MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Of all of the gamers gathered exterior Notre Dame‘s locker room late Thursday night time recapping a historic win, offensive lineman Charles Jagusah might need been the unlikeliest to be standing there.
Jagusah wasn’t purported to be in uniform at Hard Rock Stadium, recounting his efficiency in Notre Dame’s 27-24 victory in opposition to Penn State within the College Football Playoff Semifinal on the Capital One Orange Bowl. After he tore a pectoral muscle early in coaching camp, his season had been declared over earlier than it might really start. The damage to Jagusah, projected because the workforce’s beginning left deal with, was Notre Dame’s first main well being setback, however could be nowhere close to its final.
The solely manner Jagusah would have an opportunity to contribute this season could be for Notre Dame to achieve the CFP and make a deep run. For that to occur, the Irish would wish to beat a staggering quantity of accidents, some season-ending, to gamers who, in contrast to Jagusah, would haven’t any probability of returning. The damage wave did not spare the offense or protection, and it hit a number of the workforce’s largest stars in addition to essential function gamers.
“Losing-sleep accidents,” defensive coordinator Al Golden referred to as them. “You’re speaking about large gamers.”
But none has been large sufficient to divert Notre Dame from its playoff push, which can proceed Monday night time in Atlanta in opposition to Ohio State within the CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T.
Most groups that make a run as deep as Notre Dame’s level to a decent-sized dose of excellent fortune. But when it got here to accidents, the Irish had little or no luck on their facet. So how did they get all the best way to the nationwide championship sport?
AFTER A TUESDAY apply in November, forward of Notre Dame’s sport with Army at Yankee Stadium, Golden knew he was seeing a primary in his 30-year teaching profession.
“I’ve not been part of something the place we misplaced the caliber of fellows that we have misplaced,” he informed ESPN. “It simply speaks to the management of Coach [Marcus] Freeman, the management of our captains and the unity of the group. Obviously it has been subsequent man up for fairly a while.”
Every participant and coach in school soccer cites a “subsequent man up” mentality, recognizing its necessity and inevitability in a violent sport, but in addition making the reference with their fingers crossed. Those similar coaches and gamers know that almost all injury-plagued groups are finally sunk, unable to plug all of the holes.
Jagusah was the primary important setback for Notre Dame, however others adopted. The workforce responded to its Week 2 house loss to Northern Illinois by thrashing Purdue 66-7 in West Lafayette, however the victory got here at a value. Starting heart Ashton Craig tore his left ACL, whereas Jordan Botelho, a starter on the vyper defensive finish spot, suffered a proper knee damage. They went out on consecutive collection within the second quarter.
Boubacar Traore stepped up in Botelho’s absence and led Notre Dame in sacks (three) and tackles for loss (5) by the top of September. But the redshirt freshman injured his left knee in a Week 5 win over Louisville and was misplaced for the season.
The largest damage loss got here two weeks later, as cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a freshman All-America choice in 2022 who earned second-team AP All-America honors in 2023 and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, sustained a hip damage in opposition to Stanford. He additionally wanted surgical procedure and could be out for the season.
“You’re speaking about a number of the finest at their positions,” Golden mentioned. “And then a number of the youthful guys, you do not know how good they are going to be, however they are going to be good, Boubacar and clearly Jordan Botelho.”
As the accidents on protection piled up, linebacker Jack Kiser felt a mixture of sympathy and resolve. Some items would soften down, or at the least regress, after shedding a playmaker like Morrison, however not Notre Dame.
“I do not assume that is ever even been an possibility for this program,” Kiser mentioned. “It’s all the time been, ‘Hey, we’re devastated if somebody received an damage, however somebody has a possibility. Can you elevate this workforce and make this workforce higher and reap the benefits of that chance?'”
The reply, repeatedly and resoundingly, has been sure. True freshman cornerback Leonard Moore, a three-star recruit, entered the lineup for Morrison and now leads the workforce in go breakups, whereas including two pressured fumbles and two interceptions.
Junior Tuihalamaka and Donovan Hinish, who every had solely 10 tackles in 2023, stepped into larger roles on the road. They have mixed for 68 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
“There actually wasn’t a degree the place somebody went down, the place I used to be like, ‘Ah, we’re carried out,'” standout security Xavier Watts mentioned. “I’ve received the boldness in all of my teammates.”
A Notre Dame protection hammered by accidents has been the most important purpose behind the workforce’s nationwide title push. The Irish lead the nation in takeaways with 32 and rank second nationally in factors allowed at 14.3 per sport, trailing solely Ohio State.
“Just press ahead,” Golden mentioned of the workforce’s philosophy. “Don’t bitch, do not make excuses, and subsequent man, carry the flag.”
SHORTLY BEFORE SURGERY to restore his pectoral muscle, Jagusah met with Freeman, who informed the second-year participant that he may very well be out there for a possible CFP run if Notre Dame made the sphere for the primary time in 4 seasons.
“At first it form of did not really feel sensible, however as I received nearer and nearer, I simply stored pushing, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I can do that,'” Jagusah mentioned. “It’s a credit score to everyone for protecting me engaged.”
As the workforce performed into mid-December, then late December, then early January, Jagusah’s probabilities to not simply see the sphere however log significant snaps elevated. There he was on the Orange Bowl, taking part in guard as a substitute of deal with, filling in for injured starter Rocco Spindler. Like others had carried out in changing these misplaced to damage, Jagusah stepped up, pulling to clear out defensive finish Dani Dennis-Sutton on quarterback Riley Leonard‘s landing run, and decleating Penn State security Jaylen Reed on another pull.
“It reveals you the way a lot credit score my teammates deserve,” Jagusah mentioned. “In the grand scheme of issues, I did not actually do a lot as we speak. They received us right here. They did all of the heavy lifting, everyone, all 12 months lengthy, grinding, and I get to reap the rewards.”
Jagusah’s preseason damage started what has been a season-long shuffle for Notre Dame’s offensive line. Craig began the primary three video games earlier than his damage, which prompted Pat Coogan, who began all through the 2023 season at left guard however entered this fall as a backup, to take over at heart. At guard, Billy Schrauth has began video games at each spots, with Spindler and Sam Pendleton additionally incomes begins.
Notre Dame had stability at deal with with Aamil Wagner on the best facet and Anthonie Knapp, a real freshman who emerged following Jagusah’s damage, on the left. Jagusah made his season debut on particular groups in opposition to Georgia within the CFP quarterfinal on the Sugar Bowl, then changed Spindler in opposition to Penn State.
“Coach Freeman all the time says the longer term is unsure, so you’ll be able to’t fear concerning the future,” Jagusah mentioned. “Sure, we have had weeks the place loads of guys are banged up and also you’re considering, ‘Oh, crap, how are we going to make this work?’ But it is about getting ready each single day. Whatever 5 guys we put on the market, they’re all going to do nice.”
Jagusah’s story underscores how Notre Dame’s roster depth and resilience have been examined, even throughout the CFP. Notre Dame’s first spotlight got here from Jeremiyah Love, who raced 98 yards to the top zone in a first-round sport in opposition to Indiana. Love had injured his proper knee within the regular-season finale at USC and had been battling an upper-respiratory bug within the days main as much as the Indiana contest. But he nonetheless delivered the longest run in CFP historical past.
The Irish beat Indiana 27-17, a rating nearer than the sport really was, but in addition misplaced defensive deal with Rylie Mills, their chief in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (8.5), to a season-ending knee damage. Mills had propped up a line that had misplaced Botelho and Traore, in addition to beginning deal with Howard Cross III, a second-team AP All-America choice in 2023, for many of November.
In the CFP semifinals, Notre Dame trailed Penn State 10-0 when Leonard’s head hit the turf, sending him to the damage tent to be evaluated for a possible concussion. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli, who hadn’t performed exterior of mop-up time all season, got here in and hit his first 5 go makes an attempt, serving to arrange a area purpose earlier than halftime.
Love’s standing for the semifinal had been unsure after he aggravated his knee damage in opposition to Georgia and left the sport within the third quarter. Despite carrying a brace, Love gave Notre Dame its first lead with one of many extra iconic runs in latest faculty historical past, wrestling free of 4 Penn State defenders and reaching the ball throughout the purpose line. He later showcased his signature hurdle in elevating over Penn State’s Kobe King.
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Jeremiyah Love refuses to go down on a Notre Dame TD
Jeremiyah Love breaks a number of tackles to provide Notre Dame a 17-10 lead over Penn State.
Notre Dame fittingly received the sport on a area purpose by Mitch Jeter, who performed by means of a hip damage for a lot of the season, missed two makes an attempt within the Northern Illinois loss and hit simply 1 of 5 makes an attempt within the last 5 regular-season video games.
“I do not assume that me or this workforce could be the place we’re with out all these trials and tribulations, accidents and sicknesses and all that sort of stuff,” Love mentioned. “Everybody on this workforce is relentless. [Me] taking part in by means of damage, taking part in after I was sick, anyone on this workforce will do that very same factor as a result of we love one another.”
EVERY TEAM EMPHASIZES relentlessness and resilience, and gamers stepping up for one another. But what separates the Irish, who’ve really delivered on these guarantees, from groups that may’t observe by means of?
“It’s as a result of we have been on the very backside of the bowl,” Kiser mentioned. “We’ve been as deep as you might be, and felt the most important ache {that a} workforce might really feel, and it introduced us nearer. We perceive how you can face adversity now due to it.”
Notre Dame’s loss to Northern Illinois was a setback that, throughout the four-team playoff period, nearly actually would have eradicated the Irish from consideration. The end result additionally introduced again recollections of Freeman’s first season, which included house losses to Marshall and Stanford.
But slightly than letting the NIU loss carry over, or fretting about what it might imply down the road, Notre Dame strung collectively wins, even whereas shedding key gamers.
“You higher stay your life six inches in entrance of your face,” offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock mentioned. “Coach Freeman brings it up rather a lot: Win the interval. Just win this interval — this, proper right here. We’ve been capable of preserve that mentality, whatever the quantity of chaos that is going round.”
In the afterglow of the Penn State victory, Golden mentioned Notre Dame “wanted each little little bit of that mettle to win that sport.” The Irish will want extra, although, to beat an Ohio State workforce with a expertise edge and few main accidents exterior of its offensive line.
Knapp sustained a excessive ankle sprain in opposition to Penn State that can hold him out for the championship sport. Spindler’s outlook is extra promising however not totally identified, Freeman mentioned Sunday. Jagusah doubtless can have a major function in opposition to Ohio State, maybe on the place he was pegged to play again in the summertime.
The Irish are used to taking part in with no full deck. Whoever takes the sphere at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will, of their eyes, be sufficient to win a championship.
“This is a troublesome soccer workforce,” Denbrock mentioned after the Penn State win, standing a number of ft from Jagusah. “They simply hold taking part in. They do not flinch, they do not care what the circumstances are. God bless ’em, it is enjoyable to be part of.”
