Each season, for five decades now, the team I follow the most is the Blue Devils football program. They are still the ultimate underdog and only 11 times in my 61 years has the team won 🏆 6 games and qualified for a Bowl 🥣 game.
Manny Diaz is in year two of his stay at Duke and is coming off a year where he swept the Tar Heel State, defeating the trio of North Carolina, Wake Forest and North Carolina State. Not sure where six wins might come from this time but its one of my favorite things to do each year!
The good folks at ESPN have Duke hovering right at the six win mark this season and there are certainly some must win games on the docket. There will also be a boatload of miles traveled for the six road games or should I say, five of the six as UNC is just around the corner.
New York, California, South Carolina,
Connecticut, Louisiana and Chapel Hill.
The Tulane game will be interesting as the new QB will be facing his old team.
Hoping for the Best for former Blue Devil, Danny Jones as he looks to revive his career after stops ✋ in New York and Minnesota. It would appear that Jones is off to a solid start !
Notre Dame took the opening drive and marched straight down the field. Former Duke University Quarterback Riley Leonard was at his best during the amazing drive that lasted 18 plays and took 9 minutes and 45 seconds of the clock ⏰.
It was fitting that Leonard capped off the drive himself by scoring the TD. It was his 9th carry on the textbook trip down the field and it took place on the biggest stage in College Football 🏈🏈🏈.
Leonard is not the typical 6’5 QB with a cannon for an arm. He is just a tough as nails young man from Alabama that believes in God and himself. The last time I watched a player wearing the colors of my favorite team switched jerseys was 30 years ago when Mark Pope left the University of Washington after his sophomore season. Pope went to Kentucky in search of a bigger stage and an opportunity to compete for a Natty.
Pope went on to cut down the nets and his journey has come full circle as he is now the Head Coach of the Big Blue in Lexington.
Leonard lost his second game wearing the Golden helmet. To make matters worse, it took place in South Bend against Northern Illinois University. The nay sayers were lined up in groves to rip apart Leonard and his Coach Marcus Freeman.
How did they respond ? 13 straight wins, including 3 in the post season. It was obvious to me that at some point the clock ⏰ would strike Midnight for our guy 👦and his Coach. With that said, I was a little surprised by the fact it went from 9:45 to Midnight as quickly as it did.
I have no ties to Notre Dame other than Leonard and the fact that its easy to pull for Freeman. At this point OSU has scored on four straight drives and I don’t see it slowing down in the remaining 27 minutes.
Congratulations to Ohio State for being the first team to win four straight Post Season games in the new era of College Playoffs. My wife was born and raised in Ohio so there’s that ➕ I am sure that they are having fun at the Smoot house 🏠 tonight.
Thank You Riley Leonard, for giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch a Duke University QB play in a National Championship game!
Just like when Pope left Seattle, you have two choices – pull for the young man or pull against him. That’s a no brainer in my World.
What’s next for Leonard after tonight ? I am sure that people will tell him that if he wants to play on Sunday he will need to switch positions. It’s been fun to watch him the past few years and for 9:45 tonight it was a ferry tale…
255 yards passing, 40 yards rushing and 3 Touchdowns. Not bad, not enough, but not bad at all…
Noah Gray of the Kansai City Chiefs, Jamison Crowder of the Washington Commanders and Riley Leonard of Notre Dame will each see action 🎬.
Leonard will be playing for the final time Monday night versus Ohio State as they meet for the National Championship. Meanwhile, Gray and Crowder will look to help their teams continue their pursuit of a trip to the Super Bowl 🏈.
In the first of the three games, Gray caught 3 passes from Patrick Mahomes
Gray was one of four Chiefs to catch a pass against a stingy Texans defense but thankfully the KC D was even more stingy. KC & Gray live to play ▶️ another day!
Game #2 – 10 year veteran Crowder has 2 receptions in the first half against the Detroit Lions.
More 2 Follow…
Crowder finished with 2 catches and 25 yards as the Commanders rolled the Top Seeded Lions last night!
It’s been 33 years since the team has advanced this far !
A.S.P.N on The Hill 