Pregame injury update for Notre Dame football vs. Penn State

On January 10, 2025By Littum

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jeremiah Love, leading rusher for Notre Dame football, plans to give it a shot Thursday night against Penn State at Hard Rock Stadium.

Love, who aggravated a nagging injury to his right knee in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal win over Georgia, was declared available for the Orange Bowl semifinal against the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (13-2).

Love, a running back, wore a knee brace during the portion of Notre Dame’s (13-1) practice on Jan. 5 that was open to the media; he seemed to move cautiously.

Held to 21 yards on just seven touches (six carries) against Georgia, Love saw his school-record rushing touchdown streak end at 13. Love left the game after tweaking his knee while blocking quarterback Riley Leonard with three minutes left . in the third quarter.

“If they needed me, I would have gone,” Love said in the locker room after the game in New Orleans. “Obviously I got hurt, but that’s why we have other backers to come forward when their name is called. Like I said, it’s not just me in this room. That’s everyone.

“If someone goes down, the next person steps up and they’re ready to go. That’s how we were trained.”

Sixth-year nose tackle Howard Cross III, who led all defensive linemen with 47 snaps against the Bulldogs, warmed up without issue with his sprained left ankle still in a heavy wrap.

Freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who played 13 snaps in a pass-rushing role against Georgia, also warmed up with his right knee in a brace. Viliamu-Asa missed basically three games after being injured early in the first quarter against Army on Nov. 23 at Yankee Stadium.

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.