Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love on track to play in CFP semifinal - ESPN

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is on track to play against Penn State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said Tuesday.

During a media availability shortly after arriving in South Florida, Denbrock said Love has been able to practice this week but has not been overloaded with work. Love tweaked a knee injury in the third quarter of a 23-10 win over Georgia in the quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl last week and did not return to the game.

He initially injured his right knee in the regular-season finale against USC.

«Obviously, we want to get him to the game, so we weren't running his wheels off the last couple of days, but every day he gets a little bit better, moves a little bit better,» Denbrock said. «I know he feels like he's going to be ready to go and ready to get after it.»

Love leads the Irish with 1,076 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He showed off his dynamic style in the team's CFP first-round win over Indiana, scoring on a 98-yard run despite fighting the flu in that game. The injury against Georgia limited him to six carries for 19 yards as quarterback Riley Leonard led the team in rushing with 80 yards on 14 carries.

«J-Love is always going to be fine,» Leonard said. «I mean he had the flu the day before the Indiana game, and he popped out there and broke one for 98 yards. So, he's always going to be 100 percent on game day. He's been fine in practice.»

Even if Love is not 100 percent Thursday, the Irish have confidence in backup Jadarian Price, who has 720 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. He finished with 10 carries for 37 yards in the win over Georgia.

«I really look at JD