Category: Duke Football

It went from 9:45 to the stroke of Midnight in a blink of an eye 👁

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…

Let’s sneak in a little Duke University Football news as 3 former Blue Devils will see action 🎬 in the 5 Big Games this weekend 💙

  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 !

We see 👀 you Riley Leonard and couldn’t be Prouder of our former QB!

Thirteen months ago Riley Leonard decided to chase a life-long dream of playing Quarterback under the Golden Dome in South Bend. I wasn’t fully convinced that the highly likeable Kid from Alabama had that level of talent and just two weeks into his opportunity the Fighting Irish were upset at home by Northern Illinois.

  I have watched the Haters beat up Daniel Jones from start to finish as he went from a Zero Star 🌟 High School player in Charlotte to being drafted 6th overall by the New York Giants. Now it felt like fate would play a similar role for Leonard.

  The folks that get paid to tear people down were feasting on Leonard. He couldn’t even beat Northern Illinois at home.

  In the World 🌎 where I chose to live, you don’t bail on people when the going gets tough. While I would have rather covered Galax at Carroll County on The Hill, my back up plan was to wear my Duke Football gear and root, root, root for our Guy 👦.

Riley Leonard played Riley Leonard football which means it was a roller coaster ride for sure. It was his second interception that put the Irish behind the eight ball. All he did was lead a tying TD drive 🚗 and then set up the game winning Field Goal.

  Here now in roughly 10 days, Leonard and Head Coach Marcus Freeman will face either Texas or Ohio State for a National Championship.

  Freeman will now be the first African American ( and the first Asian) Head Coach to participate in a Natty Title game. Kudos to Freeman and his accomplishments and I’m pretty sure that its the FIRST TIME that a Duke QB will be playing in the ultimate game.

  Somewhere everyone that played the position, back to Sonny Jorgensen, who had to play Cornerback as well as QB, is smiling atleast a little.

  Mike Elko headed to Texas A & M, Waters played running back for NC State and of course Leonard headed to South Bend. Pulled for them all except the day where Duke faced Waters 💧 and his Wolf 🐺Pack.

  Freeman was always not good enough and Leonard was also easy to pick on but now the unlikely duo will take one more ride together. Not sure if they can become the first team to win four straight under the new playoff system.

  Indiana, Georgia and now Penn State all tried to stop ✋ the run 🏃‍♂️ of Freeman, Leonard and Company. The winner of Texas – Ohio State University will be favored down in Atlanta.

  But win or lose that one, it will be the first time that a QB with ties 👔 to Duke University will try and lead his team to a National Championship!!!