Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard stopped by GoJo and Golic to break down their Orange Bowl win, share Marcus Freeman’s message and preview his matchup against Ohio State’s tough defense.
Both Notre Dame and Ohio State have played 15 games so far this season, which is similar in length to an NFL season. Given a daunting schedule’s physical toll on the body, Leonard gave the Golics insight into how he has managed his recovery during their playoff run versus the regular season. He credited Notre Dame’s sports science department for carefully managing the team’s workload and adjusting practices to optimize recovery. With a three-week gap before facing Indiana in the CFP first round, they took an aggressive approach early as far as resting for a week, ramping up intensity the next and then easing off before game day. He jokingly admitted it is tough to balance his recovery given he takes a lot of hits and feels it all over. With the Senior Bowl on the horizon, he knows there won’t be much downtime but embraces the grind nonetheless.
For Notre Dame, the injuries have piled up, from defensive lineman Riley Mills and defensive back Benjamin Morrison being out for the season to the most recent news of starting left tackle Anthony Knapp being ruled out for Monday’s national title game. Leonard shared how he and the team battle through this adversity, as he emphasized the toughness it takes to play at Notre Dame, especially during those HARSH South Bend winters. He described the team’s blue-collar mentality, where players embrace adversity and push through challenges without complaining. Even off the field, he noted that being a student at Notre Dame requires mental toughness and professionalism. Leonard praised his locker room, saying that their hard-working, no-complaints mindset personifies the team’s identity.
What is it about @NDFootball‘s mindset that has allowed them to overcome injuries this season?
“You guys know what it’s like to live in South Bend, especially in the wintertime. I mean, here you got to be gritty, you gotta be a blue-collar dude who’s not afraid to go through… pic.twitter.com/7WCXUyZExV
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) January 17, 2025
With much of the focus on this season being around Notre Dame’s run game, the second half of the Orange Bowl saw Notre Dame lean into their passing attack. The Irish dialed up explosive plays and Leonard gave his wide receiver group tremendous praise for their discipline and readiness, emphasizing their ability to step up when needed. While the passing game succeeded in the second half, he credited the run game for setting the tone, opening up opportunities through play-action and deep shots. He noted that his receivers never complain, even with a run-heavy approach. He said they lock in and deliver when their number is called and Leonard said he was confident that his guys would be ready when it was time to execute in the passing game.
Riley Leonard on the chemistry he has built with his wide receivers:
"Are we going to go out there the first drive of the game and call 15 passes? Probably not, but when we need to, we have all the confidence in the world that we can go out there and execute."@mikegolicjr |… pic.twitter.com/N1V6UcdFG4
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) January 17, 2025
Shifting to Monday night, Leonard praised Ohio State’s defense for their discipline, communication, and ability to generate pressure. He noted the need for strong pass protection, as the Buckeyes excel at disguising coverages and bringing pressure from different looks. Ultimately, Leonard believes if Notre Dame sticks to their game plan and takes what the defense gives them, they’ll be in a good position on Monday night.
"What has the message been from Marcus Freeman as you guys get closer and closer to game time?" @mikegolicjr
"Not much is different in the message and the preparation. He talks about elevation a lot. It's just about getting better. Our goal was to reach our full potential, and… pic.twitter.com/c2ju93G8Wj
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) January 17, 2025
Mike Golic Jr. was curious about what Marcus Freeman’s message has been for the Irish heading into the national title game. Leonard shared that Freeman’s message has been all about elevation and not just maintaining their level of play but getting better. Additionally, Leonard explained that while winning a title is the goal, part of that goal is reaching their full potential as a team and winning the title would be them reaching their full potential. He believes both the offense and defense still have another level to reach, and that’s their focus heading into Monday night.
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Hour 1: NFC, AFC Divisonal Round Preview + College Football Championship Preview: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
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