Notre Dame working again Jeremiyah Love is predicted to start out Thursday within the Orange Bowl in opposition to sixth-seeded Penn State, enabling the seventh-seeded Combating Irish and their trademark floor recreation to function at — or close to — full capability within the first School Soccer Playoff semifinal.
Love re-injured his ailing proper knee late within the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory over second-seeded Georgia within the Sugar Bowl.
He went into the medical tent twice earlier than returning to the sideline with a hefty brace defending the knee.
However when coach Marcus Freeman spoke with reporters Saturday, Love didn’t make the workforce’s damage report.
“The only injury update from the game is Cooper Flanagan will be out for the remainder of the College Football Playoff with a foot injury,” Freeman mentioned, referring to a backup tight finish. “We’ll miss Coop and love him, but other than that, everybody else was clean. Pretty clean game in terms of injuries.”
Meaning Love and quarterback Riley Leonard are anticipated to proceed to steer the bottom recreation whereas backup working backs Jadarian Value and Aneyas Williams present reinforcements because the Irish (13-1, No. 3 CFP) chase their first nationwide championship recreation look for the reason that finish of the 2012 season.
Love didn’t communicate with reporters Saturday and isn’t scheduled to handle the media earlier than going through the Massive Ten runner-up Nittany Lions (13-2, No. 5). Value is predicted to speak later Saturday.
How important has Love been to Notre Dame’s offense?
He leads the Irish with 1,076 yards and 16 landing runs, averages 7.3 yards per carry and set a faculty document by dashing for scores in 13 consecutive video games. The streak ended in opposition to Georgia.
Love additionally set the tone in Notre Dame’s first-round victory over Tenth-seeded Indiana when he sprinted 98 yards for the primary rating. It was the longest TD run in playoff historical past and got here on a day Love when was preventing each the flu and the sore knee he harm within the workforce’s regular-season finale at Southern California.
However stats and his on-field feats don’t present a whole accounting of Love’s influence.
He has hurdled 10 defenders this season, together with an try in opposition to the Hoosiers on which he aggravated the knee damage, and his means to play properly regardless of damage or sickness has given the Irish a toughness that resonates all through the locker room. And his energy and breakaway means solely make Leonard a extra harmful choice on the bottom.
The outcome: Notre Dame wanted simply 90 yards passing to beat the Southeastern Convention champion Bulldogs in New Orleans.
So having Love on the sector looks like a should if the Irish are to finish their nationwide championship drought at 36 years — the longest hole between title-winning seasons for the reason that Irish captured their first in 1924.
However even when Love isn’t at full energy, the Irish produce other choices.
Leonard already holds the single-season college document for TD runs by a quarterback (15) and desires 169 yards dashing to document his first 1,000-yard season. Value additionally will be each a breakaway risk and a workhorse again and Williams, a freshman, has labored his approach into extra motion by logging half of his 32 carries over the past 4 video games.
Value guarantees to be prepared for no matter is requested of him.
“I always feel like I could do more every game,” Value mentioned. “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.”
The mix has prompted loads of consternation for Notre Dame opponents throughout a 12-game successful streak that already has produced the primary 13-win season within the college’s historical past.
Now Penn States faces one other concern — the well being of All-American defensive finish Abdul Carter. He left the 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over third-seeded Boise State with an obvious left arm damage. Coach James Franklin indicated Saturday that Carter might play, although he could also be restricted.
“He’s doing great, his attitude is great, his mentality has been really good,” Franklin mentioned. “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.”
