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Notre Dame states flu outbreak will have 'no impact' on Orange Bowl vs. Penn State

by:Alex Byington01/09/25

_AlexByington

collins td georgia
Notre Dame celebrates a Beaux Collins touchdown in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. (Chad Weaver, Blue & Gold)

The news of the day has now been downplayed some by a school involved. Notre Dame officials downplayed the impact of a flu bug permeating the Fighting Irish locker room ahead of Thursday night’s College Football Playoff national semifinal vs. Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

“It will have no impact on the game,” the Notre Dame official told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. “Beaux Collins was impacted in the Sugar Bowl, but still played and was on the mend during the game.”

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Earlier Thursday, On3’s Tyler Horka reported several Fighting Irish players are battling the flu ahead of tonight’s Orange Bowl against Penn State.

“Been told the flu is going around the Notre Dame locker room,” Horka posted. “Those who have it have it bad, but it sounds like that’s mostly backups and special teams players. Still something to monitor for the Fighting Irish going into the Orange Bowl vs. Penn State tonight.”

ESPN’s Molly McGrath doubled-down on the program’s rebuff of the flu having any adverse impact on the Irish tonight.

“People at Notre Dame tell me these rumors are completely untrue,” McGrath said on Thursday afternoon’s SportsCenter. “Now there have been some players and staffers that have been sick in recent weeks, most recently Jeremiyah Love battled a flu bug ahead of the Indiana game, and then had his Michael Jordan flu game with his 98-yard touchdown run. And then most recently their wide receiver Beaux Collins had a little bit of a flu bug and was on the mend last week in the Sugar Bowl, but he scored a touchdown in that game. I’m told now that the players and people that are sick are all redshirts, walk-ons and staffers. So no one who’s expected to play tonight are sick.”

Notre Dame reached the semifinals of the CFP by beating Indiana and Georgia. The Irish are now just one win away from playing in its first College Football Playoff national championship game. The Orange Bowl victor will face the winner of Friday night’s Cotton Bowl national semifinal between Texas and Ohio State for the national title.

Jeremiyah Love injury update: Marcus Freeman reveals status vs. Penn State

Marcus Freeman provided an injury update on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love ahead of Thursday’s Orange Bowl clash with Penn State.

“He’s had a good week of practice. We have to be smart about how much we’re asking him to do in practice,” Freeman said, via the Orange Bowl press conference. “No one is 100-percent right now. He’ll be good to go.” 

The star running back went down in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory in New Orleans, and later he had a brace on his right knee. Love headed to the injury tent, but after briefly working out on the sideline, went back in for further evaluation.

Steve Samra contributed to this report.