Texas A&M Head Coach Dreads Upcoming Challenge Against Notre Dame's Riley Leonard

Mike Elko and Riley Leonard worked together to bring Duke football to levels the program wasn't known for reaching

Oct 28, 2023; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard (13) looks to pass during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Duke 23-0. / Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Duke isn't known for being a football school but instead for the product it puts out annually on the basketball court.

That said, the football team reached levels the last two years under head coach Mike Elko that it hadn't seen for a bit.

Elko, now at Texas A&M, thinks a lot of that had to do with starting quarterback Riley Leonard, who is obviously now at Notre Dame. Elko had his media availability on Monday and was asked about facing his former quarterback this Saturday night. It's something he's not really looking forward to.

Elko says facing Riley Leonard is "interesting, weird and not really something I want to do."

— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 26, 2024

It reminds me a bit of the 2005 opener for Notre Dame when Charlie Weis made his head coaching debut for the Fighting Irish. In that game it wound up being a former AFC East head coach in Dave Wannstedt (Miami Dolphins) making his college coaching debut against Weis, who was an offensive coordinator for three Super Bowl victories for the New England Patriots.

It didn't align perfectly with a quarterback and head coach who previously worked together on the same team, but it certainly feels somewhat like this one going in.

Notre Dame and Riley Leonard will kick-off against Texas A&M and Mike Elko from Kyle Field in College Station at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 31.

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