Jeremiyah Love injury update: Marcus Freeman talks Orange Bowl status for star RB
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love will be “good to go” for the Orange Bowl against Penn State, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed Wednesday morning.
Love exited Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl win over Georgia with a knee injury, which he said was similar to the tweaked knee he suffered in Week 14 at USC. The star sophomore has played in all 14 games for the Irish so far this season and scored a touchdown in 13 of them. He wore a large knee brace during practice this past week and seemed to move gingerly.
He might not be the Jeremiyah Love Irish fans are used to, but he will play in Game 15 with a trip to the national championship on the line.
“He’s had a good week of practice,” Freeman said. “We have to be smart about how much we’re asking him to do in practice. We gotta get him ready for the game, but he’s confident.
“Nobody feels 100 percent, but J-Love will be good to go.”
Love, in his second season out of St. Louis Christian Brothers College, has carried the ball 148 times for 1,076 yards (7.3 yards per attempt) and 16 rushing touchdowns in his breakout 2024 season. He also caught 25 passes for 226 yards and 2 scores through the air.
“Obviously, we want to get him to the game, so we weren’t running his wheels off the last couple days,” Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said. “Every day he gets a little bit better, moves a little bit better. I know he feels like he’s gonna be ready to go and ready to get after it.”
During Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff first-round win over Indiana, Love showcased his elite explosiveness with a 98-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Even if he’s not his full-strength self or doesn’t handle his typical workload — Love averages 28 snaps and 12.4 touches per game — the Irish need the threat of No. 4 on the field.
Top 10
- 1
Conferences to gain power?
Internal documents reveal remade NCAA
- 2New
Matt Campbell
Iowa State HC to interview with Chicago Bears
- 3Hot
Coach K blasts NCAA
'It's ridiculous what we're in'
- 4
Rose Bowl
Evacuation warning issued
- 5
Mick Cronin
UCLA coach eviscerates team
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Penn State head coach James Franklin certainly has Love in mind while preparing for this game.
“I was gonna ask you guys just a couple questions about the health of the Notre Dame team,” Franklin said at his and Freeman’s joint press conference. “I was hoping you guys would ask more questions so we could figure some of that stuff out.”
If Love is limited, the attention turns to junior Irish running back Jadarian Price. As the 1B to Love’s 1A, Price has 110 carries for 720 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and 7 touchdowns this season.
“[Price] is a young man that has put a lot of work to get to the point that he’s gotten to right now,” Freeman said. “He constantly gets better.”
No. 7 Notre Dame takes on No. 6 Penn State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
