Notre Dame football's Riley Leonard pulls off feat not seen since 2016 Lamar Jackson
09/14/2024 08:49 PM
After not knowing if he’d even play this week, Riley Leonard had one of the best first halves in Notre Dame football history. He became the first FBS player with 100 or more passing yards, 100 or more rushing yards and three or more rushing touchdowns in the first half since Louisville’s Lamar Jackson accomplished the feat against Syracuse on September 9, 2016. The No. 18 Fighting Irish dominated the Purdue Boilermakers 66-7.
Riley Leonard was a man on a mission here
Another TD for the @NDFootball QB pic.twitter.com/qVBw8jil2S
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 14, 2024
Riley Leonard finished with 112 passing yards, 100 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. RBs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price combined for 195 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame rushed for 362 yards and six touchdowns. Leonard was eager to get back on the field, as per the Associated Press.
“I was just itching to get on the field again, to prove myself," said Leonard. "I just wanted another opportunity to get back out there, so this game was not only big for me, but big for the whole team."
Head coach Marcus Freeman spoke on what went right against the Boilermakers.
"Obviously, the performance is a reflection of the preparation," Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. "We can't assume that anybody is going to make that choice (to prepare). As a coach, I have to continue to preach this message. It's up to our players to make that decision. I believe it's a mentality. That's the thing I took away from last week."
Leonard did not play in the second half, as Notre Dame went to the locker room with a 42-0 lead.
Can Riley Leonard salvage Notre Dame’s season?
Even with a 12-team College Football Playoff, Notre Dame football will be hard-pressed to qualify. They still have tough contests upcoming against No. 19 Louisville, Georgia Tech and No. 11 USC and another loss will push them outside the AP Top 25.
Most Notre Dame football fans are skeptical of Leonard, given his struggles passing the ball. While he is an elite runner, average arm strength and inconsistent accuracy limit Leonard’s potential as a passer. His poor play took the brunt of the blame in Notre Dame’s upset loss to Northern Illinois last week.
"It was a completely bad read," Leonard said, per ESPN News Services. "That single high safety was attached to the inside post. I thought he wouldn’t attach again. Bad eyes, bad feet, bad ball. That resulted in a pick. Can’t happen. Completely my fault."
Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman also took accountability after the Fighting Irish’s loss.
"You know, it’s our job as coaches to make sure these guys are ready to go. You go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a tale of two weeks, but we’ve got to own this thing," Freeman said. "As coaches and players, we’ve got to own it, and we’ve got to fix it."
Notre Dame’s next game is against Miami (OH) at home on Saturday, September 21 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
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