Riley Leonard’s bullish claim speaks volumes after Notre Dame beat Texas A&M

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard expressed heaps of praise for his teammates after the Fighting Irish secured a hard-fought win over Texas A&M on the road at Ryan Field

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is confident that the Fighting Irish can compete with any team in the country after a hard-fought victory on the road over the weekend.

On Saturday, No. 7 Notre Dame took on No. 20 Texas A&M at Ryan Field. Although the game was not perfect, the Fighting Irish managed to secure a 23-13 win in the challenging atmosphere of College Station.

Leonard played a crucial role in the victory, leading an impressive eight-play, 85-yard touchdown drive to break a 13-13 tie late in the fourth quarter. The Duke transfer finished the night completing 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards and also rushed for 63 yards on 12 carries.

“We’re a tough team, and we take pride in that,” Leonard told reporters after the game. “Every game we enter, we know we’re going to put in the hard work to win. This year, we have a lot of talent that complements our effort.

“Winning in an environment like this against a well-coached team boosts our confidence to compete anywhere in the country.”

A significant portion of Notre Dame’s offensive success came from their rushing game, as they finished with 198 rushing yards compared to 158 passing yards. Jeremiyah Love led the ground game with 91 yards on 14 carries, including a crucial 21-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes remaining.

When asked how the Fighting Irish managed to break the tie in the closing moments of the fourth quarter, Leonard shifted the focus to his teammates. “First of all, it shows we have an outstanding defense. They were exceptional all night,” he said.

“But to come out and perform under pressure… we executed when it mattered. On that last drive, everyone had complete faith that we would score; it was just a matter of timing. By the fourth quarter, we started to find our rhythm, and that final drive was crucial for us.”

Notre Dame’s defense consistently pressured the opposing team, allowing Texas A&M just 100 passing yards and intercepting quarterback Conner Weigman twice. After the offense scored the game-winning touchdown, the Fighting Irish defense sealed the game by forcing three incompletions and a turnover on downs.

“Wow, that was a significant victory for our program against a really strong football team,” said Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. “They’re an impressive squad that will win plenty of games. I have great respect for Coach Elko; we just faced a talented group, and we managed to come out on top.

“It wasn’t perfect. Our defense was outstanding and forced turnovers. As for our offense, we didn’t give the ball away. There are definitely areas we need to improve, but they did a great job of moving the chains and winning the field position battle. We avoided any major mistakes, and I’m truly proud of both sides of the ball.”