Marcus Freeman proud of how Notre Dame responded to halftime challenge against Pitt

At halftime of Saturday’s game between Notre Dame and Pitt, the Fighting Irish had 233 yards of offense but saw Sam Hartman throw two interceptions. Still, they took a 17-0 lead into halftime.

That doesn’t mean it sat well with Marcus Freeman, though.

Freeman wasn’t pleased with the way Notre Dame looked in the first half, with 168 passing yards and just 65 rushing yards. The Fighting Irish got a big punt return from Chris Tyree to get on the board, but he thought it could’ve been a better first two quarters.

His halftime message reflected that.

“I challenged them at halftime,” Freeman told NBC’s Zora Stephenson. “I know it was 17-0, but we weren’t playing to the standard that Notre Dame football should play at. And I was really impressed by the way they came out, with fire and they finished drives on both sides of the ball. I’m really pleased with our second-half performance.”

It’s safe to say the Fighting Irish responded well, outscoring Pitt 41-7 in the second half to come away with a resounding 58-7 win over the Panthers. Notre Dame got it done on all three sides of the ball, with a pick-six and a blocked punt recovered in the end zone contributing to the effort, as well.

To see that type of answer from his team, Freeman said it was great to see the players rise to the occasion. It also reaffirmed the standard he wants Notre Dame to play to, and the coaches can push the players to get there.

“I think it’s just a great reminder as coaches, they’ll respond to being challenged,” Freeman said. “Sometimes, we’ve got to make sure we challenge them in the right ways to get the result that we want. This team wants to be great, and it’s our job to help them get there.”

The Notre Dame defense held strong, as well, keeping Pitt to 255 yards of offense. It marked the second straight game the Fighting Irish made big plays on defense as Al Golden’s group appeared to turn it around after the loss to Louisville.

“But there was one blemish — and Freeman noted it with a smirk.

“I’m still a little bit upset about the seven points that are on the board,” Freeman said. “It’s about continuing to play to the standard that we set. I don’t care who’s in the game. I’m really pleased, though, with the overall effort of this team.”