Abdul Carter grabbed the golden football that serves as the crown of the Fiesta Bowl trophy, lifting it above his head with his right arm after Penn State’s win on Tuesday.
But it’s that left arm that could be the difference between a win and a loss in Thursday’s Orange Bowl against Notre Dame.
Carter terrorized Boise State in the opening plays of the Fiesta Bowl but left injured in the first quarter after appearing to take a hard fall on his left shoulder. The Nittany Lions’ star edge rusher tried to return for one more play but was unable to continue, spending the rest of the night on the sideline.
Penn State coach James Franklin struck an optimistic tone on Saturday but said it was “too early to say at this stage” whether Carter would be able to play against the Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Injuries are a storyline for both squads as Notre Dame played the end of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl win over Georgia without leading rusher Jeremiyah Love because of a knee injury. Irish coach Marcus Freeman did not list Love on the team’s injury report on Saturday, indicating that he will be good to go against the Lions.
As for Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year appeared to be in good spirits during and after the game, though he was not made available for interviews. A few days later he posted a photo of a healing chamber from a Star Wars movie on social media, which most took as a sign of his willingness to find a way to play.
Ultimately, though, the decision won’t be entirely up to him.
“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing,” Franklin said. “But it’s just going to come down to how (well) is he able to play.
“We’ll see. We’ll see. But his mentality is great. He’s got a big smile on his face. I think he’s excited about this week. But it’s too early to say at this stage, and as you guys know, I don’t usually talk about these things a whole lot. I get where we are at. This is an important piece in the storyline. But Abdul is going about things the right way, and we’ll see how this thing plays out.”
If Carter is able to go, he would likely take most of his reps opposite Notre Dame’s true freshman left tackle, Anthonie Knapp, who was pressed into service immediately after a preseason injury to starter Charles Jagusah.
Sixth-year senior Amin Vanover would likely start in Carter’s spot if needed. Vanover turned in a strong performance against the Broncos, earning co-defensive player of the game honors from coaches.
For Notre Dame, plenty of eyes will still be on Love and his mobility. The sophomore has been the best weapon this season for the Irish, rushing for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns on 7.3 yards per carry. He set a Notre Dame record by finding the end zone in every one of the team’s first 13 games this season before his streak ended against Georgia.
Love hurt his right knee in the regular season finale against USC but looked just fine in the first round of the playoff, ripping off a 98-yard score against Indiana.
He appeared to re-aggravate the injury in the second half of the Sugar Bowl, heading to the medical tent before emerging with a brace on the knee.
STAY OR GO?
In the other backfield, both of Penn State’s running backs are eligible to enter the draft after the season. Kaytron Allen has already seen a boost in the eyes of some draft pundits after racking up 204 yards and two touchdowns in two playoff games.
Nick Singleton is right behind him with 177 yards and two scores, which includes a 58-yard burst that put away Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Of the two, Singleton was made available for interviews on Saturday and said he was waiting to finalize his plan for 2025.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” Singleton said. “I’m still worried about finishing this season off the right way. We got a chance to do something that we haven’t done in a while — competing for a national championship. So right now, just focus on that, and at the end of season, I’ll make a decision.”
Just having both Singleton and Allen together for three full seasons is an accomplishment itself in this new era of college football. Either player could have hit the transfer portal for a major program where they wouldn’t have had to split playing time down the middle — not to mention the NIL money that would come with it.
Odds are slim that both would return for their senior season, but that doesn’t mean the Lions won’t give it a shot.
“Obviously we’d love him back,” Franklin said when asked about Singleton specifically. “But if he decides to come out, we’ll fight like heck to get him drafted as high as possible. I know it’s important for him to go play well in this game this week and to keep this season going and keep this team together.
“… If it was just about Penn State and being greedy — love him (to come) back. But I ultimately want him to do what’s best for him. More times than not, it’s going to be what’s best for everybody.”
MILESTONE MOMENT
Thursday’s matchup between Franklin and Freeman will ensure that a Black head coach will be in the national championship game for the first time in history.
It’s a fact that is not lost on either man. But both are also more focused on their teams.
“I take a lot of pride in it,” Franklin said. “I’m honored. I’m honored to be able to compete against Marcus. I’m honored to be able to compete against Notre Dame. Most importantly, I’m honored to represent Penn State and the young men in that locker room. For me to sit here and say that it’s not important and it’s not significant would not be accurate. It would not be accurate.
“All that’s great. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way to beat a really good football team that’s well-coached.”
Both men come from multi-racial backgrounds with Freeman quick to point out that he has Korean heritage as well.
“It’s a reminder that you are a representation for so many others that look like you, and I don’t take that for granted,” Freeman said. “I’m going to work tirelessly to be the best version of me. And it’s great, because even the guys in our program can understand, ‘Don’t put a ceiling on what you can be and what you can do.’
“Now, with that being said, it’s not about me. It’s about us. More than anything, I want to achieve team glory with this program.”
Franklin noted that a similar conversation came up ahead of Super Bowl XLI, which featured Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith as head coaches of the two teams in February 2007. At that time, there were only six Black head coaches in the FBS ranks.
“There’s 16 coaches now out of 134, and I know some people will say that’s not a huge increase,” Franklin said. “But it is an increase.
“At the end of the day, does this create opportunities for more guys to get in front of athletic directors? Does this create more opportunities for search firms? I hope so. I think at the end of the day, you just want an opportunity and want to be able to earn it through your work and through your actions.”
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