Marcus Freeman reveals keys in 'cold, December game' vs. Indiana in 1st round of College Football Playoff

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame wanted “football weather” for Friday’s College Football Playoff opener. They got it with temperatures into the 20s by kickoff – and the Irish dominated in the first half, taking a 17-3 lead into halftime on a cold night in South Bend.

In the second half, though, Freeman said he wanted to see Notre Dame continue its success on the ground. On defense, the Fighting Irish also have to stand strong against the IU rushing attack.

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Notre Dame had a monster first half on the ground, led by a 98-yard touchdown from Jeremiyah Love to start its second drive. The Fighting Irish put up 155 rushing yards against the nation’s best run defense while holding Indiana to just 61 yards on the ground. That’s a good recipe for success, and Freeman said that’s important during cold games.

“We knew this was going to be a battle,” Freeman told ABC’s Molly McGrath. “You talk about cold, December games, you’ve got to be able to run the ball, you’ve got to stop the run. That’s something we’ve been doing pretty well. Taking care of the ball for the most part.

“We’ve got to continue to try to make an impact on special teams. This is gonna be a battle. It’s been a good fight. Looking forward to coming back for the second half.”

After throwing an interception on just the second play of the game, Riley Leonard settled in well, completing 11 of 17 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown to Jayden Thomas. Notre Dame ran a balanced attack on offense with 17 rushing attempts, led by Love’s 91 yards on just four carries and 26 yards on six attempts from Jadarian Price.

But to end the second quarter, Notre Dame got a welcome sight. Mitch Jeter – who’s been working through multiple injuries the last few weeks – drilled a 49-yard field goal to make it a 14-point lead heading into the locker room.

It marked Jeter’s first made attempt since Nov. 9 after missing his last three tries, and Marcus Freeman pointed out how important it was for both his kicker and the Fighting Irish.

“It’s huge for Mitch,” Freeman said. “He’s been a little banged up. I know he had a good few weeks in practice, so to see him make that 49-yarder was big for his confidence and for the confidence we have in him.”