Marcus Freeman: Notre Dame Must Master Technique to Fix Defensive Struggles
Another day and another Marcus Freeman press conference that focused on the Notre Dame defense.
Defensive coordinator Chris Ash and the Irish defense entered the year with high expectations, but the group has failed to meet Notre Dame’s standards.
The good news is that the Fighting Irish will have an opportunity to silence the talk as they’ll get to face a top-five offense this week in Arkansas.
It starts with mastering technique on the outside, which is easier said than done. All-American cornerback Leonard Moore is once again listed as questionable with an ankle injury and it could lead the Irish to start two true freshmen in the secondary for the second week in a row.
It’s also not just one technique, but a variety as Dallas Golden and Mark Zackey IV will be thrown into multiple situations that require different techniques.
“Anybody can understand I play this guy man-to-man, but the difference between making a play and not making a play usually comes down to some type of technique,” stated Freeman. “In particular, the young guys have to learn how to play with the proper technique.”
Freeman was also quick to point out that the staff has to put the players in a position to have success. If a player can’t play a certain way, then it’s on the coaches to find a different scheme or technique.
“We have to understand that not every player can execute what we want them to with this exact technique,” explained Freeman. “How do we change techniques or maybe use a different technique for this individual so he can get his job done?”
The challenge during game week is the limited number of hours available due to the NCAA’s 20-hour limit for official time.
Unlike programs in the Big Ten or SEC, most schools can’t extend practices because of class requirements. Additionally, coaches must be mindful not to overwork their players during the in-season and then installing a game plan takes time.
“We've tried to be more intentional, maybe about having a little bit more individual time, with certain positions to work on that technique that we've been talking about,” Freeman said. “You can't just do all individual in practice. You gotta make sure that our guys understand the schemes they're facing on Saturday.”
It appears Freeman has restructured the practice a bit as the defense looks to make up ground.
“In individual, are we focused on our individual drills, replicating the things that we believe we need to attack and fix to produce the outcome we want? Our group work, are we in seven-on-seven? Are we doing team pass? Are we doing one-on-ones versus the offense and defense? Are we working those to fix the things that we talked about? The same thing goes for the team period.
“You can't practice more. You have to make sure that the loadage that you do in practice is going to help you be fresh for the game and prepare for the game. The focus in each of those periods of practice has to be to attack those issues that we've been having.”
Ultimately, Notre Dame must continue to execute at a high level, especially this weekend.
Freeman has confidence that his defense will do just that.
“Our guys are fierce competitors,” said Freeman. “They want to do the things it takes to produce a result that they believe they can achieve. Every one of these guys have owned it. They believe that it's never one person's fault, right? It's all of us. We all gotta buy in. We all gotta work on it.”
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