Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman still has not mastered the most underrated part of being a college football coach at a blue-blood school: Beat the teams you’re supposed to beat.
It looked like it was going to be enough for a while, but new Notre Dame transfer quarterback Riley Leonard and the offense could never add on.
Northern Illinois outgained Notre Dame by 102 yards, was better on third down and held the ball for almost 10 more minutes.
Over 12 years, Kelly won more games than any coach in Notre Dame’s storied history but was never beloved in South Bend.
It took Kelly several years to figure out the formula for success at Notre Dame and he had plenty of these types of losses early to the likes of Tulsa, Navy and South Florida.
The knock on Kelly became that his teams couldn’t win the biggest games or hang with the very best teams.
Year 3 is historically a big one for Notre Dame coaches, filled with national titles and championship game appearances.
The 12-team College Football Playoff changes everything this year, but Notre Dame was already in danger of facing intense scrutiny from the selection committee for a schedule that is less than loaded.
But how would Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord (eight touchdown passes in two games for Syracuse ) have looked in a maize-and-blue winged helmet this year?
… Freeman could use some advice from Penn State coach James Franklin.
The most important but often overlooked aspect of coaching college football at a prestigious university is beating the teams you’re supposed to beat. Marcus Freeman, the head coach of Notre Dame, still hasn’t mastered this skill.
Not everything is simple. Simply ask “no.”. 7 Oregon and N. 8 Penn State.
In 2022, Freeman already experienced being upset at home by Marshall and a Stanford team that was in the middle of a 3-9 season. Now, he can add Saturday’s stunning home loss to a 28-point underdog Northern Illinois to his resume.
“This is not our first time here,” Freeman informed the media.
Sort of. Far worse is this one.
Freeman has been the Fighting Irish’s coach for three years now. At 38 years old, he is still a young coach, but inexperience is no longer a valid defense. Not for Freeman, not for his group.
As coaches, it’s our responsibility to ensure that these guys are prepared to play. I’ve always maintained that preparation shows in performance,” he remarked.
After a convincing victory over Texas A&M on the road, Notre Dame entered the game ranked fifth. With a home game against a Mid-American Conference team, they appeared to have the most feasible route to the College Football Playoff in the nation.
The Fighting Irish took a 14–13 lead after Jeremiyah Love’s game-winning touchdown run in the third quarter, their only other scoring opportunity of the day.
For a while, it appeared like it would be sufficient, but Riley Leonard, the recently acquired quarterback from Notre Dame, and the offense were never able to add more. With roughly six minutes remaining, you could almost feel the fear creeping in under Touchdown Jesus when Leonard threw a horrifying, poorly-thrown interception that set up the Huskies at midfield.
The Irish lost 16-14 in the end, despite two very obvious officiating errors in the last minute that cost NIU a first down (a misspotted ball and an oversight by the officials to start the clock after a measurement).
In addition to outgaining Notre Dame by 102 yards, Northern Illinois excelled on third down and maintained possession of the ball for nearly ten additional minutes.
Still, how?
Following Brian Kelly’s departure for LSU, Freeman was eagerly hired. Though he was a new head coach, he seemed to be everything that Kelly wasn’t.
He had a connection with the players and supporters that Kelly never had. He was charismatic, passionate, and in the moment.
Despite winning more games than any other coach in Notre Dame’s legendary past over a 12-year span, Kelly was never well-liked in South Bend.
Kelly had a lot of these kinds of early losses to teams like Tulsa, Navy, and South Florida. It took him several years to figure out the formula for success at Notre Dame.
Kelly’s team saw seven straight seasons with ten wins, two four-team playoff appearances, and success in 2017. Kelly’s teams were criticized for not being able to compete with the best teams or win the biggest games.
Nevertheless, he excelled in the games that he was expected to win, and the Irish supporters were moved by his performance.
Maintaining composure by not becoming the weekend’s biggest story by falling to a massive underdog is a trait that may not be the most attractive in a college football coach.
Since 2022, there have been 28 college football games in which the home team has lost by at least 16 points, according to Chris Fallica of Fox Sports. Three of them are now on Freeman’s teams.
For Notre Dame coaches historically, the third year is significant because it brings championship game appearances and national titles.
By all measures, this appeared to be Freeman’s best team yet; however, it’s possible that we underestimated the challenges that a completely redesigned offensive line would bring. Nevertheless, in the home opener against a MAC club, that cannot be exposed.
“Our score is 1-1. We must acknowledge that reality. But, safety Xavier Watts told reporters, “We have a long season ahead of us.”.
He is correct. This year’s 12-team College Football Playoff makes all the difference, but Notre Dame was already going to be under close examination from the selection committee because of their weak schedule.
Perhaps that will change. Louisville holds the No. 22. In no way. 13 Southern California is winning after defeating Kelly’s LSU squad in the first week of play. It seems extended.
“We must take responsibility for this. All coaches combined. Everyone present in this room. This is something that we all need to own, Freeman stated.
Yes, you most certainly will.
Getting through Jeanty.
For the second straight week, Oregon was in a tight game in the fourth quarter, but this time, they were up against some serious pressure from what may be the best running back in the nation.
Ashton Jeanty of Boise State scored three more touchdowns, including one from 70 yards, to make it nine in two games. Only two special teams touchdowns and a late field goal proved enough to keep the Ducks afloat.
Next, Oregon is a part of the Pacific Northwest’s intriguing doubleheader. First up in the rivalry since the Pac-12 collapse, the Ducks travel to Oregon State.
Washington State and Washington have an Apple Cup match in Seattle. Not one of the four has lost yet.
Michigan is lacking.
Or you could say no. Three Texas’ rout at No. 10 Michigan was decided in the first half, but in all likelihood, the Wolverines’ decision to forgo the transfer portal in December of last year was made.
All things considered, Michigan had a national championship in hand and a head coach in Jim Harbaugh, who, as anyone with access to the internet could tell you, was almost certainly returning to the NFL.
Rebuilding a roster that was about to send over a dozen players to the NFL wasn’t exactly the best way to get things started.
It’s still hard to believe Michigan’s new coach, Sherrone Moore, started the season with this quarterback situation in this era of college football free agency.
Although Davis Warren is an inspiring tale of a man who beat cancer and is more valuable as a starting player than most walk-ons, he doesn’t currently appear ready to start for a team that is regarded as a playoff contender.
It appeared as though Alex Orji was J’s heir apparent as a first-round draft pick. J. McCarthy, even though in his first two seasons at Michigan he completed just six passes in his career. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Texan would provide the Wolverines’ offense with a running threat, if nothing else. But Warren, who had just 73 yards passing through three quarters and threw two interceptions against Texas, outperformed him.
Florida State and Kentucky are learning the hard way that a transfer quarterback is not a guarantee. But what would have appeared in a maize-and-blue winged helmet this season for Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord (eight touchdown passes in two games for Syracuse)?
Eli Holstein, an Alabama transfer, has led Pitt to a 2-0 start with six touchdown passes and two 300-yard passing games. How about something more along the lines of a developmental player? Maalik Murphy, a Texas transfer, leads Duke 2-0 and has five touchdown passes.
Naturally, Michigan’s offense is dealing with more than just its quarterback. The most obvious problem is this.
“I was more concerned with what we could do to improve than I was with the growing pains,” Moore remarked. “We were aware that we were a new group. We never try to take our victory in last year’s national championship lightly. “.
across the nation.
Right now, three teams from the Southeastern Conference are ranked in the top four by the AP: No. First Georgia, No. Three Texas and the No. 4 Alabama. In no way. 14 Tennessee may be nearer that group than its ranking indicates. By far, the Volunteers outnumbered No. 24 NC States. dot. James Franklin, the coach at Penn State, has some advice that Freeman might find useful. The eighth-ranked Nittany Lions trailed another MAC team, Bowling Green, by 24 points and 289 yards in the first half. However, they corrected their mistakes at halftime and won by a single score. Although Penn State supporters were undoubtedly disappointed, Happy Valley is a better place to be this weekend than South Bend because almost losing is still winning. dot. Twelve finalists No. 16 Oklahoma City and the No. 17 Kansas State both required comebacks in the second half to win difficult nonconference matches. The Cowboys gave up 648 yards to Taylen Green, another attractive transfer quarterback, and Arkansas, but they capitalized on numerous errors made by the Razorbacks to win in double overtime. dot. In order to escape New Orleans undefeated, the Wildcats required a late scoop-and-score and were fortunate to have Tulane called for offensive pass interference. dot. When facing unranked opponents, a few ranked teams did not have as much luck: Iowa State came back to defeat No. 21 Iowa with a last-second 54-yard field goal from redshirt freshman kicker Kyle Konrady. Illinois prevailed against No. 19 Kansas, marking their first triumph over a ranked nonconference foe since 2019. dot. No. 11 Utah was winning their game against Baylor when quarterback Cam Rising, a sixth-year player, left with a hand injury. The Utes won the game and later declared that Rising’s injury was not serious. Considering how Utah’s offense functions without him, it’s best not to. dot. UAB passed over interim coach Bryant Vincent when it hired former Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer, who was coaching a high school team in Tennessee, in an unusual and dramatic move. On Saturday, ULM defeated UAB 32–6, and Louisiana–Monroe, who hired Vincent this offseason, prevailed. dot. Not at all. 25 Clemson defeated Appalachian State 35 points in the first quarter, looking like a team fed up with being told it was no longer a serious contender in the national tournament.
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