"Shoot, I just started trusting in the Lord" - Riley Leonard fired up after Notre Dame punches CFB natty ticket after Penn State takedown

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shrugged off a first-half concussion evaluation after a hard hit to return to the Orange Bowl and lead the Fighting Irish to a narrow 27-24 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Fighting Irish will play in their first national championship since 2012.

Leonard had a mixed performance, going 15-of-23 for 223 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while adding 35 rushing yards on 18 carries and one touchdown.

During his postgame interview on Thursday, Leonard said what was going through his mind during the tense game.

"Shoot, I just started trusting in the Lord," Leonard said. "I said, 'Jesus, whatever your will is for my life, I trust it 100%. And I know that this offense and this team trusts in Jesus and his plan for the season."

During his postgame interview, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was full of praise for Riley Leonard after he returned to the game to lead the team to the narrow win.

“He’s a competitor,” Freeman said. “And competitors find a way to win. That’s what Riley does. That’s what this team does, man. They’re a bunch of competitors and they find a way. You know what, Riley just executed, the wideouts executed, the O-line did their job."

Riley Leonard deflects praise to backup quarterback

Despite fumbling the ball and being sacked twice, backup quarterback Steve Agneli held the fort after Riley Leonard's first-half injury. He led a field goal drive that made a difference in the end.

During his postgame interview, Leonard lavished praise on his backup who went 6-of-7 for 44 yards in the limited time that he was on the field.

“Steve Angeli, I mean, this is a guy who just kind of waited his turn all year and has prepared like he’s a starting quarterback every single week,” Leonard said. “He’s shown a lot of maturity and he helps me out a lot. I mean, he’s the guy on the sideline who knows exactly what the defense is doing.

"He’s a good friend of mine and I appreciate him a lot. So, for him to go in and drive them down the field for three points before the half, that was big.”

Next up for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a game against either the Texas Longhorns or Ohio State Buckeyes in a bid for the national championship.