<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2A1eHB_0vPoK6UA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2A1eHB_0vPoK6UA00" width="1182" height="619" >Since high school, Riley Leonard's mother has told her son, <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/riley-leonard-you-suck-wristband-duke-qb/0d486a7008834c1f73269e75">"You suck,"</a> before football and basketball games. She does so at his request. He began receiving too much praise for his athletic accomplishments and wanted his family to keep him grounded. His mother even created wristbands for him that read "You Suck," which Leonard wears proudly. The updated wristband boasts a <a href="https://247sports.com/college/navy/">Navy</a> blue and green color scheme.Perhaps they'll suspend their usual pre-game tradition in Week 3. Right now, he and his teammates are already well aware of how much they suck."This sucks. We know that. Everyone knows it," <a href="https://247sports.com/college/notre-dame/">Notre Dame</a> defensive tackle <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/howard-cross-46037273/">Howard Cross</a> said. "All our fans know it. I'm going to tell you what I told everyone. Use it. Use what everyone is telling you, you're going to hear it all week. 'We suck.'"The Fighting Irish (1-1) sucked so bad on Saturday that they endured a 16-14 loss to <a href="https://247sports.com/college/northern-illinois/">Northern Illinois</a> (2-0) despite being 28-point favorites. Unlike that season, when Notre Dame started 0-2, the Irish are 1-1, and the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff still leaves all of the program's 2024 goals intact, even if those have become significantly more difficult to achieve.With no room for error left, how Notre Dame bounces back at <a href="https://247sports.com/college/purdue/">Purdue</a> (1-0) this weekend matters."With all due respect, in seven days, we're on the field again," Cross said. "Are we going to say it's over game two, or are we going to keep rolling? I think that's what we're going to do. Keep moving."First and foremost, the offense under Leonard's guidance must produce in the passing game. In two starts, he's connected on 61.3% of his passes for 321 yards and two interceptions. Only <a href="https://cfbstats.com/2024/leader/national/team/offense/split01/category02/sort10.html">four other programs</a> have yet to produce a touchdown pass this fall: <a href="https://247sports.com/college/miami/">Miami</a> (<a href="https://247sports.com/college/ohio/">Ohio</a>), <a href="https://247sports.com/college/western-michigan/">Western Michigan</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/college/northwestern/">Northwestern</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/college/air-force/">Air Force</a> (Yes, even the triple-option offenses at <a href="https://247sports.com/college/army/">Army</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/college/navy/">Navy</a> produced aerial scores.).Leonard's 5.2 yards per pass attempt ranks <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/908/p3">116th</a> out of 125 eligible passers. Part of the problem is his inability to push the ball downfield. In two games, he's failed to complete either of his two passing attempts that traveled more than 20 yards through the air, which includes what could be the most consequential interception thrown by a <a href="https://247sports.com/college/notre-dame/">Notre Dame</a> quarterback in Freeman's tenure. The pick occurred on 2nd-and-1 at the 49-yard line when the Notre Dame offense had control of the game midway through the fourth quarter, with the Irish leading 14-13.Leonard dropped back and launched the ball downfield to a double-covered <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/kris-mitchell-46046725/">Kris Mitchell</a>. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="/Player/riley-leonard-46101566/" target="_blank">RILEY LEONARD</a> GETS PICKED! <a href="https://t.co/MtL8mcxSix">pic.twitter.com/MtL8mcxSix</a> — Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrMatthew_CFB/status/1832545761784938989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>"Clearly, a bad read. That single-high safety was attached to the inside post," Leonard said. "I thought he would attach again. Bad eyes, bad feet, bad ball is gonna result in a pick. So, that can't happen. (It's) completely my fault. I gotta fix it, and it starts at practice. "I gotta have better practices all week, more discipline with my eyes. Yeah, I gotta clean up my game all around."Bad read, sure. Others were open underneath for a first down, but situational awareness remains the most puzzling aspect of Leonard's decision. The single-high safety didn't pick off the ball; sophomore cornerback <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/amariyun-knighten-46100253/">Amariyun Knighten</a> did because Leonard underthrew it by at least 10 yards. If Leonard had errored on the side of an overthrow, Mitchell either scores the touchdown or it's an incompletion and Notre Dame keeps possession on 3rd-and-1.Instead, Knighten returned the interception 33 yards to the 50-yard line, setting a clock-draining, 11-play, 33-yard drive culminating with a 35-yard game-winning field goal.</div></body>

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“We Suck:” Notre Dame Players Deplore Poor NIU Performance, Vow to “Bounce Back”

Since high school, Riley Leonard's mother has told her son, \"You suck,\" before football and basketball games. She does so at his request. He began receiving too much praise for his athletic accomplishments and wanted his family to keep him grounded. His mother even created wristbands for him that read \"You Suck,\" which Leonard wears proudly. The updated wristband boasts a Navy blue and green color scheme.

Since high school, Riley Leonard's mother has told her son, "You suck," before football and basketball games. She does so at his request. He began receiving too much praise for his athletic accomplishments and wanted his family to keep him grounded. His mother even created wristbands for him that read "You Suck," which Leonard wears proudly. The updated wristband boasts a Navy blue and green color scheme.

“We Suck:” Notre Dame Players Deplore Poor NIU Performance, Vow to “Bounce Back”

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