Freeman: Notre Dame ‘Did Not Execute’ How It Needed to in Marshall Upset

The Fighting Irish coach took primary blame after Marshall upset his team in South Bend.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told reporters it is “never easy to come in here after a loss no matter who it is to” after Marshall pulled off a massive upset against Notre Dame on Saturday. 

The Thundering Herd shocked the No. 8 Irish in South Bend with a 26–21 victory. Freeman said, “We did not execute the way we needed to, to win this game.” 

Despite a scoreless first quarter, Marshall took the lead heading into halftime and held it into the third. Notre Dame’s offense seemed sluggish while its defense arguably kept the team in the game. Freeman said, “We’ve got to take a hard look at ourselves and get back to work.” He later added Notre Dame needs to look internally to find ways to improve. 

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Freeman took over the Fighting Irish last December after Brian Kelly departed for LSU. His hiring was met with emphatic support from players, as the young coach was promoted after one season as defensive coordinator.

But he is 0–3 since taking over, dating back to Fighting Irish’s bowl game. After Saturday’s outing, the program is the third team since 2000 to lose its first two games after being a preseason top 5-ranked squad, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Freeman was asked if his inexperience has played a part in the early-season struggles. He said, “I don’t know if it’s my experience at head coach. I don’t know if that’s a reason why or a lack of execution, but it starts with me. It starts with me as a head coach and looking at myself and saying, ‘What do I have to do to help this football team?’ and really look at everything we’re doing because the performance isn’t where we need it to be.” 

• Irish Breakdown: Game Observations: Notre Dame Offense From The Loss to Marshall 

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