Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love expected to play in Orange Bowl vs. Penn State

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to start Thursday 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 Sugar Bowl victory over second-seeded Georgia. He went into the medical tent twice before returning to the sideline with a hefty brace protecting his 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 his 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 touchdown run in playoff history and came on a day when Love was fighting both the flu and the sore knee he hurt in the team’s regular-season finale at USC.

But stats and his on-field feats don’t provide a complete accounting of Love’s impact.

He has hurdled 10 defenders this season, including an attempt against the Hoosiers in which he aggravated his knee injury, and his ability to play well despite injury or illness has given the Irish a toughness that resonates throughout the locker room. And his strength and breakaway ability only make Leonard a more dangerous option on the ground.

The result: Notre Dame needed just 90 yards passing to beat the SEC champion Bulldogs in New Orleans.

So having Love on the field seems like a must if the Irish are to end their national championship drought at 36 years — the longest gap between title-winning seasons since the Irish captured their first in 1924.

But even if Love isn’t at full strength, the Irish have other options.

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Leonard already holds the single-season school record for touchdown runs by a quarterback (15) and needs 169 yards rushing to record his first 1,000-yard season. Price can also be both a breakaway threat and a workhorse back and Williams, a freshman, has worked his way into more action by logging half of his 32 carries over the last four games.

“He came here with a lot of ability, but he had to earn trust,” Freeman said, referring to Williams. “All he [has] done is continue to earn more trust throughout the season. You can put him in there in any moment — run game, pass game, get the ball in his hands, throw the ball to him, he’s going to protect. He’s a tough guy and I love it.”

The combination has caused plenty of consternation for Notre Dame opponents during a 12-game winning streak that has already produced the first 13-win season in the school’s history.

Now, Penn State faces another concern — the health of All-American defensive end Abdul Carter. He left the 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over third-seeded Boise State with an apparent left arm injury. Coach James Franklin indicated Saturday that Carter could play, though he may be limited.

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

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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