January 10, 2025

Sport and Betting News

Latest Updates on Jeremiyah Love and Abdul Carter’s Injuries in Notre Dame vs Penn State Game

14 mins
  • In the Notre Dame vs Penn State injury report, the status of Nittany Lions star DE Abdul Carter (shoulder) looms large
  • Irish RB Jeremiyah Love (knee) is expected to play after tweaking injury last game
  • See below for the full injury reports and betting impact for this Orange Bowl matchup

The #6 Penn State Nittany Lions (13-1) and #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-1) square off in the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal on Thursday, January 9 at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm ET on ESPN.

Both squads are relatively healthy entering this clash, but the Nittany Lions do have one big question mark – the status of superstar defensive end Abdul Carter. Meanwhile, Irish fans are concerned about the status of dynamic running back Jeremiyah Love.

Here are the latest injury updates for the Orange Bowl, along with full Notre Dame and Penn State injury reports further below.

Latest Updates on Abdul Carter, Jeremiyah Love

Abdul Carter, the projected top 2025 NFL Draft pick suffered a shoulder injury in the CFP quarterfinal win over Boise State. Carter’s availability could be a game-time decision, according to his NIL representative, prominent NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus.

“Abdul Carter is an NIL client of ours, and if he can play tonight, he will do it,” Rosenhaus said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’s one of the toughest human beings that I’ve ever been affiliated with. If he can go, he will go, but he has a legitimate shoulder injury.”

As for the Irish, they expect to have leading rusher Jeremiyah Love ready to roll. Love tweaked a knee injury in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia. But head coach Marcus Freeman said the star back has practiced well this week.

“Jeremiyah has had a good week of practice,” Freeman said. “J-Love will be good to go.”

The Irish are currently 1.5-point favorites on ESPN Bet in this one, with the total priced at 45.5 in the college football odds.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Injury Report

Love leads Notre Dame with 1,076 rushing yards and has found the end zone 16 times on the ground this season. His availability is crucial for an Irish offense that ranks 11th in rushing but just 101st in passing.

The Irish will be without a few key contributors on Thursday, though. Tight end Cooper Flanagan (foot) is out after getting hurt against Georgia. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills (knee) and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hip) have already been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Player Position Injury Status
J. Love RB Knee Probable
C. Flanagan TE Foot Out
R. Mills DL Knee Out
B. Morrison CB Hip Out
B. Traore DL Knee Out
C. Tucker CB Knee Out
G. Payne RB Knee Out
C. Jagusah OL Pectoral Out
T. Bennie-Powell SAF Shoulder Out
S. Prescod OL Shoulder Out
Multiple Players Various Flu Questionable

Adding to the Irish’s concerns, On3’s Tyler Horka reported Thursday morning that a flu outbreak has hit the Notre Dame locker room. While the illness is primarily affecting backup and special teams players, it’s another variable for Marcus Freeman’s squad to manage.

“Those who have it have it bad, but it sounds like that’s mostly backups and special teams players,” Horka reported. “Still something to monitor for the Fighting Irish going into the Orange Bowl vs. Penn State tonight.”

Penn State Nittany Lions Injury Report

All eyes will be on Carter and that left shoulder during warmups. The Butkus–Fitzgerald Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker has been a one-man wrecking crew, racking up 11 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. If Carter is limited or can’t go, it’s a huge break for the Irish offense.

Safety Kevin Winston (undisclosed) is questionable, while DL Alonzo Ford (lower body) and DE Zuriah Fisher (undisclosed) have been ruled out. But overall, the Nittany Lions defense is in good shape compared to the unit that shut down Boise State a few weeks ago.

Player Position Injury Status
A. Carter DE Shoulder Questionable
K. Winston SAF Undisclosed Questionable
A. Donkoh OL Knee Out
K. Wylie LB Undisclosed Questionable
C. Wallace RB Lower Body Questionable
K. Saunders WR Undisclosed Questionable
A. Rappleyea TE Undisclosed Questionable
T. Denmark WR Undisclosed Questionable
K. Artis DT Undisclosed Questionable
A. Ford DT Lower Body Out
Z. Fisher DE Undisclosed Out

How Could Injuries Affect Notre Dame vs Penn State Betting Lines?

Carter’s status is the biggest injury storyline heading into this playoff clash. If the Nittany Lions’ defensive superstar is ruled out or limited, it would likely lead to more points for the Irish and potentially a closing line move towards Notre Dame.

Love’s knee issue is also worth monitoring for Irish backers. Notre Dame relies heavily on the run game and Love has been their workhorse. Any limitations for him would put more pressure on an average Irish aerial attack.

YouTube video

The late-breaking news of a flu outbreak in the Notre Dame locker room adds another layer of uncertainty. While the illness is reportedly primarily affecting backup and special teams players, any spread to key contributors could impact the Irish’s depth and overall performance.

Still, with both star players seemingly trending towards suiting up, the current 1.5-point spread and 45.5 over/under total may not budge much before kickoff. Be sure to check reports during pregame warmups for any last-minute developments, though.

In terms of the best bet given these Orange Bowl injury updates, our expert is on the UNDER in his Notre Dame vs Penn State prediction.

  • BET365 SPORTSBOOK

    BET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE SBD365

  • CAESARS SPORTSBOOK

    BET $1 & DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS ON YOUR NEXT 10 BETS

  • BETMGM SPORTSBOOK

    GET UP TO $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS + 2ND CHANCE TD CASH BACK!

  • DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK

    BET $5 & GET $250 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!

  • FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

    BET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS GUARANTEED!

  • FANATICS SPORTSBOOK

    BET & GET UP TO $1,000 NO SWEAT BETS

  • Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, KS, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA); (877) 8-HOPENY (NY); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); (888) 789-7777 (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); mdgamblinghelp.org (MD); morethanagame.nc.gov (NC); 1800gambler.net (WV)

In a highly anticipated matchup between Notre Dame and Penn State, two key players suffered injuries that could potentially impact their teams’ success moving forward. Jeremiyah Love, a standout wide receiver for Notre Dame, and Abdul Carter, a star linebacker for Penn State, both left the game early due to injuries.

Love, who has been a crucial part of Notre Dame’s offense this season, went down with a knee injury in the second quarter of the game. The extent of his injury is still unknown, but losing him for any amount of time would be a significant blow to the Fighting Irish’s passing attack. Love has been a reliable target for quarterback Ian Book and has consistently made big plays for Notre Dame throughout the season.

On the other side of the ball, Abdul Carter suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter of the game. Carter, who leads Penn State in tackles this season, is a key piece of the Nittany Lions’ defense. His absence would leave a noticeable hole in Penn State’s linebacker corps and could impact their ability to stop opposing offenses.

Both teams will be closely monitoring the status of Love and Carter as they prepare for their upcoming games. Injuries are an unfortunate reality in football, but teams must adapt and adjust in order to continue their pursuit of success. Fans of Notre Dame and Penn State will be hoping for speedy recoveries for both players so they can return to the field and contribute to their teams’ efforts to finish the season strong.

Related News