Live updates: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman pre-Stanford press conference
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is set to address reporters for the final time before Saturday’s game vs. Stanford. The Irish take on the Cardinal at 3:30 p.m. ET in South Bend, and the game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
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 playing the Louisville game on repeat during the week leading up to that game, Freeman said it was less about motivation and more about making the players watch clips from that game and learn from them. With Stanford, he said the motivation comes from it being a rivalry game and competing for the Legends Trophy.
• Freeman did not get a chance to watch every game during the bye week, but he said he tries to research what the coaches are saying as far as the reasons they got upset. There’s a common thread, he said, with not starting fast, missed assignments, failing on third down, penalties and turnover margin, and those are all similar to the NIU loss.
“We have to understand… hey, these are the areas that factor into the result of a loss and use that to attack practice.”
• On Jaylen Sneed, Freeman wasn’t aware that he left the field before the alma mater after the Louisville game. He had a “great two weeks of practice,” and had an opportunity to learn from the previous game when he only played 12 snaps.
• On Tyler Buchner: “Everybody’s role is so important for us to have success.” He’s one of the players signaling in the signs during practice.
• Q: What do you need to do to improve the screen game? A: Practice, practice, practice.
• Freeman was asked a big-picture question: How do you define success this season? His answer, predictably, was “pretty simple around here: reaching our full potential.”
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• On special teams, Freeman said Notre Dame can’t have seven good plays and one detrimental play, which is what the theme of this season has been. Consistency is the key there.
• Freeman said the elimination of the national letter of intent won’t affect the way Notre Dame recruits. Just a difference in logistics, he explained.
• I asked Freeman about Notre Dame’s low play-action rates, and he simply said the Irish are calling the plays that they believe will have success. No information about whether that was a part of the self-scout, which makes sense — shouldn’t give away the game plan.
• Freeman said Notre Dame has been in contact with the players’ families who have been affected by Hurricane Milton.
• Asked about the run defense, Freeman said Notre Dame’s mindset (read: identity) on defense is to be elite in the passing game, but there are things the Irish can do to improve in the run game. Among them are scheme, run fits and tackling.
