Notre Dame fans were worried pretty early in the game against Stanford on Saturday, but it wasn't about whether or not the Fighting Irish would win the game, but whether or not their star running back would be okay.
About halfway into the first quarter against the Cardinals, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was taken down by about three Stanford defenders, and after the big hit, Love lay on the ground in evident pain. Trainers came out to Love, and Freeman checked on his star player as well, and it was an apparent rib injury.
Love spent about 20 minutes in the locker room getting X-rays, but ended up coming out towards the end of the second quarter and going back into the game. It was clear, though, that Love was still in some pain, but he played until the end of the third quarter when Freeman began pulling starters with a commanding lead.
The knee to the ribs from Stanford LB Wilfredo Aybar on Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love was late and didn’t look natural. Intentional? We’ll never know. But this probably cost Love his chance to win the Heisman Trophy. pic.twitter.com/bumF76n64S
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 1, 2025
Jeremiyah Love's injury might have been more intentional than some thought
When looking at the Love injury a little closer, some fans are going to wonder if it might have been intentional from the Stanford defender. In the slow motion clip above from a new camera angle, it looks like the knee that Love took to the ribs was not natural and the defender could have done it on purpose.
Obviously, there is no way to know or confirm if it was intentional, but the video evidence doesn't really help the matter. Fans won't be happy with it, but unltmately, Love ended up being okay in the end and was able to return to the game.
Now, Love will have a few weeks to rest up before Notre Dame potentially heads to the College Football Playoff. While the Fighting Irish are in a good spot right now, Championship Weekend could create some chaos that could be trouble for Notre Dame.