Thoughts on what Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said after the win over Purdue

Like he does after every Notre Dame football game, head coach Marcus Freeman stepped up to the podium and spoke with media members.

Being the first win of the 2025 season for the Irish, he was pretty subdued with his celebration, but there still was one. With just twelve guaranteed games in each season, you have to savor every victory, which is exactly what Notre Dame did.

Freeman went on to touch on multiple topics, both good and bad for the Irish. Find out below my takeaways on what Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said following the win over Purdue.

Opening statement

Freeman understood the moment saying that the team should celebrate this moment, but there’s still work to do. It’s important to relish in victories, as it wouldn’t be fun not to as he explained. I love this mentality, and it happens all throughout every level of football. This team will keep working as Freeman said “it wasn’t perfect,” which is wasn’t and there are plenty of areas to grow.

On the delay

It was two different conversations, one on offense and the other on defense. Offensively, it was about taking care of the ball, as right before the long break, quarterback CJ Carr was blindsided and lost the ball which Purdue jumped on. Sure, the offense was humming, but again, an area to work on. As for the defense it was all about trusting technique and doing your job. Freeman talked about not harping on the past, focusing on the task at hand.

Explosive plays still plaguing defense

It seems like the front and back end still aren’t on the same page, as Freeman wasn’t very happy about having both parts of the defense working together. He talked about when they bring extra guys, they have to get pressure, they can’t allow the defensive backs to cover for so long. Freeman stressed the idea that you can’t panic when the opposition makes plays. He liked the effort, and felt like it was his fault on the final touchdown allowed since they should have punted.

“Our offense is explosive”

At this point in the season, the offense is the clear strength, as Freeman called the group “explosive.” He credited them with being able to control the clock while still moving the ball, calling out the perimeter blocking. This was a great effort from this group, and he again stressed ball security.

Has confidence in the young members of the secondary

More than a few younger Notre Dame players were pressed into action on Saturday, as starters Adon Shuler missed the first half and Leonard Moore sat out due to an injury. Freeman said he’s got plenty of confidence in Dallas Golden and Mark Zackery, but he knows they’ll have to live through some growing pains. He knows that they’ll need him, but he knows these reps will help them get better. The experience they gained is invaluable to their development.

Still areas to improve at

As he mentioned in his opening statement, Freeman doesn’t think this team is a finished product, with plenty of growth in multiple ares to achieve that. He knows that it will take some time to correct the issues, and the return of some players to good health, but there shouldn’t be any panic. Freeman admitted that he does on occasion, but trust will help get through that.

CJ Carr is different, ‘he’s got way more to go’

The gut feeling that Freeman had with Carr is already paying off, as he’s looked very good in his first three starts considering the situation. The redshirt freshman was fantastic on Saturday, as just two of his 12 passes hit the ground, and didn’t throw an interception. Freeman said his competitive sprit mixed in with his talent and work ethic stands out. He went on to say that he believes that Carr is just scratching the surface, and has more than a few levels before he gets there.

Jadarian Price is a better person than a football player

When asked about Price, who scored four touchdowns, Freeman didn’t talk about his performance, he spoke on his selflessness. He knows that Jeremiyah Love is a great player, and doesn’t complain when he isn’t on the field. It says a lot about Price as a person, and Freeman loves that trait to him that stands out.

Execution still an issue on defense

Freeman was asked if players were confused with some of the play calls, but he was quick to answer that it wasn’t that. While sometimes players missed assignments, which happens every time the game is played, it’s not about what they’re supposed to be running, more the execution of the play. Freeman thinks what everyone is seeing is frustration, which could be the case since the standard is so high with that group.

Jordan Faison is two C’s

The reintroduction to Jordan Faison happened on Saturday, as he caught 5 passes for 105-yards and a score. Freeman talked about two C’s with him, competitive and consistency, which he’s brought every day. That gives Carr the confidence to know exactly where he’s supposed to be, and the play speaks for itself. It was a great day for Faison, and hopefully there are more to come.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Thoughts on Marcus Freeman comments following Purdue victory