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SOUTH BEND — A couple of signature moves have become a regular part of Notre Dame football Saturdays this fall.
First, there’s the “Riley Rumble,” where the towering Irish quarterback makes his way downfield, defenders sliding off harmlessly or getting juked before they can even land a glove on Riley Leonard’s 6-foot-4, 216-pound frame.
As each jaunt concludes, it’s often punctuated with the “Leonard Leap.”
Sometimes this is a headlong hurdle toward the beckoning pylon of the end zone. That’s the way Leonard, the Duke senior transfer, completed his 34-yard touchdown run to open the scoring last week in a 52-3 win over Florida State.
There’s also a variation where Leonard, heading out of bounds and mindful of speeding defenders trying to torpedo his legs and surgically repaired ankle, vaults off the ground vertically like a video game character receiving a boost.
Or, reaching back to Leonard’s basketball past, think splay-legged elevation at the end of a drive down the lane.
Like everything else about his running style, the “Leonard Leap” tends to leave opponents frustrated and flailing.
His teammates love it.
“He makes good business decisions, I’ll say that,” freshman running back Aneyas Williams said with a laugh. “We’ve got a long season ahead of us. As long as he keeps doing that … “
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Riley Leonard making history as a runner
In Notre Dame’s steady climb to the nation’s 12th-ranked scoring offense, Leonard’s dual-threat skills have played an outsized role.
He’s also cemented his reputation as one of the toughest, most instinctive runners in the modern college game.
Earlier this season, Leonard became the first Irish quarterback with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Carlyle…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hes-just-different-notre-dame-090537406.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2024-11-15 09:05:37
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