Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman | Postgame Transcript
BRONX, N.Y. - Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman spoke with reporters following the Irish’s 49-14 dismantling of previously-unbeaten Army here at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
Marcus Freeman Opening Statement
Freeman: “Really proud of the performance. You never know how this game's going to go. We knew we were preparing for a really good opponent and the preparation this week was really good. It was really good. The challenge of beating that team in the turnover margin was top three or whatever in the country, to be able to get that done, I really think had an impact on the game. It really did. Guys battled. They played it well versus a really good team and they battled. We're going to enjoy this victory. We'll get back, we'll watch it and evaluate and move forward, but really good performance both offensively and defensively. Really proud of the way they prepared and performed.”
What message Notre Dame send on Saturday?
Freeman: “I've always said that's for you all and everybody else to interpret the message that's sent. There's one goal on Saturdays and that's to achieve team glory and the way you prepare gives you the best opportunity to do that. That's the message that I want our players to understand, is that we prepare the right way, we continue to find ways to elevate and improve and you're going to get hopefully a result that we got tonight. I don't worry about the message it sends to everybody else as much as I worry about the message that it sends to our players and this program.”
If you were facing Notre Dame next weekend, what would you think?
Freeman: “Let's go, get ready for a battle. It's a team that's hungry. There's a lot more. We got more. We didn't play perfectly and we strive for perfection. Do we ever play perfect? No, but that's what we're going to strive for. That's what we're chasing as the entire football program.”
What did the offense show tonight?
Freeman: “We were moving the ball. How many total yards did we had offensively? 462. That's a reflection of that. There's a lot of confidence. The confidence is developed in the preparation, right. The preparation for what they're going to see, but also the preparation in terms of understanding what were doing on the offense side of the ball. I have a lot of confidence in our offensive staff, our offense coordinator, our quarterback, and they're playing with that confidence too.”
What does it say about Notre Dame's defense to be able to slow down Army QB Bryson Daily?
Freeman: “We knew we had to stop him. That was the main priority. He's the person that makes that offense go. He's a tough, downhill, just a gritty football player. We had to match that type of mentality. We wanted to attack their offensive line and we wanted to attack him and put more people where they were trying to run than they could block. That was something we saw and a game plan that we wanted to do and try to attack him. The defense did a really good job at doing that. The thing that hurts you is the one touchdown drive, I think in the first half we had three penalties. Nobody's happy about that, right? And that's a reminder that 'Don't beat Notre Dame.' That drive there's three penalties that led to seven points.”
How big was offensive efficiency in a game like this?
Freeman: “It was really big. We knew we had to score offensively because their offense not only is efficient at what it does, but it keeps the ball. So we knew we had to try to put some pressure on them offensively and try to get them behind the score. Our offense was efficient. They did a good job. We've got to be better. We can't leave points on the board in the red zone, inside the 10-yard-line and we can't miss those field goals. That's what we've got to improve at. That's the part that I'm focusing on.”
How close was Howard Cross to playing and what is your assessment of Donovan Hinish these past few weeks?
Freeman: “Donny has done a heck of a job filling in and just given the opportunity, I think I said this earlier in the year, we know what Donny Hinish could do. He just had to get the opportunity so everybody else sees what he can do. But he's done a heck of a job. Howard was close. He practiced some and he just didn't feel like he could give it a go.”
How much are you concerned with Mitch Jeter's health and performance?
Freeman: “I don't think it's as much health-wise. I think we will see what happened on the 48-yarder before the half. I'm most upset about the penalty right before that moved the back five yards. But the blocked field goal, we've got to figure out schematically, what's going on. That can't happen if you're going to be a great football team, so we've got some work to do on our field goal unit.”
Can you talk about the offensive line tonight?
Freeman: “I'm so proud of where that group has come from. You look at from the start of fall camp and who we have starting to now where we're at, the different starting lineups and the production and the elevation and the improvement that offensive line has done. The running backs will get all the credit, the ball-carriers get the credit for the yards, but those things don't happen without a really great offensive line working together in unison. They're really doing a good job. Coach (Joe) Rudolph is doing a really good job.”
What has been most important in catching momentum since the loss in Week 2?
Freeman: “We've improved but we're starting to be more consistent. That's the sign of great teams, great businesses, great people is consistency. Not the ability to do it one day and be really high, the next day be really low. But the consistency throughout a game, throughout a season. That's what I think we've seen in the past couple of weeks. We had to improve. We had a lot to improve from that Northern Illinois performance and we have been. Now you're seeing a consistent football team and we've got to continue to be that.”
Do you feel like Jeremiyah Love is finding another gear here late in the season?
Freeman: “I don't know. I want to say his confidence, but he's always been confident. He was confident in high school and he's a confident football player. The thing I love about Jeremiah Love is he's protecting the football and not causing turnovers. It's almost like he's anticipating what the defense is going to do and when he breaks through the second levelm I don't see many people that can catch him. He practicing well. He's taking care of his body and producing on game days.”
Any concern with LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa who left the game?
Freeman: “I was just told that he's got a knee sprain. He's going to be out for the game, so we'll evaluate it tomorrow when we get back.”
How did you approach the Army defense?
Freeman: “There were top three in the country, I think, in rushing. We've got to be able to run the ball. So we have to find ways to run the ball versus a really good rushing defense, but also take what they were giuving us in the passing game and we did a good job. It's not like we had a secret. We were just able to run the ball efficiently versus a really good run defense. We did that and we were efficient in the passing game and didn't turn the ball over.”
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