Live updates: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman pre-Navy press conference
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is set to address reporters for the final time before Saturday’s game vs. Navy. The Irish take on the Midshipmen at noon ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Here are Blue & Gold’s live updates from Freeman’s Thursday Zoom press conference, which begins at noon ET.
**Keep refreshing this page for real-time, written updates from Notre Dame’s Zoom press conference.**
What Freeman is saying
• On putting together a complete offensive performance, Freeman said there is no guaranteed formula, but it’s more so a mindset of “We have to continue to get better.” What does better mean? “It means that we are more consistent.”
Essentially, the answer is “Leave no stone unturned” in finding that consistency.
• On red zone efficiency, the key on defense is to have a “Great red-zone plan” to stop Navy, who is the best red-zone offense in the country right now.
• Freeman said it’s important for Notre Dame to understand the history and significance of a Navy rivalry, and preparing in a way that gives the Irish a chance to have success.
• Regarding scholarship math, Jordan Faison was what Freeman called a “recruited walk-on,” meaning the Irish brought him in on an official visit. That’s why his scholarship automatically transferred to football when he saw the field. It’s different with Matt Jeffrey, who was recruited exclusively by the lacrosse team and joined football once he was already committed.
• Freeman said when he writes down notes during the game, it’s mostly just notes and reminders for himself. “There’s different things after each series, after each situation that happens that I jot down on certain sides of the page, to remind me of certain things but also keep track of certain things.”
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• Karson Hobbs and Max Hurleman are both improving as DBs, with Hobbs at corner and Hurleman at nickel. “There’s a chance you see both of them in a defensive role this week, based on the flow of the game.”
• On second- and third-quarter success, Freeman contributes Notre Dame’s to “hopefully a mindset, the ability to stay in the moment.”
“I do think it’s a testament to the in-game adjustments on all three phases. … That, more than anything, is a credit to that.”
• Freeman said he always has meetings with his players during each bye week to get a sense of where their heads are at and give them feedback on where they’re headed in the program for next season. Most of this year’s second bye week will be about this team, though, as opposed to last year when much of the focus was on figuring out quarterback and looking for a strength coach.
• On playing freshmen right away, Freeman said it speaks to the efforts of the recruiting staff, personnel department and coaches. Basically, he said, “We’re recruiting really good high school football players.”
“If they have the ability to help this team, we’re gonna play them. We’re not afraid to do that.”
