Marcus Freeman praises QB Steve Angeli, calls for Notre Dame to be 'relentless' in second half of Sun Bowl

As the afternoon progresses on the final Friday of 2023, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame lead Oregon State 14-0 at halftime of the Sun Bowl.

Due to Fighting Irish starting quarterback Sam Hartman opting out of the game, it’s been Steve Angeli against the Beavers. Through the first half, the backup signal caller has thrown for 121 yards and a touchdown, but he’s also fumbled.

Speaking with ESPN, Freeman explained that he’s liking what he’s seeing from Angeli, but you simply can’t have that fumble.

“A lot of good. Some things we’ve got to get corrected,” Freeman explained. “The biggest thing is don’t put that ball on the ground. Be smart. Just go down in that situation. But he keeps battling, making good decisions. Excited to see what he does in the second half.”

As the second half approaches, Freeman is hoping for one thing — relentless effort from his team. That shouldn’t be a problem for Notre Dame.

“I want to attack. I want to be relentless,” Freeman told ESPN, regarding what he’s expecting in the second half. “There’s been a lot of work put into this opportunity. We’re not going to stop now. It’s about finishing this game. When we get back to the locker room, that’s when it’ll be over. We’ve got to go out there and be relentless.”

Marcus Freeman wants Notre Dame to finish the season strong with a win in the Sun Bowl. We’ll see if they can hold on to their two touchdown lead over Oregon State.

More on Notre Dame vs. Oregon State

Moreover, the Sun Bowl for what is was one of the more intriguing matchups entering bowl season in 2023.

The Beavers had an excellent season, but frustratingly came up short to end the season against both Washington and Oregon. Shortly after that, head coach Jonathan Smith left to become the head coach at Michigan State. He was replaced by Kefense Hynson for the Sun Bowl but the Beavers have suffered numerous losses in the transfer portal.

As of now, Oregon State has lost several key players. That includes starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and backup quarterback Aidan Chiles. Beyond that, players like Jermod McCoy and Jack Velling are big losses for the Beavers.

That isn’t to say the Irish haven’t suffered any attrition because they have. Notre Dame has had several key players declare for the NFL Draft. That includes captains on both sides of the ball, star running back Audric Estime, and starting quarterback Sam Hartman. On top of that, the Irish have several of their own transfer players to deal with.

Among Notre Dame’s transfers are several key offensive players like Chris Tyree, Tobias Merriweather, and Zeke Correll. In total, it’s four wide receivers, three offensive linemen, and a tight end in the transfer portal, along with a change at the offensive coordinator spot for the Irish. 

So, neither team was at full strength going into the Sun Bowl. We’ll see which squad is able to hoist the trophy at the end of the game.