NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock's Mad Respect for Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

The NIU coach showered Freeman with praise ahead of trip to Notre Dame

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets players during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame is hosting Northern Illinois on Saturday for the first Fighting Irish home game of 2024. Notre Dame fans need no reminder of how dangerous a game like this can be, a week after an emotional road opener.

It was just two years ago, fresh off a trip to Ohio State in a season-opening loss that Notre Dame came home and was handed one of its worst home losses in recent memory, when Marshall bested the Irish.

Northern Illinois wants to do the same and head coach Thomas Hammock spoke about the challenges Notre Dame presents during his media availability on Tuesday.

Notre Dame's Attention to Detail/Special Teams

"One thing as a head coach when I watch an opponent the first thing I look at is special teams. That gives you a feel for the type of feel and culture of the opponent, and one thing I can tell you is Notre Dame is exceptional on special teams. Normally those are the guys who are fighting to get on the bus, fighting to get on the field by any means necessary. They do a great job in that regard."

On His Respect for Marcus Freeman

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

“I have a ton of respect for coach Freeman. To be a head coach at Notre Dame with everything that comes with it, obviously he has to be an outstanding person. I don’t know him personally but I had the chance to watch him progress throughout his coaching from afar. But he has a physical football team. As a former linebacker, you would expect that. They play physical. They play downhill. They have tremendous athletes. It’s going to be a great challenge for us."

On Playing at Notre Dame Stadium

“For us it’s a tremendous challenge. We obviously know it’s going to be a hostile environment. We’ll work crowd noise this week. There are going to be a lot of things that go into the preparation standpoint. But for us, it’s about making it about us and how we prepare and how we go execute. We know it’s going to be physical. Notre Dame is going to stand in the middle of the ring, and we got to go to the middle of the ring and match their intensity.”

Challenges of Notre Dame's Offense

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) attempts to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

“For us it’s a tremendous challenge. We obviously know it’s going to be a hostile environment. We’ll work crowd noise this week. There are going to be a lot of things that go into the preparation standpoint. But for us, it’s about making it about us and how we prepare and how we go execute. We know it’s going to be physical. Notre Dame is going to stand in the middle of the ring, and we got to go to the middle of the ring and match their intensity.”

Challenges Al Golden Presents with Notre Dame Defense

“Defensively, coach Golden, the defensive coordinator, obviously he’s been a head coach. He’s been around. Coached in the NFL. Has a tremendous scheme. They can attack you from different fronts. They can attack you from different blitz looks. And they’re aggressive. They’re physical, and they’re downhill. They’ve got a really good front four that sets the tone for their defense. Their linebackers play downhill. And then on the back-end of their defense No. 0 is a great player. No. 20 is a great player. They’ve got some guys who can be erasers on the back end of their defense, which allows them to play good defense on all three levels.”

What Does He See When He Watches Film on Notre Dame?

“As a team, they play without hesitation which, to me, if you are a physical player, you like to see. But nobody hesitates on their team from the offensive players to the defensive players to their special teams players. If they’re going to hit you, they’re going to hit you full speed. You have to understand that and understand how to offset that and counter that. And you have to match that level of intensity. We know what’s coming and we know what it looks like and we have to be ready to fight back.”

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