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Riley Leonard powers Notre Dame to early lead vs. Ohio State with 18-play drive
Riley Leonard put together a historic drive for Notre Dame as the Irish opened up a 7-0 lead over Ohio State in the National Championship Game on Monday night.
Leonard’s legs were the primary driver of offense for the Irish as they drew first blood. He carried the ball a total of 9 times on the opening series for a total of 34 yards. He also completed 3-of-5 pass attempts for 31 yards.
Leonard capped off the 18-play drive with a rushing touchdown to make 7-0 Fighting Irish. It’s the longest-ever scoring drive in a BCS or CFP National Championship Game, per ESPN.
Here’s a replay of Leonard’s final run of the drive:
Leonard was visibly exhausted as the drive wore on. According to ESPN’s Molly McGrath, Leonard threw up on the sidelines after finding the end zone.
The QB run game has been a big part of Notre Dame’s offense all season, though 9 carries on one drive is a bit extreme. The over/under for Leonard’s rush attempts for this game at most sports books was 14.5.
Notre Dame is trying to win its first national championship since 1998. The Buckeyes have a drought of their own to worry about — they haven’t won it all since 2014.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.