Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has been on a hot streak in the postseason with the Fighting Irish and he has a chance to continue growing his narrative as the team prepares to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Orange Bowl in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs.
This year’s bowl game is one that some have already predicted could be a game that goes to overtime, though it should be noted that essentially the entire College Football Playoff has played out differently than was anticipated. However this one plays out, one thing that is certain is that Leonard will be a factor.
Here’s a look at the three Riley Leonard bold predictions for Leonard in the Orange Bowl.
Riley Leonard leads Notre Dame in rushing
There is no question that Leonard has a high level of mobility and athleticism that has shined through at Notre Dame, even if it kind of flew under the radar at Duke. But it has certainly shown itself for the Fighting Irish, especially in his latest showing when he rushed for 80 yards on 14 carries in the victory over Georgia. That made him far and away the team’s leading rusher.
When it comes to Penn State and its rushing defense specifically, the unit has allowed an average of just over three rushing yards per play. The Nittany Lions have allowed eight opposing rushing touchdowns and just under 101 yards on the ground per game.
Leonard will have his work cut out for him against an opponent that is this stout, but we’ve already seen the way he has defied the odds in seemingly even more unlikely situations in his first year with the Fighting Irish. And he’ll be one of the better quarterbacks on the ground the Nittany Lions have gone up against lately.
During his time at Duke, Leonard believed people did not fully recognize the abilities he truly brings to the table with his legs.
“Later in the 2022 season, teams started to send out a QB spy on me. So I wasn’t able to run the ball as much, so we were able to get the ball out and went more to one-on-one matchups on the outside,” Leonard said. “Earlier in the season when people didn’t think I could run, I was able to use my legs,” Leonard said. “They definitely took more note of that later on.”
Teams indeed have taken that note.
Leonard records one of his highest passing totals of the season
Thursday’s matchup will be far from a walk in the park for Riley Leonard and the offense for more reasons than just some of the injuries that the team has suffered. That shows strongly for the Nittany Lions, considering that Penn State holds the No. 6 overall defense in the nation, giving up an average of just 4.63 yards per play with an average of 288.8 yards per game.
But, despite the many offensive categories they lead in as a formidable overall unit, the Penn State passing defense has had its problems. One of the lowest points to look at is the fact the Nittany Lions have allowed 17 passing touchdowns on the season, which ranks No. 47 in the FBS.
Where passing yards allowed per game is specifically concerned, Leonard will face a Penn State passing defense that ranks No. 27 overall in that category, giving up an average of over 10 yards per completed pass. It will also be curious to watch how the team may or may not lean more into the pass, especially with the injury to star running back Jeremiyah Love.
Leonard could have an opportunity here.
Riley Leonard leads Notre Dame to a dominant victory
Some see this as being a closely contested game, but hey, that’s what everyone thought about the game against Georgia before Leonard and the Fighting Irish went on an absolute tear. That could end up being the case once more here, and there has hardly been a season with as much chaos, shakeup, and unexpected outcomes as this one has had.
One could even use Notre Dame’s own unlikely upset loss to NIU earlier this season and the pure bounceback that followed as an illustration of just how interesting things have gotten and the fact that it truly is any given Saturday. Now, Penn State has kept things close with practically every one of its opponents, including formerly No. 1 Oregon, which just so happened to shockingly get blown out by Ohio State in the postseason.
If Notre Dame is able to make its way past Penn State in the Orange Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday), then they will face one last test against either the Texas Longhorns or the Ohio State Buckeyes, depending on which team wins the College Football Playoff Semifinal game in the Cotton Bowl. That game is set to be played at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
The winners of both games will advance to the title game, set to be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta, Georgia.
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