Riley Leonard can get the job done for the Irish but so far, it’s one dimensional

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind -- An impressive win doesn’t solve Notre Dame’s issues on offense. 

It’s no secret – Riley Leonard can run the ball. Three touchdowns on the ground in one half against Purdue is proof.   

“There was one where he was going in the end zone, he stiff arm the guys, like, man, he looks like a running back. We were joking on a bus. We were like, Lamar Leonard or whatever,” Running Back Jadarian Price said. 

The Lamar Jackson comparisons continue. 

“I think it was my vision and being mentally prepared,” Leonard said. 

Questions are consistently rising about Leonard's ability to throw the ball down field.  

“I think a strength of Riley is pushing the ball down the field. That's just my opinion. As his coach. I'm no quarterback guru,” Leonard’s Head Coach Marcus Freeman said. 

Either we haven’t seen it yet, or it’s not there but Leonard has completed 49 of 78 pass attempts (62.8%) bringing him to 433 passing yards, two interceptions, and still searching for his first touchdown in the air.  

“My job is to get four yards of play. Doesn't matter how I do it,” Leonard added. 

For the most part the only way he’s done it is on the ground.  

“If we need to throw it to have success, I'm sure we'll game plan in a way that, you know, we'll have to throw it, but it's about what's going to have. Success against the defense you're going against. And Riley did a great job running and making the throws. I think it was 11 of 16,” Freeman mentioned. 

That performance and game plan worked against Purdue but when I asked offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock about Leonard running the ball instead of throwing to his receivers, it sounds like he’s thinking about the longevity of the season.  

“We've got to get more consistent in the passing game, and how we throw it, where we throw it, why we throw it, being at route depth, making catches, doing all the things that you need to do to be a successful pass offense. We're still struggling a little bit with some consistency there that's got to get better,” Denbrock said.