Game Thread | (6) Penn State vs. (7) Notre Dame

(6) Penn State vs. (7) Notre Dame

Hard Rock Stadium| 7:30 PM ET | ESPN | Line: Notre Dame -1.5 | Total: 44.5

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Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
It's no secret that Love is the biggest game-wrecker on Notre Dame's offense. Jadarian Price can be a game-breaker as well, but Love has that ability and can be a closer in the fourth quarter. He won't be 100% for this game, but that doesn't mean he can't provide explosive plays. He should have chances against a Penn State defense that hasn't tackled well in recent weeks.

Penn State Edge Abdul Carter
Another player who won't be 100%, but he still could be elite even if he's not close. Carter is a special athlete who leads the nation in tackles for loss and is a potential top-5 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He's been listed as a game-time decision, and Penn State is a different defense with him on the field.

Notre Dame LB Drayk Bowen
All of Notre Dame's linebackers have chipped in and made plays in their two CFP games, but Bowen continues to ascend as a player. He's fast, physical, and has been phenomenal as a blitzer. The Irish will need him to continue to step up his game against a great Penn State rushing attack.

Penn State RB Kaytron Allen
It's been Allen leading the way with that rushing attack. He's been a beast with yards after contact in these last three games and he racked up nine missed tackles forced against Boise State. PSU is 13-1 in any game he's rushed for 80+ yards in his career, so limiting him will be important.

Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore
Moore has been remarkable as a true freshman and though he didn't become a starter until the middle of the season, he's second on the team in total havoc plays behind Xavier Watts. He'll be matched up with PSU WR Harrison Wallace frequently and Wallace has been great at winning contested catches. Them going against each other will be one of the best battles on the field.

Quotes of the Week

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman:
“Each week, you have to tactically prepare for the strengths of your opponent. Obviously, you mentioned rushing the passer, and their D-line is a huge strength of their defense. Now, they've got guys across the board that can present issues, but you always start with, hey, let's try to figure out how to have a plan for what they do well. Again, every week, you tailor what you're doing to address that. So this was no different. We understand that they have a really good front, but they've got a really good secondary and some good linebackers. This is a tough defense that we're going to face offensively, but we'll have a plan, and then it's about adjustments. This game is about adjustments, and we've got to be ready to make the adjustments necessary.” 

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock: 
”I look at JD as really like a close 1B as good as Jeremiyah is. The things that Jadarian has done offensively for us overall as a unit - making explosive plays when he got opportunities, and picking up the team at times - I think of Texas A&M. There's a bunch of other ones too, where we were a little bit bogged down, he gave us a spark. I know he's anxious to prove that he's that type of guy that can be that consistent on every snap. He has that ability. I don't know that it would change us offensively all that much. Obviously, you don't want to not have Jeremiyah love, if at all possible, but we feel confident with whoever we put in there.”

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden:
“There's not a lot of time to reminisce. We've got to be focused, and we're here on a business trip.”

Notre Dame DE Junior Tuihalamaka:
“He definitely instilled that in us from spring to fall. It’s not even just a word, it’s a thing that we live on. We can’t just talk about it, we got to show it. That’s what we do every practice. If we just talk too much about it, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s a big thing for us. We just go out there and play like savages.” 

For Your Nerves 

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