Notre Dame will be down one of its best defensive players in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia.
On Friday night against Indiana, defensive tackle Rylie Mills suffered a right knee injury during a sack of quarterback Kurtis Rourke when he collided with teammate Jaylen Sneed in the backfield. Mills stayed down on the turf and was helped off by the Notre Dame training staff. While head coach Marcus Freeman was optimistic about Mills’ return in the College Football Playoff immediately after the game, an MRI revealed more significant damage to the knee, which will end Mills’ career at Notre Dame.
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“You can’t replace Rylie Mills,” Freeman said Monday.
Mills led Notre Dame’s defensive line in snaps played and elevated his game in November after Howard Cross III went down with a high ankle sprain against Florida State and missed the regular season’s final three games. Mills is also a captain — the second captain lost for the season following cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s October hip injury. The Irish are already without defensive ends Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore, both lost in September to ACL tears.
It all puts Notre Dame in a difficult spot heading toward Georgia, where the ability to win the line of scrimmage will be paramount.
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Senior Gabriel Rubio will start in Mills’ place, with reserves Donovan Hinish and Sean Sevillano Jr. first off the bench. Hinish has been a regular contributor all season, including during Cross’ absence in November. However, that work came against Virginia, Army and USC. Next comes Georgia.
”You don’t prepare them in a week,” Freeman said. “They’ve been preparing every single day all season long. That’s why every rep you do in a practice matters and is evaluated. You don’t know when that rep is going to be thrust against Georgia. You have to prepare in a way in practice that you’re improving, but you’re ready if your number is called. We have a lot of guys who prepare that way and who will have a bigger role.
“Donnie has played at a high level. Gabe Rubio is playing at a high level and Howard is obviously back. We’ll get whoever that fourth and fifth guy is ready to roll. They’ve been preparing for this moment all season. It’s not something that you just do right now.”
Notre Dame expects to get defensive end Bryce Young and offensive guard Rocco Spindler back for Georgia after both exited the Indiana game with injuries.
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(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
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