Live updates: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Week 8 press conference

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has the Fighting Irish at 5-1 at the midway point of the regular season for the second year in a row. He’s speaking to the media about the Irish’s 49-7 victory over Stanford and the upcoming game against Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m. ET Monday.

Watch the press conference via the YouTube video player below. Follow along with real-time, written updates of what Freeman is saying at the bottom of this page.

WATCH: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman Week 8 press conference (Georgia Tech)

What Freeman is saying

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

• Freeman says Saturday’s outcome was “great” to keep the Legends Trophy. But, “We have to continue to recognize we can play better. There are plays all over the film where we can perform at a higher level.”

• Mitch Jeter is questionable for the Georgia Tech game. Jordan Faison is available. Billy Schrauth is also questionable.

• Benjamin Morrison is out for the season with an injured hip that needs to be surgically repaired.

• Freeman recognizes that Notre Dame is now thin at the cornerback spot with Morrison out for the year and Jaden Mickey having decided to opt out of the rest of the season and transfer at the end of the year. So much is now on the shoulders of true freshmen Karson Hobbs and Leonard Moore.

• Freeman says there is a game plan for running back usage going in. Notre Dame didn’t perform well on its first series. Jeremiyah Love was on the field for it. Jadarian Price came in for the second series, and the Irish went down and scored a touchdown. Then the Irish rode the hot hand. That’s why Love didn’t have a first-quarter touch.

• Freeman says freshman defensive tackle Bryce Young is developing faster than anyone at Notre Dame could have thought, including himself.

• Freeman on Moore: “He’ll be ready. We have a lot of confidence in Leonard Moore.”

• Notre Dame is well aware of the challenge of containing dual-threat Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King, Freeman says.

• Freeman says generating pass-rush after the injuries to Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore has been about executing at a higher level. Not necessarily scheme adjustments or sending more guys but just understanding the situation and playing better.

• Freeman says this week is about not being caught off guard by anything playing at a foreign venue entails. Freeman does not want there to be any surprises for Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

• Freeman says the success of the Notre Dame passing offense against Stanford goes back to what the Irish saw in practice. It was about preparation. He says the offense saw from Stanford what it saw from the scout team all week.

• Freeman says the Notre Dame offense has progressed nicely in recent games, but there is more out there on that side of the ball for the Irish. “There’s another level. And I believe we’ll get it.”

• If Notre Dame is without Mitch Jeter this week, Freeman says he has an idea of what Zac Yoakam and Marcello Diomede can give the team in in-game field goal situations.

• Freeman clearly hasn’t seen the Kirby Smart video, but he gives an open answer on the idea of touching an opponent’s player near the sideline… “The general rule is use common sense… Putting your hand on an opponent’s player isn’t helping us win.”

• Freeman says he’s proud of the way the Notre Dame offensive line has played given the injuries and uncertainties that have hit that group this season.