Riley Leonard injury update: Did Duke QB break his ankle? 

The Duke Blue Devils' 21-14 loss to Notre Dame in front of their home fans was made worse by Riley Leonard's injury on Saturday. Leonard went down with only 18 seconds in the clock. The standout junior quarterback was injured while being sacked and fumbling.

Leonard left the game on crutches, avoiding putting weight on his right ankle. Blue Devils fans worried that he might have broken his ankle. However, according to ESPN, Leonard's injury is a “high right ankle sprain,” not a break.

There is optimism about the timeline of his return given the kind of sprain he suffered. There is also no pressure on him to return immediately as the No. 19 Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have their open week scheduled for Week 6 and won't play again until Oct. 14 against N.C. State (3-2, 1-1).

How is Riley Leonard doing?

The manner of Riley Leonard's exit from the game against Notre Dame didn't look good. Finding out they remain on the AP Top 25 at No. 19 may have made Saturday's loss to the Irish less painful for Duke fans. But news about their star quarterback's condition held greater importance.

Leonard reportedly has a high ankle sprain. While no exact date has been given for his recovery and return, it sufficed to know the injury is not season-ending. However, he is still expected to be out of action for a game or two, which means he could return by the end of October.

Riley Leonard has the advantage of having the first two weeks of October free to recover without fear of missing any game. The injury would seem to have been auspiciously timed, if it can be so described.

Nevertheless, the was a disappointing way to end the game for Leonard. He was leading Duke's comeback charge falling behind 13-0 into the third quarter. With two scoring drives, the Blue Devils led the game for the first time, going up 14-13 midway through the second half.

The star quarterback was critical to the Blue Devils' comeback rally, gaining yards both in the air and on foot. He eventually got a touchdown throw through to Jordan Moore, who caught the 3-yarder. Although he wasn't at his best, completing only 12 of 27 pass attempts for 134 yards, Leonard's importance to the Blue Devils was still obvious.