Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame continue their strong run after securing their third victory of the 2024 NCAAF season, this time defeating Miami (OH) 28-3 at home, adding to last week’s road win against Purdue. Despite the recent success, Freeman issued a warning to fans who have been calling for less pressure on quarterback Riley Leonard.
Over the past few weeks, Leonard, the starting quarterback, has faced mounting criticism. During the Week 4 press conference, Freeman addressed a question about the fan pressure on Leonard in the stadium.
“We don’t make decisions based on what the sentiment of the stadium is,” Freeman said. This was his response when a reporter asked where his confidence in Leonard comes from and whether he was aware of the fans’ calls for a quarterback change in the stadium.
It’s important to note that Riley Leonard recently joined Notre Dame for the 2024 season. In his latest game, which also resulted in a win, he made some mistakes, which Freeman acknowledged but stressed would be corrected in the coming weeks. “We’ve got to continue to look at the mistakes he made and say, okay, how do we do a better job of not putting him in a position to make mistakes,” Freeman explained.
September 21, 2024: Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard 13 runs with the ball as Miami OH defensive lineman Josh Lukusa 94 pursues during NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Miami OH RedHawks and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Copyright: John Mersits
Riley Leonard’s 2024 NCAAF Season
The game against Miami (OH) was special for Leonard, not only because of the win but also because he threw his first touchdown pass for Notre Dame. It was also his third-best performance in terms of passing yards.
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Leonard has maintained a completion rate of over 60%, with his best game coming against Purdue, where he completed 11 of 16 passes for a 68% completion rate. So far, Leonard has recorded 587 yards, two interceptions, and one touchdown.
