Riley Leonard, No. 17 Notre Dame Applauded By CFB Fans After Win vs. Miami (OH)
Sep 21, 2024
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 21: Riley Leonard #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish scrambles with the football in the first half against the Miami (OH) Redhawks at Notre Dame Stadium on September 21, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The MAC's brief reign over Notre Dame has come to a close.
Northern Illinois shocked the world with an upset victory over the Fighting Irish in Week 2, but fellow conference member Miami (OH) was unable to contain Notre Dame in Week 4 and fell 21-3.
The Redhawks are now 0-3 but that doesn't necessarily describe the talent on the team. Miami fell to Northwestern out of the Big Ten and Cincinnati out of the Big-12 prior to the loss to the Fighting Irish, so the schedule has been loaded with power programs.
Additionally, Miami is the reigning champion of the MAC and could be a top contender in the conference once again. With this in mind, the Fighting Irish should feel pretty good about exorcizing the demon from the loss to Northern Illinois.
Quarterback Riley Leonard went 16-of-25 for 154 yards and a touchdown while adding 143 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. His strong play has fans praising his growth during his first year as the team's signal-caller.
Good lord. That block by Love on that Riley Leonard TD run. Devastating. #GoIrish
Riley Leonard’s 50-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-1 removes any lingering doubt. Leonard has accounted for 298 yards total offense and three touchdowns today. Entire Irish offense revolves around No. 13.
He led the Fighting Irish in rushing, but tailback Jeremiyah Love did contribute 60 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Beaux Collins led Notre Dame receivers with four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. The Fighting Irish defense allowed just 229 total yards and forced two interceptions while the special teams blocked a field goal attempt.
Fans took to social media to praise Notre Dame and declare that the team is truly back on the right track.
Notre Dame Wins!!! ☘️☘️☘️ 28-3 Fighting Irish!!! After a slow start Notre Dame takes control of the game in the 2nd half and Riley Leonard finally throws a TD Pass in the win over Miami Ohio! ND goes to 3-1 on the season #GoIrish ☘️🏈 pic.twitter.com/bvYM96hKZa
The win improves the Fighting Irish to 3-1 on the season and they will hope to continue to build on the momentum.
Notre Dame will host Louisville in Week 5 with hopes of avenging last season's loss to the Cardinals. That game will kick-off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Report: Notre Dame's Riley Leonard Has Shoulder Injury, Expected to Play vs. Purdue
Sep 10, 2024
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Riley Leonard #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish warms up prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on August 31, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is expected to play Saturday at Purdue despite suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, Pete Nakos reported for On3.
Leonard suffered the posterior labrum injury to his left shoulder during last Saturday's loss to Northern Illinois, per Nakos.
Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard injured his posterior labrum on his non-throwing shoulder in Saturday’s loss against Northern Illinois, multiple sources tell @On3sports.
Sources tell On3 that Leonard is expected to play on Saturday at Purdue.
Leonard underwent a MRI on the shoulder over the weekend, Nakos reported.
The former Duke star has yet to throw a touchdown through two games with Notre Dame.
Leonard began Saturday's game against Northern Illinois with an 11-yard rushing touchdown, but later struggled with accuracy as he threw two interceptions in the 16-14 loss.
The quarterback took responsibility for the second pick in the loss, which he called a "completely bad read," per The Athletic's Pete Sampson.
Head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters on Monday that Notre Dame, then ranked No. 5 in the AP poll, did not consider putting in backup quarterback Steve Angeli during the upset, which marked the first time Northern Illinois had defeated a top-ten team.
"No, there was no consideration of that," Freeman said after the loss. "We have a lot of belief in Riley and him running our offense."
Notre Dame fell to No. 18 in the AP rankings following the upset.
Leonard will be set to start again against Purdue, although if his struggles continue there is still a chance Angeli could make his season debut. The junior quarterback made eight appearances for the Fighting Irish last season.
When playing for the Blue Devils in 2023 Leonard was limited to seven games after suffering foot and ankle injuries that necessitated multiple offseason surgeries. When healthy last season he completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,102 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 352 additional yards and four touchdowns .
Leonard is still looking to return to the production rates he recorded during his breakout 2022-23 season with Duke. He led the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record that season while passing for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 699 yards and 13 scores on the ground.
After opening the season with a victory over Texas A&M, Notre Dame will now look to make it back to the win column while Leonard seeks his first passing touchdown of the season against Purdue.
Marcus Freeman: Notre Dame 'Failed' with Mental Approach in Upset Loss to NIU
Sep 9, 2024
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Head coach Marcus Freeman looks on prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on August 31, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman didn't believe that his team was mentally prepared ahead of a shocking 16-14 upset loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday.
"There is a physical approach to preparing for a game, and I think physically we prepared the right way, but there's also a mental approach and a mindset that you have to have every single week, and I think that's where we failed," Freeman said, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.
After losing to Ohio State in Week 1 of the 2022 season and Week 5 of the 2023 season, the Fighting Irish defeated Texas A&M to open their 2024 campaign. The Aggies owned the No. 20 spot in the Week 1 Associated Press Top 25 poll.
"This is the first time in my three years as a head coach that we have won the big game early in the season," Freeman said, via Dinich. "Two losses to Ohio State and then all of a sudden, we win and everybody says, 'Hey, you're going to the playoff. You've got an easy schedule.' We all hear it, and I think we started to believe that."
Notre Dame's passing attack struggled mightily against the Huskies, as Riley Leonard threw for just 163 yards and two interceptions without recording a touchdown through the air. The Fighting Irish were also unable to stop Northern Illinois on the ground, allowing 190 total rush yards.
Freeman's squad will attempt to get back on track physically and mentally in the team's next matchup, a clash with Purdue on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Marcus Freeman Says No. 5 Notre Dame Has 'Been Here Before' After Upset Loss vs. NIU
Sep 7, 2024
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Head Coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies Kyle Field on August 31, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Marcus Freeman believes his team can rebound.
The Notre Dame head coach spoke with reporters following his team's 16-14 upset loss to Northern Illinois Saturday and said "we've been here before" in reference to the situation that lies ahead.
Notre Dame started the 2022 season 0-2 but rebounded to finish 9-4. The Fighting Irish are now 1-1 following the loss to the Huskies.
The 2024 season looked promising for Notre Dame after Week 1.
The Fighting Irish entered Kyle Field and took a 23-10 victory over Texas A&M in the opening game. This set the tone for the rest of the schedule, with a mostly non-ranked schedule until a major matchup against USC at the end of the year.
If Notre Dame could have remained undefeated, a playoff berth would appear all but sealed. However, this loss puts those hopes on life support.
The Fighting Irish can only qualify through an at-large bid due to their independent status. With this, a loss to a non-power conference team like Northern Illinois could hurt their case over teams with a harder strength of schedule.
It also likely signals that another loss would knock Notre Dame from playoff contention so the room for error is extremely low.
The Fighting Irish will look to rebound next week when they travel to face Purdue.
Riley Leonard, No. 5 Notre Dame Ripped as CFP Pretenders After Upset Loss to NIU
Sep 7, 2024
SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 07: Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Northern Illinois Huskies on September 7, 2024, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Notre Dame looked like a team capable of reaching the College Football Playoff a week ago when it took down Texas A&M in College Station.
The No. 5 Fighting Irish looked far from a championship-caliber team in a 16-14 upset loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday.
Notre Dame's woes started early. Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard threw his first interception of the game in the first quarter, leading to a Northern Illinois field goal to make it 13-7.
Notre Dame's frustrations boiled over on the final play of the half as its last-second field goal attempt was blocked by the Huskies and nearly returned for a touchdown.
The Huskies close the first half with a blocked field goal. NIU's first since the 2021 season.
The Fighting Irish finally found some life on offense in the third quarter as running back Jeremiyah Love ran in a touchdown from 34 yards out, but from there Notre Dame went stagnant.
In the fourth quarter, the Fighting Irish had the chance to add some insurance and were mounting a drive, but Leonard threw another interception, haunting Notre Dame's progress. Northern Illinois capitalized on the mistake, driving down the field while ticking time off the clock before draining a field goal and leaving Notre Dame with just 31 seconds to respond.
After working their way down the field in the final seconds, the Fighting Irish's 62-yard game-winning field-goal attempt was blocked, and Northern Illinois completed the biggest upset in program history.
After the loss, fans ripped Leonard's disappointing two-interception performance while the rest of the college football world pronounced the Fighting Irish as CFP pretenders.
Notre Dame paid Northern Illinois $1.4 million to play in South Bend today.
The Huskies just beat the #5 Fighting Irish 16-14—the biggest upset in NIU HISTORY. pic.twitter.com/wDd5IqiDFZ
I don't like to be publicly critical of our guys, but Riley Leonard is a liability at this point. His arm and decision making this game is horrendous. Consider me in the "Start Angeli" club.
Notre Dame's chances of reaching the College Football Playoff took a tremendous hit on Saturday, even when considering the new 12-team format. The Fighting Irish still have three ranked opponents on their schedule in Louisville, Georgia Tech and USC. They might have to win out to make the playoff.
For now, Notre Dame will look to put the embarrassing loss behind it and focus on improving the many areas in which it struggled on Saturday.
Riley Leonard, No. 7 Notre Dame Championed By CFB Fans After Road Win vs. Texas A&M
Sep 1, 2024
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Riley Leonard #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish warms up prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on August 31, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard's bid to lead his new team back to the College Football Playoff is off to a victorious start.
The Fighting Irish pulled ahead late to claim a 23-13 win against host Texas A&M on Saturday night in a back-and-forth battle between ranked opponents.
Jeremiyah Love ran in a 21-yard touchdown with fewer than two minutes left on the clock to seal the victory.
Notre Dame's ability to break the tie late in the fourth on enemy territory impressed fans hoping to see the Fighting Irish back in the CFP for the first time since 2020 this winter.
Notre Dame won the toughest game on its schedule and has a clear path to the CFP.
Yes, I’m tweeting this in Week 1. And I feel fine about it.
I hate to say it but Notre Dame looks for real. They won in a tough road environment and Marcus Freeman is a gutsy coach who has his team ready to run through brick walls.
It worked. Great win with a young O-Line, on the road, and in a very tough environment. Just gotta clean up the flags. #NotreDamehttps://t.co/j56Jk9yNUn
The season opener got off to a slow start as neither Notre Dame nor Texas A&M made it to the end zone through two quarters. The teams went into the halftime break tied 6-6.
Texas A&M 6 Notre Dame 6 at the half.
Probably expected a little more juice from the offenses but these defenses have been as advertised
The Fighting Irish finally sparked some offense in the third quarter as running back Jadarian Price ran for a 47-yard touchdown to put Notre Dame ahead.
Notre Dame struggled to get the ball back into the end zone following Price's score, eventually allowing Texas A&M to tie the game with a rushing touchdown from Le'Veon Moss.
But the Fighting Irish offensive line stood tall late to help get the ball down the field before Love scored his go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes.
Notre Dame finished the game with 158 passing yards compared to 198 rushing yards. Leonard connected on 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards, while adding 63 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Notre Dame must lean on their rushing attack moving forward. Key identity for their offense as they have something SERIOUS brewing w/ Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, & even Riley Leonard.
Notre Dame returns to action next Saturday for the home opener against Northern Illinois. Texas A&M meanwhile will look for the team's first win of the season when they return to Kyle Field to take on McNeese State the same day.
Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, Ike Taylor Pose with Sons in Notre Dame CFB Photo
Jun 17, 2024
MOBILE, AL - FEBRUARY 01: A general view of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet during the National team practice for the Reese's Senior Bowl on February 1, 2024 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Notre Dame is set to welcome a trio of recruits with famous lineages to campus next year.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers stars Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress and Ike Taylor posed for a picture with their sons, all of whom are committed to join Notre Dame as part of the class of 2025.
The moment was especially meaningful for Bettis, who starred for Notre Dame from 1990 to 1992 before going on to have a standout career in the NFL that earned him an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His son, Jerome Jr., chose to follow in his footsteps by committing to the Fighting Irish in March.
Like Burress' son Elijah, Bettis is rated as a 3-star wide receiver by 247Sports. Taylor's son, Ivan, is currently the highest-rated commit in Notre Dame's 2025 class as a 4-star safety and the No. 5 player at his position in 247Sports' composite.
Despite having recognizable last names, it will be up to the three youngsters to forge their own paths if they want to achieve the same success as their fathers. Bettis alluded to that when he committed to Notre Dame three months ago.
"One of the biggest things was changing my number, and so me really getting my number away from his, that was a big step for me realizing that at the end of the day, I'm my own man," Bettis told ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. "I love my dad and I love everything that I guess comes with him being my father, but at the same time, I create my own legacy and my own journey"
It will surely be fun for the former Steelers teammates to watch their sons suit up together for the Fighting Irish next year.
Tyler Buchner Re-Joins Notre Dame as Walk-On WR; Won Lacrosse National Title with ND
May 31, 2024
SOUTH BEND, IN - MARCH 30: Tyler Buchner #12 of Notre Dame before a game between Syracuse and Notre Dame at Arlotta Stadium on March 30, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Tyler Buchner's very unique college athletics career is coming full circle with a return to Notre Dame's football team.
Four days after helping the Fighting Irish lacrosse team repeat as national champions, Buchner announced he will be re-joining the football team as a walk-on wide receiver for the 2024 season.
Tyler Buchner is returning to Notre Dame’s football team as a walk-on wide receiver. Former Irish starting QB spent last fall at Alabama and this spring with ND’s National championship winning lacrosse team 🤯 https://t.co/DcFxkR4eb4
Kyle Kelly of On3.com noted Buchner would count toward Notre Dame football's 85-man scholarship limit if he appears in a game and isn't on scholarship as a lacrosse player.
It's unclear if Buchner has a lacrosse scholarship, but his announcement does note he told his parents he "would pay my way through school because I only wanted to be at Notre Dame."
Buchner originally committed to Notre Dame in March 2019, two years before he was going to graduate from high school.
After arriving on campus in 2021, Buchner spent his first two seasons with the program playing sparingly. He was the backup to Jack Coan as a freshman.
Buchner entered 2022 as the starter, but a shoulder injury suffered in a 26-21 loss to Marshall ended his regular season after two games. He was able to return to help lead the Irish to a 45-38 victory over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.
Following the 2022 season, Buchner entered the transfer portal and landed at Alabama. Tommy Rees, who was Notre Dame's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Buchner's first season with the program, was the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator in 2023.
Buchner only threw 19 passes in two games for the Crimson Tide. The California native entered the transfer portal in December 2023 as a lacrosse player, even though he hadn't played the sport since high school.
Soon after entering the transfer portal, Buchner announced he was going back to Notre Dame. He had one assist in 10 games for the Fighting Irish lacrosse team this season.
Notre Dame finished the 2024 lacrosse season with a 16-1 record, including a 15-5 victory over Maryland in the national title game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Monday.
Kedon Slovis NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for BYU QB
Apr 20, 2024
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - OCTOBER 14: Kedon Slovis #10 of the Brigham Young Cougars looks to pass during the first half \T at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'2½"
WEIGHT: 223
HAND: 9⅞"
ARM: 31⅛"
WINGSPAN: 74⅜"
40-YARD DASH: 4.55
3-CONE: N/A
SHUTTLE: N/A
VERTICAL: 30"
BROAD: 9'10"
POSITIVES
— Brave in the pocket. Willing to hold onto the ball and play from condensed throwing platforms.
— Good pocket movement. Slides around with a controlled base under him and with his eyes down the field.
— Clean operator when in rhythm. Plays with proper footwork and a smooth, repeatable throwing motion.
— Adequate accuracy, particularly to the short and intermediate ranges. More of a touch thrower.
NEGATIVES
— Arm strength wavers at times. Struggles to generate velocity when knocked off his spot. Concerning given his injury history.
— Athletic testing does not show up on film outside the pocket. Not really a scrambling threat; does not often pull away from defenders.
— Too many plays where he is far too aggressive given his physical limitations. Leads to contested throws and interceptions.
— Production waned each season, partially because of injuries.
— 3-star recruit in USC's 2019 class, per 247Sports
— Transferred from USC to Pitt in 2022, then from Pitt to BYU in 2023
— 45 career starts
— 2019 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
— Attended 2024 Shrine Bowl
— Minor elbow injury in 2019; shoulder injury late in 2020; ulnar nerve injury and strained elbow tendon in 2023
OVERALL
Kedon Slovis is an experienced player with enough pocket maturity and accuracy to stick around in the NFL.
Slovis started as a true freshman for USC back in 2019, taking over for JT Daniels. Slovis' command of the pocket and accuracy immediately allowed him to succeed with a few NFL pass-catchers at his disposal.
Despite sporting a firmly average build, Slovis is fearless in the pocket. He does not mind taking hits to get throws out. Rarely is it ever Slovis' first instinct to leave the pocket at the first sign of trouble. Instead, he more often shows efficient pocket movement while keeping his eyes down the field. Slovis very much operates to see plays through from the pocket.
Slovis is also a reliable operator when kept clean, especially in the 1-15 yard range. He plays with smooth, rhythmic footwork and a repeatable throwing motion. Those skills allow Slovis to throw with good touch accuracy to the short and intermediate range.
With all of that being said, Slovis struggles when things go haywire. For as tough as he is in the pocket, Slovis lacks the arm talent to generate velocity from compromised positions. His arm talent is mediocre as well, so losing anything in those moments is detrimental to his ability to guide the ball.
The problem is that Slovis too often tries to make high-risk throws anyway. He is aggressive and creative to a fault given his middling physical skills. There are too many times where Slovis needs to let a play die and live for the next down, but he instead jams a throw into traffic. He won't get away with that in the NFL.
If Slovis can better understand his own skill set and play within himself, he can be a very effective backup. He already operates well from the pocket and throws the 1-15 yard range well enough to be useful. With that said, Slovis is a low-ceiling prospect who will likely top out as a capable spot starter.
