Fiery Emotion from Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman Intentional, Jordan Botelho Ascending

Several players gave big performances during Notre Dame's 23-13 win over Texas A&M on Saturday night. 

In fact, most programs wouldn’t get out of College Station with a win if the best players don’t shine bright under the lights of Kyle Field. 

Riley Leonard, Xavier Watts and Mitch Jeter earned players of the game for their respective sides of the ball, but fifth-year senior Jordan Botelho made it a tough decision for the defensive staff. 

Botelho finished the night second on the team in tackles with six, including three solo tackles, and was credited with three hurries per PFF. 

“There was a debate if he was the player of the game or Xavier Watts,” Freeman said with a smile. “Jordan played well. He played hard consistently. He did his job. That’s what you want to see out of a senior. From the time I’ve gotten here to where Jordan Botelho is now, man, he’s grown so much. I’m so proud to be on this journey with him. 

“His performance is a reflection of the way he’s prepared. He’s preparing his tail off. He’s playing at a high level right now.” 

Another player on the defensive side of the ball who had a monster game was sophomore cornerback Christian Gray. The St. Louis native made the first start of his career and finished with two tackles and two pass breakups, which included jumping a quick slant on 4th-and-2 to seal the game. 

“He had a good game,” stated Freeman. “Christian is a good player. It’s good for him to make some big plays in the game. It’s a mentality to be aggressive on 4th-and-2 to jump that ball. If all of a sudden, it’s a slant and go, it’s six. Playing corner, you have to know when to be aggressive, when you can take chances and when you have to be smart.” 

It’s a play Gray routinely made in high school, but to do it on the biggest stage of the weekend is another. The key pass breakup was a result of elite instincts but also growth and preparation for that exact moment during the last eight months.

“That shows you the confidence he had in recognizing the formation. I know Coach (Mike) Mickens and him have spent endless hours working on formations, splits, downs and distances. You gotta trust it. You gotta go do it and he did it at the right time. That was a huge play.” 

PREGAME EMOTIONS 
A year ago, Freeman started showing more emotion on the sidelines, but on Saturday, the third-year head coach let loose from the start. Freeman didn’t hold back as his team was walking down the tunnel at Kyle Field as he wanted to set a tone. 

“I remember as we came out, I’m looking at Anthonie Knapp and looking at Sam Pendleton. It’s their first time, they’re freshmen and they’re playing in this big environment. It’s almost like you go into parent mode and want to take that pressure off of them. Put it on me. Let’s go. This is what we talked about. 

“I remember in that moment saying, ‘We’re right here.’ This is what we showed you in the meeting. This is what we just talked about. We’ve been here. We know exactly where we’re at because that’s what I want them to feel when we go through that during the week of preparation. I wanted them to have that mentality of ‘let’s go, man.’ We’re competitors. I didn’t want them to have any fear.” 

Freeman admitted the fiery emotion was something that wasn’t necessarily spur of the moment because of his emotions for a big game.

“It was intentional why I did that. I thought that’s what they needed at that moment. Obviously, I’m not always like that. It wasn’t just like, “I’m jacked up and ready to go.’ Sometimes as a parent or a coach, you say, ‘I’m with you. Don’t fear. Have as much confidence in yourself that we have in you. My wife sent me that video and yeah, I was probably a little bit out of control. It was what was needed at the time, I felt.” 

NEW RECEIVER IN THE FOLD
Notre Dame will be with sophomore receiver Jordan Faison for the next week or so as he deals with a sprained ankle. The positive is Notre Dame’s receiver room is equipped to handle it this year as opposed to recent seasons. 

If Notre Dame needs Faison against Northern Illinois, it would likely signal much more significant issues than one receiver dealing with a minor ankle injury.

That said, it’s an opportunity for redshirt freshman KK Smith to prove he’s deserving of more playing time after missing most of 2023 recovering from a shoulder injury. 

“He was a guy we said he could possibly get in the game vs. A&M,” explained Freeman. “He ended not getting in the game, but we have a lot of confidence in KK. Micah Gilbert is another guy I think we’ll see this week.

“We had a plan where we have six guys we know at any point could be the starter and be on the field. Seventh and eighth at that point were KK and Micah. With Faison being down, KK will have an increased role, but there’s a lot of confidence from Micah Gilbert on down to everybody in that room. We’ll see him on Saturday for sure.” 

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