Pregame injury update: Will Jeremiyah Love, Howard Cross III play for Notre Dame football?

Posted by author January 9, 2025 Football

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jeremiyah Love, leading rusher for Notre Dame football, plans to give it a go on 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 pronounced available for the Orange Bowl semifinal against the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (13-2).

A sophomore running back, Love wore a knee brace during the portion of Notre Dame (13-1) practice on Jan. 5 that was open to the media; he appeared to be moving gingerly.

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

“If they needed me, I would’ve gone,” Love said in the postgame locker room in New Orleans. “Obviously, I got hurt, but that’s why we have other backs to step up when their name is called. Like I’ve been saying, it’s not just me in this room. It’s everybody.

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

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 essentially missed 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.