Banged-up Jeremiyah Love expected to start for Notre Dame in College Football Playoff semifinal
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to start Thursday in the Orange Bowl against sixth-seeded Penn State, enabling the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and their trademark ground game to operate at — or near — full capacity in the first College Football Playoff semifinal.Love re-injured his ailing right knee late in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 23-10 victory over second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.He went into the medical tent twice before returning to the sideline with a hefty brace protecting the knee.But when coach Marcus Freeman spoke with reporters Saturday, Love did not make the team’s injury 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 said, referring to a backup tight end.
“We’ll miss Coop and love him, but other than that, everybody else was clean.Pretty clean game in terms of injuries.”That means Love and quarterback Riley Leonard are expected to continue to lead the ground game while backup running backs Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams provide reinforcements as the Irish (13-1, No.
3 CFP) chase their first national championship game appearance since the end of the 2012 season.Love did not speak with reporters Saturday and is not scheduled to address the media before facing the Big Ten runner-up Nittany Lions (13-2, No.5).
Price is expected to talk later Saturday.How critical has Love been to Notre Dame’s offense?He leads the Irish with 1,076 yards and 16 touchdown runs, averages 7.3 yards per carry and set a school record by rushing for scores in 13 consecutive games.The streak ended against Georgia.Love also set the tone in Notre Dame’s first-round victory over 10th-seeded Indiana when he sprinted 98 yards for the first score.
It was the longest TD run in playoff history and came on a day Love when was fighting both the flu and the sore knee he hurt in the team’s regular-season finale at Southe...