Notre Dame football used more than defense to defeat Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday. Marcus Freeman, the head coach, has seen his quarterback Riley Leonard lift the squad on numerous occasions.
The Bulldogs applied intense pressure on Leonard. Georgia limited him to a miserable 90 passing yards. In the end, Leonard proved to be a thorn in the Southeastern Conference representative’s side. Freeman summed up Leonard’s efforts in four powerful words.
“Competitors find a way,” Leonard told ESPN following his win in New Orleans.
In the end, Notre Dame did not need Leonard’s arm to defeat the Bulldogs. The quarterback made an impression with his legs. Especially when the Fighting Irish needed to keep their drives and seasons alive in the College Football Playoffs.
His brave performance came on a night when Freeman’s defensive unit did the hard work. Especially watching Notre Dame hold Georgia to a tremendous, record-breaking score.
Riley Leonard executes impressive runs for Marcus Freeman
Leonard’s determination and courage were on full display inside the Superdome.
With the ball in his hands, the dual-threat quarterback took some risky moves. But none was more audacious than this amazing run on third-and-seven:
Leonard had one of the worst passing performances of his Notre Dame career. But he did have one spectacular night on the rushing side of things. The 6-foot-4, 216-pounder accumulated 80 yards on 14 carries.
The Duke transfer harmed run defenses leading up to the Sugar Bowl. He gained 100 yards against Purdue and 143 yards against Miami of Ohio in consecutive weeks in September. Leonard arrived at the Bayou with 15 rushing touchdowns during the season.
The 80-yard output is his best rushing total since Nov. 23 against Navy, when he had 83 yards and one touchdown in a 51-14 victory against the Midshipmen.
The native of Fairhope, Alabama, did not always have an easy path to the stage. Leonard landed at South Bend, Indiana as Duke’s damaged quarterback. He had a left toe injury, ending his 2023 season. Leonard came to Notre Dame as a complete stranger from the Atlantic Coast Conference universe. He did, however, thank them before leaving the Sugar Bowl.
“They sort of rejuvenated my career. “I owe everything to them,” Leonard told ESPN’s Molly McGrath following the victory.
Leonard has Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Irish eyes are not just beaming; they are thinking about their first national championship since 1988. Fans have waited nearly 40 years for their next championship. Leonard willed the Irish back into the national championship picture without relying on his arm.
