Looks like the College Football National Championship fever is still on. More so for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans. Probably they are yet to recover from the hangover of their 23-34 loss to Ryan Day’s boys. They can’t pass off their loss as sheer bad luck. After all, they know how their HC Marcus Freeman’s blunder led the title to slip away.
A month later, someone chose to refresh the memory from the National Championship finale. That’s none other than Freeman’s QB Riley Leonard. After all, the HC’s move did ‘hurt’ him.
Why did Riley Leonard’s heroics deserve a better ending?
That one moment from the finale? It’s still gotta be haunting Notre Dame fans and players’ dreams. The thunderblunder move by Freeman to kick a field goal down a million in the 4th instead of going for it. Faced with fourth-and-goal from the 9-yard line with just under 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the HC opted to kick what looked like a near-automatic field goal instead of going for the touchdown. Surprisingly, they were trailing by 16. What’s more heartbreaking than the final score was Leonard’s efforts going in vain.
Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) throws the ball during practice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The 6’4” QB carried Notre Dame’s offense on its 18-play, 75-year opening touchdown drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the game clock with nine carries. Thanks to Leonard, Freeman’s squad could enjoy an early 7-0 lead over Ohio State because of his 1-yard touchdown. However, he was soon spotted walking towards Notre Dame’s bench in the off-field. ESPN’s Molly McGrath reported that Leonard “was vomiting” on the sidelines. So on the 247 Sports podcast, the host shared his concern about getting an “inside look.” That’s when Leonard poured his heart out, sharing, “That drive you know obviously didn’t feel too great on my body, but I didn’t really feel it too much.”
Looks like it wasn’t his health that was bothering him; it was what happened on the field. “I had a lot of time to recover on the sideline after that one, but I was definitely a little a little hurt out there,” shared Leonard. The quarterback must be still replaying that scene from the finale where the Fighting Irish kicker Mitch Jeter ultimately missed the 27-yard field goal. On that note, a former defensive tackle had put himself in Leonard’s shoes.
Marcus Freeman takes accountability for his costly misstep
No wonder that Riley Leonard left no stone unturned. After all, facing Ohio State, which has been the most physical in the country, is no joke. There too, he did not falter while running the pigskin. So, the exhaustion was evident that he threw up. Sadly, even after putting in so much effort, it still went as a one-sided game.
As on Thee Pregame Network podcast, host Uncle Neely dished out his question, “Can we call it a game? The score tightened up in the end, but [Notre Dame] were never really in it.” Hearing that, Warren Sapp could not keep silent any longer and took Leonard’s side, “After they almost ki- -ed their quarterback on the first drive!” Well, even though it was a lighthearted comment as Sapp laughed it off, the pressure on Leonard has been real. So, did Freeman realize his mistake?
Thankfully, he did. The 39-year-old Notre Dame coach didn’t shy away from taking the blame for their championship loss. “It falls on my shoulders. And as the head coach, we have to prepare and be better prepared for this moment. These guys gave everything they got.” If Marcus Freeman could turn back time, Riley Leonard might have been the perfect closing chapter to his college football journey. And they could have broken their 36-year national championship drought, too.
The post Riley Leonard Confirms Being ‘Hurt’ by Marcus Freeman’s Blunder That Jeopardized Notre Dame QB in Championship Game appeared first on EssentiallySports.