Marcus Freeman didn’t waste Monday afternoon pretending Notre Dame’s issues are mysterious.
After a bye week, the Irish coach came out frustrated and direct, zeroing in on the same two trouble spots that have kept popping up all season: third down and the red zone. The problems showed up hard against BYU, and Freeman made it clear the extra time off was spent trying to sort them out before Notre Dame heads to Miami.
“We gotta be better on both sides of the ball in the red zone,” explained Freeman. “I think defensively it's third down.
Both sides of the ball really is third down. We have to be better on third down in the red zone.
QB runs are hurting us a little bit. Defensively, they're getting to the point where it's a manageable third down.
We gotta be better in our technique versus some of those third down passes.”
That frustration wasn’t just about one game. Freeman said the bye week and this week are about preparing for Navy, but also about drilling those problem areas that have hurt Notre Dame at different points this season.
Against some lesser opponents, the flaws stayed hidden. Against teams like Wisconsin in the first half, North Carolina, and BYU, they didn’t.
BYU made the damage obvious. The Cougars went 4-for-4 in the red zone against Notre Dame, and that kind of efficiency can bury a defense in a hurry.
Freeman said the staff didn’t just identify the issues - they attacked them all week.
“We really focused on a lot of red zone and third down situations this past week and we'll continue to do it even more going forward,” Freeman stated. “You can identify it and just say there's an issue where you can really say, OK, how can we truly have a plan to work it? That's my job to make sure we're working it in practice and we've increased our emphasis in those two areas.”
The third-down numbers told their own story. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier went 6-of-9 for 61 yards on third down and added 17 rushing yards on three carries in those spots. Notre Dame has struggled most on short-to-medium situations, and Freeman made it clear the defense has to tighten up its technique when teams get to that point.
He also said he spent the week without a game pushing his defensive coaches to solve the problems that showed up in Provo. And with earlier comments about the wide receiver rotation still hanging in the air, the message from Freeman was hard to miss: he sees the flaws, everyone else sees them too, and Notre Dame has to clean them up before Miami.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Injury Concerns Just Got More Serious With Miami Looming
Notre Dames defensive depth chart is getting thinner at the wrong time, and Marcus Freeman confirmed Thursday that cornerback DJ McKinney will miss the Navy game because of an ankle injury. Safety Brauntae Johnson is still out as well, while several other names remain in question, including tight end Cooper Flanagan, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, defensive lineman Loghan Thomas and cornerback Mark Zackery IV.
The immediate concern is Navy, but the bigger worry around the program is what this looks like with Miami approaching. Notre Dame believes this cluster of injuries will matter even more in that matchup, where available bodies and rotational flexibility tend to be tested far more aggressively, especially on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Still Has An Opening With Elite LB Kaden Henderson
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Henderson, for his part, has not given any indication that he is ready to move off his pledge, saying he still believes Texas A&M is the best fit. Notre Dame is still hoping to make a push before December signing day, but for now the Irish are simply trying to stay in the conversation and see whether the effort can turn into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Finally Get A First Look At Hidalgos New Support
Before Notre Dame tips off the season in earnest, fans will get an exhibition look at a roster that feels a little different around Hannah Hidalgo. The Irish are set to face Truman State with Hidalgo leading the way and two new transfers, Anaya Hardy and Madison St. Rose, giving the front line and the rotation some early-season intrigue.
For a team that already knows what it has in Hidalgo, the bigger question is how quickly those new pieces can settle in and change the way Notre Dame plays. Exhibition games do not answer everything, but they can offer a first glimpse at chemistry, roles and the kind of support the Irish hope will make this group deeper when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]