Notre Dame operating again Jeremiyah Love is anticipated to begin Thursday towards sixth-seeded Penn State, permitting the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and their signature floor sport to function at full capability, or almost so, within the first semifinal of the College Football Playoff.
Love re-injured his ailing proper knee late within the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 23-10 Sugar Bowl win over second-seeded Georgia. He entered the medical tent twice earlier than returning to the sideline with a heavy brace defending his knee.
But when coach Marcus Freeman spoke to reporters Saturday, Love didn’t present the group’s harm report.
“The solely harm replace from the sport is that Cooper Flanagan can be out for the rest of the College Football Playoff with a foot harm,” Freeman stated, referring to his backup tight finish. “We’ll miss Coop and we’ll love him, however aside from that, everybody else was clear. Pretty clear sport when it comes to accidents.”
That means Love and quarterback Riley Leonard ought to proceed to guide the sport, whereas backup operating backs Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams will present backup because the Irish (13-1, No. 3 CFP) chase their first sport look of the nationwide championship from the top. of the 2012 season.
Love didn’t communicate to reporters Saturday and isn’t anticipated to handle the media earlier than going through the Big Ten runner-up Nittany Lions (13-2, No. 5). Pricing is anticipated to be introduced later Saturday.
How crucial was Love of Notre Dame’s offense?
He led the Irish with 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaged 7.3 yards per carry and set a faculty report by speeding for a rating in 13 consecutive video games. The streak ended towards Georgia.
Love additionally set the tone in Notre Dame’s first-round win over Tenth-seeded Indiana when he ran 98 yards for the primary rating. It was the longest landing streak in playoff historical past and got here on a day when Love was battling each the flu and a sore knee he harm within the group’s regular-season finale at USC.
But the statistics and his exploits on the sector don’t present a whole account of Love’s affect.
He has outpaced 10 defenders this season, together with one fumble towards the Hoosiers through which he aggravated his knee harm, and his means to play properly regardless of harm or sickness has given the Irish a toughness that resonates all through the locker room. And his power and breakaway means solely make Leonard a extra harmful possibility on the sector.
The consequence: Notre Dame wanted simply 90 yards to beat the SEC champion Bulldogs in New Orleans.
So having Love on the sector looks as if a should if the Irish need to finish their nationwide championship drought at 36 years — the longest hole between title-winning seasons because the Irish captured their first in 1924.
But even when Love is not at full power, the Irish produce other choices.
Georgia Bulldogs: What went unsuitable in Sugar Bowl vs Notre Dame?
Leonard already holds the single-season faculty report for speeding touchdowns by a quarterback (15) and wishes 169 speeding yards to report his first 1,000-yard season. Price can be each a breakaway risk and a workhorse, and Williams, a freshman, has compelled his approach into extra motion by recording half of his 32 carries over the past 4 video games.
“He got here right here with a number of expertise, however he needed to earn belief,” Freeman stated, referring to Williams. “All he is completed is proceed to achieve extra confidence all through the season. You can put him there at any time: run the play, cross the play, get the ball in his fingers, throw him the ball, he’ll shield. He’s a troublesome child and I adore it.”
The mixture brought about a lot consternation amongst Notre Dame opponents throughout a 12-game profitable streak that has already produced the primary 13-win season in class historical past.
Now, Penn State 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 harm. Coach James Franklin indicated Saturday that Carter might play, although he could also be restricted.
“He’s doing nice — his angle is nice, his mentality has been actually good,” Franklin stated. “It actually is dependent upon how he feels and the way a lot apply he will get. I do not suppose there’s something stopping him from taking part in at this level; it is how he is capable of play.”
Associated Press reporting.
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