Live updates: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Oct. 2 press conference

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has some large questions to answer about his team even though the Fighting Irish got back in the win column vs. Duke. He’ll be at the press conference podium to speak on the 12 penalties his team took in that game and having to go 95 yards in the final three minutes to earn a come from behind victory.

You can watch Freeman’s press conference via the YouTube video player below. After that, Blue & Gold will have real-time, written updates of what Freeman is saying. He starts at 12 p.m. ET.

WATCH: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Oct. 2 press conference

What Freeman is saying

**Keep refreshing this page for real-time written updates of Freeman’s press conference.**

• Freeman starts by saying it’s “crazy” how two weeks in a row Notre Dame played two very similar games with two very different outcomes.

• Freeman calls Duke an extremely talented, well-coached team. But he doesn’t want the result to completely overshadow that Notre Dame was far from perfect in the game.

• Freeman says the challenge is fixing every detail of every play.

• Players of the game vs. Duke: Mitchell Evans, Howard Cross III, Jack Kiser.

• Freeman says it doesn’t take long to see why Louisville is 5-0. Speed at skill positions on both offense and defense. “They’ll present a challenge for our program.”

• Freeman: “How do we improve faster than our opponents?” Freeman says every college football team improves over the course of a season. The ones that improve the fastest play for championships.

• Freeman says he expects wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse to be back for the Louisville game. They missed the Duke game with hamstring strains.

• Freeman says the penalty problem really boils down to being focused and not taking some of those small things for granted. You’ve got to make sure you’re not lined up over the ball on defense, you’ve got to make sure you know the cadence on offense. Just have to lock in.

• Freeman says the analytics would say Audric Estimé should have gone down at the one yard line to set up a field goal, but he says it’s obviously still possible to win with Estimé scoring a touchdown. Notre Dame did the latter.

• Freeman says he was confident Notre Dame would execute a fake punt going into the Duke game. The Fighting Irish got that done the very first time they lined up in punt formation.

• Freeman says what makes Howard Cross III so great is he is a dedicated, tireless worker. Freeman says when he works with the scout team offensive line in practices he gives direct orders for them to not let Cross III through. Cross III still finds ways to get through.

• Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer is playing against Notre Dame for the third year in a row with a third different team. Freeman says Plummer’s experience is noticeable. “It’s hard to confuse him… He makes decisions quickly.”

• Freeman: “Don’t permit things in victories you wouldn’t permit in defeat.”

• Freeman says Notre Dame needs to improve its footwork and blocking angles in the run game.

• Freeman says he is partly invested in analytics, but he’s not 100 percent dependent on it. For example, analytics tell teams to go for it on fourth down a bunch. But what if you’ve got a struggling kicker like Spencer Shrader who could use a confidence boost from a shorter kick? It’s mostly situational for Freeman.

• Freeman says Notre Dame has made some tweaks in workout and practice scheduling with this being the Irish’s third of four 7:30 p.m. ET kickoffs in a row. The Irish got back to South Bend at 3 a.m. Sunday.

• Freeman says for him, data-driven fatigue reports are very rudimentary. By the time the very specific, analytical data gets to him, all Freeman wants to know is who is hurting the most, who needs the most rest and recovery, which position groups are reeling the most, etc. Freeman then goes from there with how he treats individuals and position groups.

• Freeman says the “communication delay” with Sam Hartman waving his hands in the air in confusion before the 30-yard Estimé touchdown was because Notre Dame does not have a universal signal for “center the ball for a field goal.”

• Freeman says ACC officials owned their mistake in admitting the punt that was originally ruled down at the 1 but was reviewed and turned into a touchback was not supposed to be a reviewable play. “We appreciate the honesty.”

• Freeman says tight end Eli Raridon should be ready to play this week. He has not played since Oct. 15, 2022.