Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard got an award for his three-touchdown performance at Purdue on Saturday.
He is a Week 3 recipient of the Davey O’Brien Great 8/Davey Double after running for 100 yards and those three touchdowns, plus passing for another 112 yards, all in the first half.
The coaching staff sat him in the second half — with a huge lead there was no reason to risk injury to Leonard during the remainder of what would be a 66-7 win over the Purdue Boilermakers.
It was also a chance for backup Steve Angeli and third-string QB Kenny Minchey to get some reps.
Some fans have been calling for Angeli to start after Leonard struggled in the first two weeks, and Leonard’s award-winning Week 3 performance might not be enough to satisfy those folks — he still doesn’t have a touchdown through the air.
On the other hand, 112 passing yards in just one half is not all that bad, and the Fighting Irish passing game looked better in Week 3 than it had previously. And Leonard certainly knows how to use his legs to get yards on the ground — and to find the end zone.
1️⃣3️⃣
Riley Leonard has been named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 (Davey Double) for Week 3#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/GUt6QtgrXl
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 16, 2024
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Tim on X: @tehealey