Marcus Freeman wants players to 'keep the pain of NIU' entering Florida State game

It’s been two months since Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois. The Fighting Irish haven’t forgotten about that stunning upset defeat.

They still call back to it as a source of motivation, and they’ll do so again this week when preparing for a 1-8 Florida State team that’s second-to-last nationally with 14.4 points per game this season.

“I even heard it last week on the road recruiting, ‘Oh, you guys have Florida State, they’re struggling,'” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said Monday. “And yes, their record might not be where they want it to be, but I’m not trying to make this team something they’re not. They’re a talented, talented football team, and that’s going to be my message to the team is that we respect our opponent.

“You don’t have to watch many plays to realize how talented they are, but we got to continue to do the things in preparation to make sure we give our program the best chance to have success on Saturday. And that’s what we got to remember. It’s a mental preparation and a physical preparation, and we know what the result is when you don’t mentally prepare the right way. We know it, and that’s why we say, ‘keep the pain of NIU,’ because that’s a result of not having the right mindset.”

Notre Dame opened the 2024 campaign with a head-turning, 23-13 win at Texas A&M. That victory still holds up as the Irish’s best accomplishment this season. The Aggies went on to rattle off seven victories in a row and, despite last week’s letdown at South Carolina, are No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Except, a week after Notre Dame made its season-opening statement in College Station, it fell to NIU, 16-14. The Irish lost the turnover battle (2-0), converted just 3-of-10 third downs, got outgained by more than 100 yards and had a potential game-winning field goal blocked, albeit one that was attempted from 62 yards out.

Flash forward to Week 11, and Notre Dame is coming off an off week. It’s currently No. 10 in the CFP rankings and riding a six-game win streak.

Unlike last time out when the Irish faced a ranked and undefeated Navy squad, they have to handle business against a floundering FSU team that’s plummeted since winning an ACC title and barely missing out on the CFP last year.

“Like, how do you handle success?” Freeman said, referencing his team’s recent surge. “It’s important that our guys understand that. You’re going to be presented every day with two options: choose easy, choose hard. And my message will continue to be, we have only one option. It’s choose hard.

“And that’s what we have to do to continue to elevate as a program.”