Notre Dame Hit by Flu Outbreak Ahead of Orange Bowl Showdown vs. Penn State

It appears it won't just be injuries that Notre Dame is battling as kickoff approaches in the Orange Bowl

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after winning the first round of the College Football Playoff 27-17 against Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

An upset loss to Northern Illinois and a slew of injuries throughout the year have been obstacles Notre Dame football has had to overcome.

Now, just hours before kickoff for the Orange Bowl against Penn State, another has emerged for Notre Dame as part of the team is reportedly battling the flu.

Tyler Horka of On3 Sports offered the following news late Thursday morning, roughly seven hours before kickoff.

Been told the flu is going around the Notre Dame locker room. Those who have it have it bad, but it sounds like that’s mostly backups and special teams players. Still something to monitor for the Fighting Irish going into the Orange Bowl vs. Penn State tonight.

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) January 9, 2025

Injuries are one thing while a locker room virus is another. It may be several backups and special teams' players but obviously special teams are a huge part of what makes Notre Dame tick.

It's something to monitor certainly, but in a weird way it's also part of Notre Dame lore.

Perhaps Joe Montana just needs to cook up some chicken soup and get on a private jet down Miami by kickoff tonight.

Kickoff between Notre Dame and Penn State is set for just after 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night in a game that can be seen on ESPN.

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