Notre Dame got off to a hot start in the national championship against Ohio State on Monday night, with quarterback Riley Leonard leading an impressive drive all the way down the field against the stout defense of the Buckeyes.
Leonard did most of the damage for the Fighting Irish on his legs, carrying the ball nine times on the drive for 34 yards, picking up several crucial first downs to keep the offense on the field, and eventually breaking the goal line with a one-yard scamper.
After entering the game as 8.5-point underdogs against Ohio State, the Irish had struck first, taking an early lead, and showing absolutely no fear against a Buckeyes defense that had dominated through the playoff.
18 plays. Two fourth-down conversions. Nearly 10 minutes.
— ESPN (@espn) January 21, 2025
WHAT AN OPENING DRIVE FOR NOTRE DAME‼️ pic.twitter.com/WlQjI05xJD
College football fans were impressed with how Notre Dame’s offense asserted itself to start the game, and were particularly impressed with Leonard’s willingness to run straight into the Buckeyes defense in order to move his team forward.
Look at this Notre Dame drive pic.twitter.com/OpHZAxUZLR
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 21, 2025
Riley Leonard, no matter what happens tonight I will never forget that drive.
— one dozen rats at a keyboard (@PanasonicDX4500) January 21, 2025
How is Riley Leonard still alive
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) January 21, 2025
Will be interesting to see if Riley Leonard can maintain his current pace of 239 carries.
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) January 21, 2025
Riley Leonard is what Disney told you Rudy was ☘️
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 21, 2025
Before the game kicked off, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman had a telling quote about his team’s status as underdogs according to the sportsbooks.
"Vegas got half of it right," Freeman said he told his team in the locker room. "We're not some underdogs, but we're some dogs."
On their opening drive, his team certainly proved him right.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fans Were in Awe of Riley Leonard’s Masterful Opening Drive vs. Ohio State.
