Penn State's James Franklin, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman Preview the Orange Bowl

The coaches discuss key injuries and stopping the run at their final media availability before the game.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and Penn State coach James Franklin speak at a press conference before the Orange Bowl. / Mark Wogenrich/Penn State on SI

Just one day remains until Penn State and Notre Dame’s seasons meet a new fate in the Orange Bowl. One program will book a trip to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff championship game, while the other will see its season come to an end.

Penn State coach James Franklin and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman held their final media availability Wednesday before the Orange Bowl, where they discussed key injuries and preparing for their biggest game of the season so far. Here’s what the coaches had to say as the Orange Bowl approaches.

Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love trending toward playing

Penn State and Notre Dame have had their share of injuries throughout the season. For the Fighting Irish, defensive lineman Rylie Mills and starting center Ashton Craig are among the top players out with season-term injuries. Meanwhile, Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame’s leading rusher, remains in question this week after exiting the team’s win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

"Jeremiyah has had a great week of practice. We have to be smart in terms of how much we're asking him to do in practice. We've got to get him ready for the game. But he's confident,” Freeman said. “Nobody feels 100 percent [in Game No. 15]. But J-Love will be good to go.”

Love has rushed for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns, spearheading the Fighting Irish offense. Jadarian Price, with 720 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, would step in as full-time RB1 if Love misses any snaps. Freeman also said Wednesday that Price “constantly gets better” and is “getting more and more opportunities.”

As for the Nittany Lions, their most significant injury concern has revolved around defensive end Abdul Carter, who was hurt against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Franklin said he anticipates Carter playing in the Orange Bowl, though the edge rusher will be a game-time decision.

“We anticipate Abdul playing,” Franklin said. “He's doing everything he possibly can to play. His approach has been awesome. He's lived in the training room. But it'll be a game-time decision, and we'll see. Just like the guys that we're looking at on the Notre Dame roster and concerned about their impact on the game, Abdul is one of those guys, as well…. Abdul has approached this the right way. He wants to play. He's put a ton of, like, cryptic messages out on social media, which you guys have probably seen those. I learn as much from those as I do from our trainers. But we are hopeful and expecting Abdul to play, and we'll see how that plays out.”

Because Penn State and Notre Dame aren’t required to submit availability reports in the College Football Playoff, the only official indications of Love and Carter’s health will be in their playing time.

“We anticipate Abdul playing. He’s doing everything he possibly can to play,” Penn State’s James Franklin said of All-American DE Abdul Carter. More from Franklin. pic.twitter.com/jKHVvXNIfP

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) January 8, 2025

RELATED: Abdul Carter doing "everything that he can" to be ready for the Orange Bowl

Stopping dominant rushing offenses

Thursday’s matchup will feature two of college football’s top run games. Both Penn State (202.2 rushing yards per game) and Notre Dame (217.5 rushing yards per game) use two talented running backs and a quarterback capable of making plays with their legs. But Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard (831 rushing yards) has done so more often than Penn State’s Drew Allar (285 rushing yards). The Nittany Lions, coming off a matchup against Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, once again will hone in on slowing a strong ground game. 

At the end of the day, our focus is still on trying to defend the run," Franklin said. "Notre Dame does it in a little bit different way than what Boise State did last week. But it's still the whole philosophy of trying to make them one-dimensional as much as you possibly can, but also understanding that the quarterback is going to make plays, their running backs are going to make plays, and you're going to have to flush it and move on to the next play. This is going to be a four-quarter football game, and we're going to have to be prepared to compete like that. Stopping the run is priority number one."

Defensively, Notre Dame faces the same challenges. Penn State’s Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton have combined for 381 rushing yards and four touchdowns in their two playoff games, both hitting new peaks behind a strong offensive line. The mental aspects of stopping the run, Freeman said, can be just as critical as how it impacts the game itself.

“When you can't stop an offense from running the ball, it can be demoralizing. That's why we say we have to do it now. … The mentality of stopping the run is so important,” Freeman said. “As you look at Penn State, if you are not able to do a good job at stopping the run and trying to run the ball, you're not going to have success and you're not going to get the outcome you want.”

Running the football is ingrained in both Orange Bowl squads, but Freeman also noted how adjustments will play a role. If Allar or Leonard find their rhythm as passers, either Notre Dame or Penn State’s well-coached defenses could be thrown off. 

For two teams that have consistently found new ways to win — mostly through dominating the line of scrimmage — Thursday’s playoff matchup will present a significant test in just how physical each unit can get in January. After all, this is Game No. 16 for the Nittany Lions and No. 15 for the Fighting Irish, both program records.

“You've got to be adaptable. You've got to be willing to adapt based off the unpredictable things that can happen, and that's what we've been able to do,” Freeman said. “I feel like our guys will be physically ready to roll.”

Penn State and Notre Dame face off in the Orange Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday on ESPN.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.