The bulk of Riley Leonard’s lone season at Notre Dame has been treated with a vast spotlight of triumph. In South Bend, the blue and gold uniform is symbolic of a great sense of pride. That pride was diminished at the sight of a tragic loss early on in Notre Dame’s season.
It was September 7, 2024, and the Fighting Irish were 1-0 following a massive victory in College Station. The home opener featured a rather mellow opponent from a familiar state. Marcus Freeman and his Notre Dame team welcomed Northern Illinois in what should’ve been a brutal beatdown.
“Brutal beatdown” turned into a monumental failure. One of Notre Dame’s worst ever. The Fighting Irish managed to fall at home as a 28.5-point favorite. Something truly tragic. Sure the blame fell directly on the shoulders of Marcus Freeman, but one man took even more blame, Riley Leonard.
“On Sunday I met with Coach Freeman in his office, and I told him how terrible I felt and how the loss was on me,” Leonard stated. “The cool thing about Coach is that you can tell he believes his job isn’t only to make the program better, but also to make us better people. And when he talks to you, you don’t feel like he’s talking down as an authority figure or anything. It’s almost a teammate relationship — which to be honest I don’t think a lot of coaches could pull off. But that’s how Coach Freeman earns your respect. He makes you feel like you’re not playing for him, you’re playing with him.”
Weathering the storm was crucial for a team like the Irish, which captivated vast aspirations ahead of the 2024-25 season. The team was 1-1 with still 10 games to play. In the midst of everything, Leonard couldn’t help but bear the enormous weight that had just fallen on his team’s shoulders. Where the team went from here was the next step.
“So anyway, I walk into Coach’s office on that Sunday after NIU, and I’m telling him how bad I feel, how sorry I am, all of that,” Leonard continued. “And he just laughs. You know how someone can laugh during a low moment, but it’s not in a bad way — it’s in this confident way, almost like they know the future? That was Coach Freeman. He was just like, ‘Riley, I’m telling you. One day you’re gonna be thankful for this.’ In my head I’m thinking, Bro … there’s zero chance I'm ever gonna be thankful for this. But even though I didn’t believe him when he said it, the way he said it was still so comforting to me. He was just so calm and assured."
The night before, Leonard surrendered himself fully. So put to shame by what happened, the veteran quarterback decided to ask a police officer for a ride home as he was too afraid to show his face in public.
The following week Notre Dame faced Purdue with the lights shining extremely bright. Another loss and the Irish were likely on the brink of elimination. Just three weeks into the season, Leonard discovered the means of Notre Dame quarterback. The pressure that comes with wearing a vibrant gold helmet.
The Irish made possibly the loudest statement across the nation. A 66-7 win in West Lafayette ensured everyone, Notre Dame was here to play.
Leonard displayed one of his best games all season. He passed for 112 yards while rushing for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns. At this time, the blueprint was quite clear. Run the dang ball. And that’s what they did.
Following the loss to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame established an 11-game win streak behind a furious run game and the immovable force that is Riley Leonard. This season, Leonard has scored 17 touchdowns through the air, and 15 on his feet, while passing for 2,293 yards and rushing for 751 yards.
Behind Leonard is Jeremiyah Love who has soared as the lead running back. With just 142 carries, Love has accounted for 1,057 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Together, Love and Leonard have become the only Irish duo to rush for 15+ touchdowns each in a single season.
Of course, at the helm of everything is Marcus Freeman. After taking over for Brian Kelly in 2021, Freeman has navigated a very successful Notre Dame ship. In his brief time thus far, Freeman has a 31-9 record with 12 wins over ranked opponents. In recent news, Freeman became the 2024 Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year following Notre Dame’s massive 27-17 victory over #10 Indiana.
Now the question remains, can Notre Dame carry this surging momentum into their biggest test all year? Notre Dame will face #2 Georgia in New Orleans, in the All-State Sugar Bowl. If one thing is for sure, the Irish are battle-tested and prepared for the moment.