Notre Dame football turned to more than defense to run over Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl Thursday. Head coach Marcus Freeman watched his quarterback Riley Leonard carry the team on multiple occasions.

Leonard faced a barrage of pressure from the Bulldogs. Georgia bottled him to a dismal 90 passing yards. Leonard, however, became a thorn to the Southeastern Conference representative in the end. Freeman summed up Leonard's effort in four, impactful words.

“Competitors find a way,” Leonard told ESPN after the win in New Orleans.

Notre Dame didn't need Leonard's arm after all to knock off the Bulldogs. The QB became impactful through his legs. Especially when the Fighting Irish needed to keep drives alive, and their season, in the College Football Playoffs.

His gutsy performance came on a night Freeman's defensive unit handled the dirty work. Particularly watching Notre Dame hold Georgia to a stunning, record-setting mark.

Riley Leonard executes impressive runs for Marcus Freeman

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman (R) reacts on the sidelines in the final minute against the Georgia Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Leonard's determination and fearlessness took center stage inside the Superdome.

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The dual-threat quarterback made gutsy decisions with the ball in his hand. But none was more gutsier than this epic run on third-and-seven:

Leonard delivered one of his worst passing nights of his Notre Dame career. But he produced one memorable night on the rushing side of things. The 6-foot-4, 216-pounder racked up 80 yards on 14 carries.

The Duke transfer hurt run defenses before leading up to the Sugar Bowl. He compiled 100 yards against Purdue, then 143 versus Miami of Ohio in back-to-back weeks in September. Leonard brought 15 rushing touchdowns on the year in tow to the Bayou.

The 80-yard output now marks his best rushing total since Nov. 23 against Navy — when he tallied 83 and scored once in the 51-14 rout of the Midshipmen.

The native of Fairhope, Alabama didn't always have an easy road to this stage. Leonard arrived to South Bend, Indiana as a damaged QB from Duke. He suffered a left toe injury that wiped away his 2023 season. Leonard arrived to Notre Dame a complete stranger from the Atlantic Coast Conference realm. But he left the Sugar Bowl thanking them.

“They kind of revived my career. I owe the world to them,” Leonard told ESPN's Molly McGrath after the win.

Leonard has Notre Dame now in the semifinals of the CFP. Irish eyes aren't just smiling, they're thinking about their first national title since 1988. Fans have waited nearly four decades for their next championship. Leonard willed the Irish back to the national title picture without relying on his arm.