Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman makes major admission about Riley Leonard after loss to Buckeyes

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish‘s hopes of claiming an NCAAF title after several years finally faded against the powerhouse Ohio State Buckeyes. Marcus Freeman placed strong faith in Riley Leonard‘s talent to lead the offense, but things didn’t turn out as they had hoped.

Freeman aimed to lead his team to a new title after nearly 40 years, something that, unfortunately for them, didn’t come to fruition. After the game, the coach spoke with the press and made it clear that the strategy of relying heavily on his QB didn’t work out as intended.

“We couldn’t run Riley every play. It’s not right for Riley and it’s not going to sustain the success we needed offensively,” Freeman said. “We can’t run Riley every single play. That’s not what the formula for success is.”

Riley Leonard led his team with several offensive series where he had to rely on his legs to move the chains. Although he was able to put the Fighting Irish ahead, this strategy couldn’t be replicated throughout the game.

Riley Leonard #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2025 CFP National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.

“You know, we ran him a whole bunch that first series. And, you know, you look at the second series and you have two penalties, which ended up forcing us to punt. And then, the third series, you know, we had the miscommunication with the muffed snap and that’s the end of the half,” said Freeman. “So I think, more than anything, it was the two series after the first one. We didn’t execute and we had some self-inflicted wounds that we have to clean up.”

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“Second half, we drove the ball. I thought we did a good job, you know, with some, some tough situations,” Freeman finally concluded.

Leonard defended his strategy

The physical toll taken by quarterback Riley Leonard during the early drives of the game ultimately affected the performance of the star player for the Fighting Irish.

Despite the situation, Leonard defended his decision to approach the start of the game this way, stating that he believed it was necessary to establish momentum early and give his team a chance to take control.

“Yeah, it’s always about reload and worry about the next play,” Riley Leonard said. “So, I didn’t even know it was nine. If you asked me, I probably would have said it was like three or four. If Coach wants to call my number and have me run the ball every single play, I’ve got no problem with it. You’ve seen me kind of put my body on the line for this team over and over again. So, whether I’m running the ball, passing the ball, it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna do everything I can do to help the team win. Hit a little lull there in the first half, but like I said, I’ve got to live with it.”