Notre Dame will be without one of its top defenders this week against Virginia as defensive tackle Howard Cross, a second-team AP All-America selection in 2023, will miss the game with a left ankle injury.

Coach Marcus Freeman on Monday said that Cross’ injury is “not a long-term thing” and that the senior could return Nov. 23 against No. 25 Army at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Cross, who became a mainstay starter in 2022 and started throughout last season, ranks second on the team in sacks (4) and tackles for loss (5.5), also adding three quarterback hurries.

He has 164 career tackles, including 11 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles. In 2023, he was a Bednarik Award semifinalist.

“There’s a reason why Howard Cross has made the impact he’s made for as long as he has,” Freeman said Monday.

Cross, 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds, sustained the injury in the first half of Saturday’s win against Florida State and did not return. Junior Donovan Hinish, who has 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks, is set to play in Cross’ place this week as No. 10 Notre Dame hosts Virginia.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Monday he felt that quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who suffered a blow to the head in the 33-14 win over Mississippi State this past weekend, would be in “great shape for Saturday” when the Vols take on Georgia in Athens.

Iamaleava didn’t play in the second half against Mississippi State and underwent an evaluation by doctors for what sources told ESPN were concussion-like symptoms. Iamaleava did not return to the Tennessee sideline for the second half.

Heupel told reporters that Iamaleava was “with the team and had a really good day” Monday morning during team activities and meetings. The main practices start Tuesday. Heupel referenced the SEC availability report, which will first be released Wednesday night, to monitor any updates on Iamaleava as the week progresses.

Iamaleava was having his most productive outing against an SEC team this season before leaving the game against Mississippi State. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 174 yards, no interceptions and a pair of touchdown passes as Tennessee built a 20-7 halftime lead. In Iamaleava’s previous five SEC games, he had accounted for three touchdowns and turned it over five times. He was also sacked 15 times in those five games.

Redshirt senior Gaston Moore filled in for Iamaleava last week in the second half and finished 5-of-8 for 38 yards with no interceptions and no touchdowns. Moore, who started his career at UCF under Heupel, was also forced into the Alabama game for a play earlier this season after Iamaleava went down with an injury and threw an interception.

The Georgia-Tennessee matchup is critical for both teams’ playoff chances. The Bulldogs (7-2, 5-2) are trying to avoid their first back-to-back losses since Kirby Smart’s first season in Athens in 2016. They’re coming off a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss last weekend. The Vols (8-1, 5-1) are trying to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.

Former Houston and West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen will take over as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator for the remaining three games of the season, head coach Matt Rhule announced Monday.

Holgorsen, who had spent most of this season as an offensive consultant for TCU, was hired by Nebraska as an offensive consultant just last week. He is replacing current offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, who is in his second year at Nebraska.

“This is not about next year,” Rhule said of the move to make Holgorsen the playcaller. “This is about right now.

“It’s unique, but it’s probably what’s needed,” Rhule added. “It’s the right thing.”

The Cornhuskers are coming off a bye week that was preceded by a three-game losing streak during which they were outscored 104-44. In Nebraska’s six conference games, the Cornhuskers rank 11th in the Big Ten in offense, 13th in rushing offense and ninth in passing offense. Nebraska also ranks 98th in offense SP+.

Nebraska will need Holgorsen — who was fired by Houston after going 4-8 last season, but has ample experience leading prolific offenses — to help reignite a lackluster unit that has been led by true freshman Dylan Raiola. Raiola, ESPN’s No. 11 recruit and the top pocket passer in the 2024 recruiting class, has thrown for 1,921 yards but has eight interceptions to only 10 touchdowns in nine games. In the past four games, Raiola has thrown for only one touchdown and six interceptions.

On Monday, Rhule also said that Raiola will try to practice this week ahead of the Cornhuskers’ upcoming matchup at USC. Raiola suffered a back injury in a 27-20 loss against UCLA and did not return. If Raiola can’t suit up against the Trojans, junior Heinrich Haarberg would get the start.

After starting 5-1, Nebraska is 5-4 and needs one win over its last three games (USC, Wisconsin and Iowa) to clinch a bowl game for the first time since 2016 and end the longest bowl drought of any team in power conference football.