Jeremiyah Love Set to Make Impact in Orange Bowl Against Penn State

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to play in the Orange Bowl against sixth-seeded Penn State. This opportunity allows the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and their well-known ground game to perform at full strength in the first College Football Playoff semifinal.

Love faced a setback when he re-injured his right knee late in the third quarter during Notre Dame’s 23-10 Sugar Bowl win over second-seeded Georgia. He was evaluated in the medical tent twice but returned to the sidelines with a significant brace on his knee.

Coach Marcus Freeman addressed the media on Saturday and noted that Love was not listed on the team’s injury report.

Freeman provided an update, stating, “The only injury update from the game is that Cooper Flanagan will be out for the remainder of the College Football Playoff with a foot injury. We’ll miss Coop and love him, but other than that, everybody else was clean. Pretty clean game in terms of injuries.”

With Love and quarterback Riley Leonard leading the offense, backup running backs Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams are ready to support as the Irish (13-1, No. 3 CFP) aim for their first national championship game appearance since the 2012 season.

While Love did not speak with reporters on Saturday, Price is expected to address the media later that day.

How vital has Love been to the Fighting Irish’s offensive strategy?

He leads the team with 1,076 rushing yards and 16 touchdown runs, boasting an impressive average of 7.3 yards per carry. Additionally, he set a school record by scoring in 13 consecutive games, a streak that concluded against Georgia.

Love made a significant impact in Notre Dame’s first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Indiana, sprinting 98 yards for the opening touchdown. This run marked the longest touchdown in playoff history, achieved while Love battled both the flu and the knee injury sustained during the regular-season finale against USC.

However, his statistics and accomplishments alone do not fully capture Love’s influence on the team.

As a result, Notre Dame managed to secure a victory over the SEC champion Bulldogs in New Orleans with just 90 yards passing.

Having Love on the field is essential for the Irish as they seek to end a 36-year national championship drought—the longest span between title-winning seasons since the Irish’s first championship in 1924.

Even if Love is not at peak performance, the Irish have other capable players to step up.

The dynamic combination of running backs has created challenges for opposing teams during a remarkable 12-game winning streak, which has also led to the first 13-win season in Notre Dame’s history.

Meanwhile, Penn State must also consider the health of All-American defensive end Abdul Carter. He exited the 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over third-seeded Boise State with a left arm injury. Coach James Franklin suggested on Saturday that Carter might play, although he could be limited.

Franklin commented, “He’s doing great—his attitude is great, and his mentality has been really good. Really, it’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he gets. I don’t think there’s anything stopping him from playing; it’s about how he is able to play.”

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