The No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will continue their push toward a College Football Playoff appearance this weekend at Yankee Stadium when they face Army. As of Monday, the team isn't sure if defensive lineman Howard Cross III (ankle) or running back Devyn Ford (groin) will be available, with both listed as questionable, according to Pete Sampson of The Athletic.
The Irish and Black Knights are a combined 18-1 on the season. While Notre Dame is in position for a CFP bid, Army desperately needs a massive win to impress the committee. A victory over the Irish could be just that.
Cross missed the second half of Notre Dame's 52-3 win November 9 against Florida State and did not play last weekend when the Irish beat Virginia, 35-14. Head coach Marcus Freeman was non-committal about Cross' availability when he spoke to the media on Monday, saying, “We’ll see how he progresses as we move forward.”
“It's not a long-term thing,” Freeman said prior to the Virginia game. “But our doctors have determined that he’s going to be out this week. So we'll hope to get it back the following week, depending on how the rehab continues to happen.”
Article Continues BelowCross entered the season as an AP First Team All-American. He has compiled 23 tackles, four sacks, and 5.5 tackles for loss over nine games this season.
Freeman offered a cautiously optimistic quote on Ford, telling reporters he is “trending in the right direction.” Ford has 13 carries for 55 yards this season. He played 19 snaps against Florida State but missed the Virginia game.
Additionally, senior Jason Onye will remain out for the Irish as he tends to a personal matter. The defensive lineman has missed Notre Dame's last five football games and the team did not list him on the depth chart for the Army game. Onye recorded seven tackles and 1.5 sacks over five games played.