Marcus Freeman's Most Impressive Feat at Notre Dame

Maybe that 8-4 regular season in 2022 is a bit more impressive when you look back

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with teammates after a touchdown during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

I'm not sure if Notre Dame will ever win a national championship under head coach Marcus Freeman or not, but even if it does, it may not be Freeman's top accomplishment leading the Fighting Irish.

If you remember back to Freeman's first season as head coach of Notre Dame, the Irish started 0-2 before Drew Pyne replaced an injured Tyler Buchner at starting quarterback. Pyne and Freeman then helped guide Notre Dame to an 8-2 record the rest of the season before Pyne exited to the transfer portal before the bowl game.

Going 8-2 with Drew Pyne as your starting quarterback is proving to be no small feat. In fact, it is as impressive as anything Notre Dame has done since Marcus Freeman was named head coach in December of 2021.

Drew Pyne's Struggles Since Leaving Notre Dame

Oct 26, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Pyne (6) rolls out to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. / Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Pyne left Notre Dame for Arizona State, where he spent the 2023 season. In two games last season, Pyne went 26 of 49 passing for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Sun Devils lost both of those contests.

Pyne then transferred to Missouri where he is spending this season and has been forced into action after starting quarterback Brady Cook was hurt against Auburn. Things have been a challenge for the Tigers with Pyne as signal caller.

Pyne had a rough showing Saturday, completing 6 of 12 pass attempts for 42 yards against Alabama while hurling three interceptions. For the year he's thrown for 248 yards on 55 attempts and is yet to throw a touchdown pass. He's also not completed a pass for more than 21 yards.

Freeman, Tommy Rees Deserve Credit for that 8-2 Run

Oct 29, 2022; Syracuse, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Drew Pyne (10) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Syracuse Orange at JMA Wireless Dome. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

It wasn't like Drew Pyne was some kind of superhero while at Notre Dame and lost his magic potion after leaving South Bend.

He came in and led an important drive that helped flip the script in a 2021 contest against Wisconsin before showing flashes against Cincinnati a week later. Pyne wouldn't throw a pass again until 2022, however.

When forced into the starting role due to a Tyler Buchner injury, Pyne averaged 8.0 yards per attempt in 2022, while throwing 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 254 pass attempts. It wasn't a Heisman Trophy worthy performance but was significantly more serviceable than what has happened since.

That is a compliment to the Notre Dame coaching staff from 2022 which obviously includes Marcus Freeman but also includes Tommy Rees. Rees of course left following the year to call plays for Nick Saban at Alabama and gets remembered at times for how hard he coached Pyne during that year.

Norte Dame OC Tommy Rees is clearly up in the booth giving QB Drew Pyne HELL 🤣😅

(via @RealBigDev216)pic.twitter.com/UQ6EcdBkHz

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 17, 2022

This isn't to knock Drew Pyne, he's shown that he can have some success in big-time college football. It's more to say that a quarterback's success has to do with skill but there better be some quality coaching and game planning that factors in.

Pyne got that at Notre Dame.

I'm not so sure it's happening to nearly to the same degree at Missouri.

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