SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — When quarterback Riley Leonard transferred from Duke to Notre Dame for the 2024 season, he immediately went to work building chemistry with his new teammates.
He brought six Fighting Irish receivers to his home in Fairhope, Ala., to get to know each other and train with former NFL great Philip Rivers before hitting the field for the season opener.
Jayden Thomas was one of the receivers on the trip, and talked about Leonard taking the receivers sport-fishing.
“I didn’t catch anything,” Thomas lamented.
It’s a different story now that Thomas is on turf instead of water. Thomas caught a 5-yard TD strike from Leonard in Notre Dame’s 27-17 victory over Indiana in the opening round of the College Football Playoffs.
That victory earned the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) a match against second-seeded Georgia (11-2) in the CPF quarterfinal round on Wednesday in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Notre Dame has been lighting up the scoreboard this season (38.8 points a game, fourth in the nation) largely due to a running game that boasts the punishing explosiveness of running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jardarian Price, mixed in with the elusive running of Leonard.
While the Fighting Irish rushing offense is ranked 11th in the nation (222.4 yards a game), the passing offense is ranked 100th (196.8).
Stepping up the passing game will be a key component of Notre Dame’s plan for Georgia, and the Fighting Irish have been headed in that direction thanks to Leonard’s chemistry-building activities.
Leonard didn’t find his footing right away with the receivers. He threw 115 passes before he connected for a touchdown — in the second quarter against Miami of Ohio in Notre Dame’s fourth game of the season.
In the first four games, Leonard was 73-117-2 (63.1 passing percentage) for 587 yards. Notre Dame scored 131 points in those four games, which were against No. 20 Texas A&M, the 16-14 upset loss to Northern Illinois, Purdue and Miami of Ohio. Sixty-six of the points came against a one-win Purdue team.
In his last four games, Leonard is 72-100-3 (72 passing percentage) for 718 yards and eight touchdowns. Notre Dame piled up 160 points against Virginia, No. 18 Army, Southern California and No. 9 Indiana.
Leonard’s quarterback rating his last four games is 106.2, as opposed to a 70.7 quarterback rating his first four games.
One of five Power 4 quarterbacks this season to pass for more than 1,900 yards and rush for more than 700, Leonard said that developing chemistry, trust and confidence has fueled the impressive improvement.
“I think my relationship with those guys off the field is kind of the thing I’m most proud about,” Leonard said. “I’ve grown so much, but I think that they’re, like, the most mature, probably, group of receivers that I’ve been around when it comes to communicating defenses. They really understand it.”
While taking command of the line of scrimmage has been the key to Notre Dame’s success this season, the Fighting Irish will be tested by a talented Georgia defense. Winning the one-on-one match-ups in the receiving game and spreading out the field is vital, according to Leonard.
Avoiding sacks and staying ahead of the chains will also be critical for Leonard and Notre Dame’s passing.
Georgia has been challenged by mobile quarterbacks this season — Jalen Milroe ran for more than 100 yards in the Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama, Jaxson Dart ran for 50 yards the the Bulldogs’ loss to Mississippi, and Haynes King ran for 110 yards in Georgia’s 44-42 eight-overtime victory over Georgia Tech.
Leonard’s running could set up the passing game and cause trouble for Georgia.
“I never really forced the running thing with my legs,” Leonard said. “It kind of just, you know, it happens. It happens. I don’t think that’s good for me as, like a quarterback, really, to be like, ’All right, I got to run, if we’re going to win, I got to run.”
Leonard isn’t shy about taking off, though.
“It’s kind of a lost cause,” Leonard joked about coaches telling him not to run in order to protect himself. “If you got to put your shoulder down, you know, you got to put your shoulder down.”
Leonard impressed Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti with his dual-threat talents.
“I do remember us having Riley Leonard in our grasp and him still being able to complete the throw with the receiver making a nice catch to extend drives,” Cignetti said after the game. “There was a point in the game it appeared we were starting to put some pressure on Riley Leonard, near the end of the first half, we were getting closer and closer.
“But, again, I give him a lot of credit,” Cignetti continued about Leonard. “He’s a really good athlete with a quick release that played a lot of football. He’s got body quickness and twitch. And he’s able to get rid of that ball and throw the check-down to the running back and get a positive play. Not everybody who plays that position can make that play.”
It’s that ability that Notre Dame will be counting on to advance in the CFP.
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