The Orange Bowl isn’t going in favor of Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame. It’s another injury concern. Is this where the Irish’s playoff journey ends? It’s not even the end of the first half and it’s almost like their 5.5-point advantage over Penn State is their only positive right now. Going 0-3 in the second quarter, they saw one of their key offensive players go down. To add to that setback, the face of Notre Dame football is also reduced to the sidelines. 

Nothing could’ve prepared Riley Leonard for this fatal turn of events. Shortly after losing their OL to an injury, he suffered a similar fate. According to the game update in an X post on January 9, “Riley Leonard is being pulled out of the game here. Dvon J-Thomas landed on him hard and Leonard hit the back of his head.” 

Ahead of this incident, the Nittany Lions made their first score with a 5-yard touchdown by RB Nick Singleton lighting the scoreboard 10-0 in their favor. But when fans thought Riley Leonard would lead the Irish to a huge comeback, the unforeseen injury became a roadblock. The situation surfaced in the final minutes of the first half that resulted from a QB hurry from Penn State’s defenders Dvon J-Thomas and Zane Durant. 

The report also added that a shaken Leonard was picked up by his teammates. But he wobbled backward from the impact of the hit on his head and was escorted to the medical tent. Per further update by ESPN’s Sean McDonough, the 22-year-old was entering the concussion protocol. Steve Angeli was called into action to replace Riley Leonard in the second half of the Orange Bowl. What a bumpy ride for the Irish!

Notre Dame faces shocking turn of events 

Notre Dame is already onto their backup players. Tosh Baker entered the game after the Irish lost their starting LT Anthonie Knapp in the second quarter with a lower left leg injury. During a third-down play, the freshman sustained a strain on his leg as Riley Leonard fell on it during a QB scramble. He hobbled to the medical tent before going into the tunnel. His gradual return didn’t bring positivity as he had a heavy cast on his left ankle, probably ruling him out for the remainder of the game. 

So now, Marcus Freeman is in a fix. Does Steve Angeli have what it takes to be an Orange Bowl winner? At least he managed to assist Notre Dame to their first three points right before the end of the first half. The 21-year-old redshirt sophomore has also been part of the 2023 Sun Bowl so can we trust him?

Or perhaps, there’s a scenario that Riley Leonard would be able to hop back for revenge? As the game settles into halftime, we’ll see the developments that surface in the next half.