Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Week 11 press conference live updates

Notre Dame is back in game week mode following its second off week of the season. Head coach Marcus Freeman speaks to the media about the Fighting Irish’s upcoming game against Florida State in South Bend on Saturday.

Watch Freeman’s press conference at 12:30 p.m. ET via the YouTube video player below and follow along with live updates of what Freeman is saying with real-time, written posts from Blue & Gold at the bottom of the page.

WATCH: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Week 11 press conference

What Freeman is saying

**Keep refreshing this page for real-time, written updates of what Freeman is saying.**

• Freeman says producing 28 points off six Navy turnovers was the biggest part in reflecting on Notre Dame’s last win two weeks ago. He points to an instance in college football this year when a team lost a game despite winning the turnover battle by six.

• Notre Dame players of the game vs. Navy — Jeremiyah Love, Jaylen Sneed and James Rendell.

• Injuries…
-Freshman safety Tae Johnson will be available for the first time this season. 
-Senior kicker Mitch Jeter is still quesitonable. 
-Freshman defensive end Loghan Thomas is questionable.

• Freeman says Florida State’s record does not reflect the type of talent the Seminoles have. FSU has Notre Dame’s full attention this week.

• Freeman says Jordan Botelho plans on coming back to South Bend for a sixth season in 2025.

• Freeman says he knows his team will look at the College Football Playoff rankings tomorrow, but he says they do not matter right now. All that matters is today and beating FSU on Saturday.

• Freeman says Notre Dame’s offensive line will be the same for FSU as it was for Navy.

• Freeman says defensive tackle Jason Onye is taking some personal time to take care of some things in his own life. If he’s able to return to the team at any point this season, the Irish will be glad to have him back.

• Freeman points to running the ball “no matter who’s the person who’s running the ball” and taking shots downfield when there is an extra defender in the box as things the Notre Dame offense needs to keep getting better at in the stretch run of the season.

• Freeman faced FSU head coach Mike Norvell twice in 2019. Norvell was the head coach at Memphis and Freeman was the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati. Then Freeman faced him again as the DC at Notre Dame in the 2021 season opener. He knows the Norvell offense very well.

• Freeman admits it’d be tough to be in FSU’s situation, thinking you’re going to be 8-1 heading into Notre Dame but you’re 1-8. But from the Irish’s perspective, they have to treat FSU like it is actually an 8-1 team.

• Freeman says Jaylen Sneed was a perfect example of putting team glory first and allowing individual glory to come along with it against Navy. He says nobody would be asking about the great game Sneed had vs. the Midshipmen if Notre Dame did not win that game.

• Freeman says the case of Riley Leonard this season has been one of maturity. He says Leonard saw the highest of highs and lowest of lows in his first two weeks as Notre Dame’s quarterback. He responded well to the roller coaster and has become much more consistent.

• Freeman says Notre Dame freshman QB CJ Carr will return to throwing soon. If Carr was the starting QB, Freeman says the staff might’ve pushed him to get back sooner with his injured elbow. They’ve had the luxury of cautiousness. “We want to make sure he is 110% healed.”

• Freeman says the Notre Dame coaching staff encouraged Fighting Irish players to register to vote over the summer and even though this is a game week, they’re very much empowered to perform their civic duty on Tuesday.

• Freeman calls wide receiver Jordan Faison a game-changer. He’s glad to have him back in a fuller capacity coming back from the ankle injury.

• Freeman says Notre Dame’s continued pass-rushing prowess despite so many injuries to the defensive ends is a testament to how dominant Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills are in the middle. “Stats don’t always tell that story, but we know.”