Notre Dame was dealt a harsh blow this week with the news that star defensive lineman Rylie Mills will be sidelined for the rest of the CFP due to a knee injury he picked up against Indiana.
The 23-year-old had been instrumental in the Irish’s victory last Friday night, notching up a sack and two tackles before his injury, with his efforts helping to secure a 27-17 win over the Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium and propel the team into the quarter-finals.
Marcus Freeman’s squad now faces the daunting task of taking on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans – and they’ll have to do so without their key defensive linesman.
Such news is always a bitter pill to swallow for fans, but it stings even more considering who the Irish’s next opponents are.
Georgia would relish the opportunity to shield its new QB Gunner Stockton from having to carry the game by exploiting Notre Dame’s weakened run defence behind their hefty offensive line, which boasts several players tipping the scales well over the 320-pound mark.
Kirby Smart and his 11-2 Bulldogs’ task just got a tad easier with the revelation that Notre Dame will be missing its mainstay in the interior, with Boubacar Traore and Jason Onye also confirmed absentees along the defensive front for the underdogs.
Gabe Rubio and Howard Cross, despite their own injury struggles this year, are ready to step up in light of the recent injury setbacks. They’ll need to give it their all and more, however, to make up for the loss of Mills.
It’s now time for Donovan Hinish alongside Rubio and Cross to take on the challenge, and it will be intriguing to see how Al Golden adjusts his strategy to cope with this difficult situation.
According to Tyler Horka of On3 Sports, however, it will be Rubio, with his eight tackles and one sack in 2024, who will fill in for Mills.
“With Rylie Mills out, senior Gabriel Rubio is set to make the first start of his Notre Dame career in the Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia,” Horka shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Rubio’s battled personal issues and injuries this year. Now he’ll be first up in the trenches vs. the Dawgs on New Year’s Day. What an opportunity.”
The Irish might have to bring more players up front and rely on their secondary to manage solo for the duration of the game. This is a big ask of Notre Dame’s defensive backs, but they’re the stronghold of the defense and if any group can withstand such a test, it’s them.
While the situation is tough, this is the nature of football. Notre Dame has faced numerous next man up scenarios this year and has come through them; now they face another significant challenge.