To be a quarterback in college football is to be a conductor of a fast-paced orchestra at the line of scrimmage.
You have to listen to the play call in your helmet and relay it, directing 10 other players into the optimal position. There are checks on the protection along the offensive line, and perhaps the need to motion a man or shift a pair of pass catches from one side of the formation to the other. Then, of course, there’s reading what the defense is telling you to do (or not to do) once the snap hits your hands. All of this must be done in under 40—or sometimes 25—seconds with the utmost precision.
That’s to say nothing of what happens afterward, as the play begins and bodies start flying. It is here where those who embrace the label of being a dual-threat behind center are at their most dangerous—with the opportunity to scramble for big gains or launching the ball down the field in the passing game. In a sport paramount on moving the chains consistently, having multiple options always trumps a singular way of advancing down the field.
This season’s College Football Playoff national championship game is an excellent encapsulation of that as both Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Riley Leonard and Ohio State Buckeyes counterpart Will Howard have proven to be among the very best at utilizing both their arms and legs to devastating effect on opponents. The two transfer quarterbacks enter their final collegiate contest having seen plenty, done plenty and, most of all, played plenty as they reach the doorstep of history at two programs who do not lack for past accolades.
“It is kind of crazy to think about it,” Howard said. “We originally met two years ago at [the Manning Passing Academy] when we were both at Duke and K-State, respectively. It’s kind of crazy now looking back at it, when we first met to where we are now, it’s cool. It’s cool to think about.”
On Monday night, Leonard will make his 43rd appearance at the collegiate level, including 27 times in a Duke Blue Devils uniform before he transferred to Notre Dame this past offseason. Howard, who started four seasons at Kansas State, will remarkably take a snap in his 50th collegiate game—by far the most experience for a starting quarterback coming into the title game in the CFP era.
The challenge of playing two experienced signal-callers is complicated even more because of the way they use their 6' 4" frames as runners, in designed keepers and while scrambling around to make a play.
“I played against guys like Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick for years. But I think the thing about Riley is that he has the toughness about him kind of like [Tim] Tebow had,” Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis says. “I don’t want to disrespect his throwing game, but his ability to say, ‘Hey, I need to get something done with my legs.’ He’s not going to slide, he’s going to sell out. I think that’s what captivates their team.
“He’s tough, they fight, and you know they’re going to put everything on the line to get that win. Both quarterbacks are the same way in this one. It’s a huge challenge. Neither guy is going to tap out.”
Leonard has not put up the prettiest passing stat lines with the Irish. His season high was 229 yards against the Stanford Cardinal in October. However, as a rusher, he is equally powerful and elusive. Against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal, he was not afraid to take flight, spinning 360 degrees on one play to pick up a key first down in the fourth quarter.
Leonard’s 35 career rushing touchdowns are the most in history of any CFP title game starting quarterback.
“You’ve got to contain him. You gotta keep him in the pocket. He gets out of the pocket, he’s a great runner,” Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson said. “We have to do some different things [with our rush points] but the most important thing is make sure we have eyes on him. Eyes on the quarterback as you rush, that’s key.”
Howard is no different, even if he is less of a runner overall with the Buckeyes than at Kansas State. He has 26 career rushing touchdowns and has often come up big on the ground when his team has needed an extra body to account for in short-yardage situations.
Against Penn State during the regular season, he was key down the stretch powering for first downs in the Buckeyes’ 20–13 win. During the first meeting with the Oregon Ducks, Howard scored the first points of the game on a quarterback keeper. He notched a season-high 37 rushing yards in the CFP first-round blowout of the Tennessee Volunteers. Howard probably would be running even more if he wasn’t passing at a 74% clip with six touchdowns and just two interceptions on the most difficult path to the title game in the bracket.
“I think he’s elite at making good decisions. He’s got a good arm, and he can extend plays with his legs. He takes care of the football,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said of Howard. “Those are traits that any great quarterback possesses, and this moment isn’t too big for him.”
Howard frees up the Buckeyes’ wealth of skill position talent. Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith went off in the first two rounds of the playoff. In turn, that allowed the running back tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to get loose with more regularity.
“I just think the one thing about Will is he just keeps getting better each week. And the more reps he gets—I heard him say it last week—he just wishes he was here longer. I wish we could have had him for more than one year,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly says. “And watching him grow as a player and as a person, how he turned into the leader of this offensive football team. He didn’t force it early, it happened organically.”
Howard and Leonard had to shoulder an extra load as the season has worn on because of injuries along the offensive line for both teams.
Ohio State starting center Seth McLaughlin suffered a torn Achilles just ahead of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers. Left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury at Oregon. Veteran guard Donovan Jackson has excelled since being moved to tackle as part of the reshuffling, but numerous Ohio State players praised Howard for taking on more at quarterback in terms of protections to allow replacements like Carson Hinzman to shine.
The Irish are down three starters up front since the playoff began. Left tackle Charles Jagusah returned to the lineup after suffering a fall camp injury that was supposed to sideline him for the season, but it is clear the group is a bit of a walking wounded heading into the championship game.
Still, Ohio State hasn’t changed its approach because the Buckeyes know it all starts with Leonard controlling the offense through the air as much as he does on the ground.
“I think Riley Leonard doesn’t get enough credit for how he can throw the ball. We know they’re going to present a good challenge for us everywhere with all the things they do,” defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “We’ve played a lot of athletic quarterbacks, but Riley Leonard pulls away from safeties and corners on film. He can run. He can move. He’s a tough kid. He gets hit. He’ll get slammed and get right back up.”
Toughness has been an oft-used adjective to describe Leonard. In the playoff, Leonard overcame a slight limp following a hit against Indiana and briefly left the Orange Bowl before halftime and returned to lead his team to Atlanta with a chance to win the program’s first national title since 1988.
“That’s just who Riley Leonard is. He’s a guy that in the most crucial moments wants the ball in his hands, and he wants to make a play, and most of the time he does,” Freeman said. “That’s how he was raised. He’s a competitor. Getting a chance to talk to him and getting to know his story a little bit, you realize he was raised that way. He’s a competitor, and he’s going to find a way to will us into winning.”
Through the air or, especially, on the ground, that will certainly be the case for one of the two dual-threat quarterbacks orchestrating things in the final game of the season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Experienced, Dual-Threat Quarterbacks Key to CFP National Championship.
