Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to start Thursday in the Orange Bowl against sixth-seeded Penn State, allowing the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and their strong ground game to operate close to full capacity in the first College Football Playoff semifinal.
Love re-injured his right knee late in the third quarter during Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory over second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. He went into the medical tent twice before returning to the sideline with a large brace on his knee.
However, coach Marcus Freeman told reporters on Saturday that Love was not included in the team’s injury report.
“The only injury update from the game is Cooper Flanagan will be out for the rest of the College Football Playoff with a foot injury,” Freeman said, referring to a backup tight end. “We’ll miss Coop and love him, but other than that, everybody else was clean. Pretty clean game in terms of injuries.”
This means Love and quarterback Riley Leonard are expected to continue leading the ground game, with backup running backs Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams providing support as the Irish (13-1, No. 3 CFP) aim for their first national championship game appearance since the 2012 season.
Love did not speak with reporters on Saturday and is not scheduled to meet the media before facing the Big Ten runner-up Nittany Lions (13-2, No. 5). Price is expected to speak later on Saturday.
How crucial has Love been to Notre Dame’s offense?
He leads the Irish with 1,076 yards and 16 touchdown runs, averaging 7.3 yards per carry, and set a school record by scoring rushing touchdowns in 13 consecutive games. The streak ended against Georgia.
Love also set the tone in Notre Dame’s first-round victory over 10th-seeded Indiana when he sprinted 98 yards for the first score. It was the longest TD run in playoff history and came on a day when Love was fighting both the flu and a sore knee he injured in the regular season finale at Southern California.
But stats and on-field feats don’t fully capture Love’s impact.
He has hurdled 10 defenders this season, including an attempt against the Hoosiers on which he aggravated the knee injury. His ability to perform well despite injury or illness has given the Irish a toughness that resonates throughout the locker room. His strength and breakaway ability also make Leonard a more dangerous option on the ground.
As a result, Notre Dame only needed 90 yards passing to defeat the Southeastern Conference champion Bulldogs in New Orleans.
So, having Love on the field seems essential if the Irish are to end their 36-year national championship drought — the longest gap between title-winning seasons since their first in 1924.
Even if Love isn’t at full strength, the Irish have other options.
Leonard already holds the school record for TD runs by a quarterback in a season (15) and needs 169 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career. Price is also a breakaway threat and a reliable workhorse, while freshman Williams has earned more playing time, logging half of his 32 carries in the last four games.
Price is ready for whatever role is asked of him.
“I always feel like I could do more every game,” Price said. “The good thing about our victory is that we have another opportunity to do it, so we want to do everything we can to have a better performance.”
This combination has caused plenty of trouble for Notre Dame’s opponents during their 12-game winning streak, which has already produced the first 13-win season in the school’s history.
Now Penn State faces another concern — the health of All-American defensive end Abdul Carter. He left the 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over third-seeded Boise State with an apparent left arm injury. Coach James Franklin indicated on Saturday that Carter could play, but might be limited.
“He’s doing great, his attitude is great, his mentality has been really good,” Franklin said. “Really it’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he gets. I don’t think at this point there’s anything stopping him from playing; it’s how he is able to play.”
