Everything Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Thursday before the Army game

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman spoke to the media for the final time Thursday before the No. 6 Fighting Irish face No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Here is everything Freeman told reporters in his about 10-minute news conference over Zoom.

On if there are ways he instills in his team to stay aggressive besides calling fake punts during the game:

“Yeah, I think it’s probably more than anything a daily reminder, a daily point of emphasis on — we can’t get through this day. We got to make the most out of it — through actions, through intentions. I think that’s something that’s so important that they have the right mindset every single day they’re in this building.

“When I say, ‘I want to be aggressive this game,’ and we have an opportunity to run a fake punt, I think the players believe in that. Every week, we come up with keys to victory for all three phases. Again, like we have to not just say … how important they are.

“So that’s a long answer to your your question about, is there other ways to hopefully display the mentality that I want our players to have, and I think it’s through daily actions, through intentions, through consistent messaging.”

On being an NFL head coaching candidate:

“I think it’s just an example of what I tell our players every day, with team glory and with team success comes individual recognition and individual glory.

“I know, and everybody hopefully in this program understands that, without everybody in this program accomplishing their roles that we’re not going to achieve the success that we want on the football field on Saturday. And so when you do do your job, and everybody gets their job done and you have success, there are going to be certain individuals each week, certain parts of the year, that have individual recognition and individual glory.

“But I know, and we know that, listen, I mean, it takes us all to achieve the success that we aspire to have. And so that, to me, is reflection. You know, your name is floating out there, and it’s a reflection of how this program is playing and performing every day and on Saturdays.

“As for me, I don’t — I’ve never even — I try not to waste time thinking about an uncertain future. I tell our players all the time like, ‘Your future is uncertain.’ So I try not to waste time thinking about things that aren’t in the moment. And so I haven’t spent any time really thinking about what the future will provide. Do I ever want to coach in the NFL? I have no clue. I don’t even know what that entails really right now, because I’ve never done it.

“But I’m just focused on staying here in the present and getting this team ready to have a great Thursday practice and hopefully putting in the work to achieve the outcome that we want on Saturday.”

On keeping the Army offense behind the chains:

“It’s so important. They are, as Coach (Jim) Tressel used to say, ‘Three yards and a cloud of dust.’ That’s what they want. They are a vertical, physical power running team. They’re good with getting three yards, four yards, three yards, four yards. And if you don’t get them behind the chains, they’re going to continue to do it for 11, 12, 15, play drives.

“It’s so important to get some negative yardage plays, one-yard gains. We cannot allow them to stay in rhythm as they go down the field. So it’s so important. We know it’s important, but now we have to find ways to do that on Saturday.”

On Notre Dame kicker Eric Goins, who served seven years in the United States Army:

“Having a guy like Eric being able to share his wisdom with our entire program, but specifically our young guys during fall camp was meaningful. He was able to speak to them through a lens of experience, through a guy that’s been to other places, that has been in the military, and I think he provided some wisdom for our guys that they don’t get to hear every fall camp when you hear and you have the seniors speak.

“We haven’t spent much time, any time this week, talking about his experience, obviously, in the military. But it’s something that I know he obviously values and everybody around here is appreciative of what he’s done in his service. But he knows he has a job to do on Saturday, and that’s most important in making sure he’s ready to go.”

On who the Notre Dame scout team quarterback has been for Army:

“It was Tyler Buchner. It’s been Tyler Buchner. He’s done a wonderful job. Really, he has owned the position and studied it and practiced it and walked through it. He’s done a great job of being our scout team quarterback this week and understanding all the details that this offense truly entails. From the cadence to the motions to the specific running points and growing opportunities that they’ve utilized.

“He’s done as well as we could have asked, to prepare us Tuesday and Wednesday for this challenge we are going to face on Saturday.”

On the role Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli has played in senior QB Riley Leonard’s development:

“It’s been a huge factor. It’s been something that you can’t take for granted. Obviously I would think the majority of college football offensive coordinators, I would say the majority, are at the quarterback position.

With us, and (offensive coordinator Mike) Denbrock being at the tight ends position, it’s so important that the relationship between Mike Denbrock and Gino Guidugli are aligned. And then the message from Gino Guidugli to Riley Leonard and the quarterbacks has to be one that is very clear and they understand exactly what the position entails.

“So Gino has done a wonderful job of being able to, I think, as you sit sometimes in those game plan meetings, Gino has to be able to understand the information Denbrock is providing and be able to translate it to the understanding of a quarterback, but also be able to have input from the quarterback’s eyes to Denbrock, right?

“‘Hey, you might have this idea. This is probably how the quarterback will see it.’ And so it’s crucial that position, man, working both ways, vertically to Coach Denbrock, and then, down to the quarterback is so important. Gino Guidugli has done a wonderful job, and is a huge asset to this program.”

On Notre Dame’s response this week to the penalties last Saturday against Virginia

“It’s been a point of emphasis. We have to play cleaner. We have to play with better technique. And some of those penalties were a result of poor technique. We have to address it in practice. And they have been, they’ve been working on it. I have a lot of confidence in our offensive line and Coach (Joe) Rudolph and the job he does with them.

“But we all know that any penalty, especially those penalties on Saturday, is unacceptable. So what do you do about it? You own it, you identify it. You come up with a plan to attack it in practice, and you work tirelessly at it, and they’ve done a wonderful job. It’s been a really good week of practice for our entire program, but specifically our offensive line.”