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ATLANTA — At Notre Dame, the bar for legendary status is high. This is the school that gave us Rudy, after all, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and Knute Rockne, and “Win One For The Gipper.” You’ve got to work hard to etch your name alongside those legends.
That said … leading your team to a stunning touchdown, displaying your faith on national TV, and then puking on the sidelines, all in the space of about 30 seconds, might just qualify.
Riley Leonard and Notre Dame did not win the national championship on Monday night, losing to Ohio State, 34-23. Truth be told, they weren’t really even in the game for very long. Ohio State scored on its first five possessions, posted a 31-7 lead, and never worried too much about Notre Dame after that opening drive.
Oh, but what an opening drive it was. An 8½-point underdog coming into the game, given little to no chance by most analysts, Notre Dame took the opening kickoff and, under the guidance of Leonard, crafted an 18-play, 75-yard drive that devoured the first 9:45 of the clock.
The drive featured not one, but two fourth-and-1 all-in gambles as Leonard threw himself into the teeth of the Ohio State defensive line. He converted both, then took the ball into the end zone himself. Leonard’s final line on that possession: 31 yards passing, 34 yards rushing, one touchdown.
Riley Leonard had Notre Dame on the board first in the national championship with several gritty runs on the opening drive. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
On that touchdown, Leonard powered through the line — again — and stomped right over the “R” in “NOTRE DAME.” He found a TV camera in the back of the end zone and lifted his right arm to display the Bible verse on his wrist — Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sling-the-rock-and-trust-your-guys-how-riley-leonard-made-himself-an-irish-legend-despite-notre-dames-title-game-loss-062442615.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2025-01-21 06:24:00
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