Georgia, too.

Quarterback Steve Angeli -- another player who stepped up big, leading a field goal drive late in the first half with Leonard out of the game -- said the team has nicknamed Jeter "Mr. January."

"He is a confident guy, man," Freeman said. "There is no moment too big for Mitch Jeter. I had a lot of confidence in him in that moment that he was going to do exactly what he did, and he did a great job at doing that."