Jeremiyah Love’s Incredible Touchdown Run Captures the Magic of Notre Dame’s Season

Jeremiyah Love had perhaps the most impressive two-yard touchdown run you'll ever see

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates a touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The early moments of the fourth quarter during Thursday night's Orange Bowl had a tied game between Notre Dame and Penn State with the Fighting Irish looking to take their first lead of the night.

Sitting at first-and-goal from the Penn State two-yard line, Riley Leonard handed off to Jeremiyah Love on a play that looked to be going nowhere.

But Love kept pushing.

Love was turned halfway around, but kept grinding.

Extra defenders piled on, none of which could bring him down.

Love fell into the end zone to give Notre Dame its first lead of the night on a play that looked like it was dead from jump street.

And he did it all while entering the game fairly beat up, forcing him to play with a bulky brace on his knee.

JEREMIYAH. LOVE. #GoIrish

pic.twitter.com/BanhJnX7ir

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 10, 2025

Jeremiyah Love Touchdown Symbolic of Notre Dame's Never Quit Attitude

Guys who played for Ara Parseghian talk about how the legendary coach used to get them to believe that they didn't have a breaking point. No matter what happened in a given situation, they weren't going to be the ones to blink.

That is exactly what Notre Dame football has looked like for much of the 2024 season.

It could have folded up shop and been content with the Pop-Tarts Bowl it appeared it was headed towards after losing to Northern Illinois.

But it didn't.

It could have quit after star after star was lost for the year due to injury.

But it didn't.

And it could have finally thrown in the towel after a brutal start Thursday that had it looking especially overmatched against a strong Penn State squad.

But it didn't.

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) scores touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Very little went Notre Dame's way early as Penn State was running the ball at will and the Fighting Irish offense couldn't get moving.

Injuries across Notre Dame's offensive line piled up while quarterback Riley Leonard even had to come out to be checked for a concussion.

Yet the Notre Dame team that has dealt with injuries in remarkable fashion this season kept moving its legs.

For each punch Penn State threw, Notre Dame turned right around and threw one back, until they had finally landed more than it's Nittany Lion counterparts.

After the thrilling game, Love was asked about the amount of resolve surrounding this Notre Dame football team to which he had a classic answer.

Jeremiyah Love: "We went out and played like the dogs that we are. We ain’t no little dogs, we’re big dogs. They was the little dogs today. Little cats. Whatever you want to call them."

— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) January 10, 2025

It appeared over for Notre Dame back on Sept. 7 when it lost at home to Northern Illinois in an embarrasing upset.

But it wasn't.

And Jeremiyah Love appeared headed for a first down loss when he took the handoff early in the fourth quarter, but he wasn't.

And now, Love and his fellow big dogs will play for the national championship in Atlanta on the night of January 20.

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