Northern Illinois | Marcus Freeman Weekly Press Conference (9.2.24) | Notre Dame Football

coach Freeman please get us started all right um you know just obviously it was a great team win um in a a great environment on Saturday um a lot of individuals did some really good things uh as you watch back in evaluate film but I'm most proud of how we played complimentary football it was important to play complimentary football um when two really good teams go at it and uh we won to battle a field position which was a a major key for us and then we won a turnover margin um those two things were were vital for us to have success on Saturday um the defense played really well uh two turnovers were were huge um and holding A&M to fi goals two out of those three times when they were in our territory was key and uh that was something we emphasized and offensively to to not make a crucial mistake all right versus a really really good defense um was key we had to protect the football and uh we did that by not turning the ball over um and being effective offensively um t finished the fourth quarter with an8 playay 85 yard TD Drive was that was the difference right we knew it was going to be a battle the entire game and um that's really the the moment where we were able to say okay we we have this we got the game and uh we did a good job defensively following that and then uh we finished with the field goal um you know Mitch special teams wise with Mitch going three for three um that was that was Major um that was Major and then uh you know I thought our kickoff coverage did did the kickoff coverage unit did a really good job of pinning them back a couple times and and those points are all are all key when you talk about winning the battle of Field position um and and and that was they all contribute to that um the player the game on offense was Riley lonard um defense was Xavier watts and then special teams was Mitch Jeter and then uh the special uh sorry about that the Scout players of the week were on offense Justin Fischer um on defense Kobe ANUK and uh special teams was cam Williams and so um I just put the last thing was the co I thought the coaches and players both did a really good job of making those first game adjustments like there's things that you can prepare for um looking at the the previous season new coordinators all those different things but the game one is going to be a game about adjustments and I thought our coaches and players did a good job by the iPads were were key those iPads really help with getting your players to to see the adjustments um that we have to make and see what the opponent is doing um a lot to clean up and a lot to improve from and uh we got to continue to learn from the the many teaching opportunities that a game uh really gives you and so uh we got to go back and prepare we we we'll evaluate it today uh with our players and give them the the keys that we believe it's going to help them to improve um our performance and uh we'll move forward from there fison was the only major injury um from that that game which uh we expect to be out probably one to two weeks with an ankle sprain um uh but we'll see over the next week how he improves and uh when he he'll he'll be able to come back um moving forward we have a a really good Northern Illinois team coming here on Saturday uh you know they've won seven of their last nine games dating back to last year and um they returned 18 starters right nine on offense nine on defense and have been very competitive and and Coach hammock's ten uh tenure there um versus Power four teams right and and you talk about they beat Boston College last year they um I think it was a 73 game versus Nebraska in the second quarter uh the year before there was a one- score game versus Kentucky the year before um they beat Georgia Tech in 21 so they'll be ready to roll um they're going to come in here ready to go and uh they've had success so um we got to be ready to roll ourselves and and really have a good week of prep and you know we we finally get a chance to play in Notre Dame stadium for the first time this year here um with our home crowd and um it's going to be exciting and so we're looking forward to that so with that I'll open up for questions all right we're going to starting your far right second row Tom noi Marcus when you roll back over the the last 36 hours maybe what text or conversation or or phone call that you've received or had that kind of told you Saturday was a pretty big deal well I'll tell you one I just had about 10 minutes ago is uh I had a call from my college coach um um expecting to hear great job and big win and it was hey I just want to remind you um he said the greatest danger is is the illusion that all is well when indeed all isn't well and uh that's the the reminder that I needed more than anything is that you know it was a big win for our program uh you know versus a good opponent but we have so much work to to really improve on and and that's kind of the focus now as we go into Monday you're big on and experience and saying there's no substitute for it you have not had the experience of building off a a major road wi in an atmosphere like that so who do you draw where do you draw the the on and say all right this is what we're going need to do for the the following week can build off of it yeah it goes back to watching a film with a critical eye um you know and and and you can't let the emotions of a victory or a defeat affect the way you evaluate what you need to do to improve and it the we have to believe that our prepar um is the key to us having success on Saturdays and and that's what we'll continue to rely on is that hey let's evaluate the film really understand and own the mistakes that we've made as coaches and players and then come up with a process to fix it and go attack it on Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and Friday and then we get a chance to go out and play on Saturday so we have to prepare and we have to have a critical eye all right left side front row Jack so Marcus you talked a little bit about the offensive line uh after the game uh you know how they bounced back from you know some battle reps early how how they how they battled after watching the tape you know what what stood out about the way they played and and what what can what can be improved from here yeah there there's I was really proud of of the way they performed um they they did a good job versus a really tough defensive line and they battled and you know there's some mistakes that maybe to the the the normal person's eye it's like man it's an old lineman's fault but there's also some things as a coaching staff that we got to put them in better situations you know make some different checks and things like that but um they continued to battle even after you know maybe you got beat you got a holding call um you had a false start like they they reloaded and they went back and performed and they really competed through all four quarters so it really pleased with uh the performance of our offensive line and then Mitchell Evans I think he only had around 10 snaps mostly on passing Downs what was the plan for him going in uh and what's the plan for him going forward yeah you know he he just got cleared um probably six days or seven days before we played um so we were very intentional about getting him on the field and and the right opportunities but we he he wasn't you know without having a full training camp he just physically wasn't ready to to play 50 60 70 plays each week he'll continue to increase his workload um it's a long season and so we got to make sure that we give him the best opportunity succeed throughout the entirety of the Season back to your far right first row Eric Hansen hey coach um just building on the offensive line eval um Mike Den Brock had said in the pre-season you know this is an offense that's going to be pretty good at some point and wasn't quite sure when given how good Texas A&M's defense is or at least their reputation what did you learn from that game that will help push that process along of your offense moving towards its peak yeah you know as coaches like we know we evaluate that and so we have a ways to go as a team um and offensively coach denrock feels the same way uh but you know what we played well enough that game to beat a really good opponent um now we want Perfection so we're going to go back and look at every play in terms of how we can execute and and be efficient on every play but um it's a constant Chase for improvement like we say Chase Perfection but it's not achieved yet right so we got to go back in in and improve and that's to me um if our player we have to make sure our players have that same mindset that we do it's a constant Chase for improvement and uh I think we'll see how well we've done after the season you look back and say man look how far you've come but when you're in the middle of it man you're just talking about improving improving improving and then my followup pass to to do with um KK Smith is now listed on the depth chart for you so as you kind of refine this six-man rotation with Jordan fa on out what can KK Smith bring to the table yeah you know he was a guy that we said hey he's he could possibly get in the game versus A&M and and he ended up not getting in the game but we have a lot of confidence in KK um michah Gilbert's another guy um that that I think I we'll see this week um you know we we had a plan to say okay we have six guys that we know at any point can be the starter be on the field seventh and eighth at that point was KK and Micah and and you know with faon being down KK will have a a a increased role but there's a lot of confidence from Micah Gilbert on down to to everybody in that room and uh you know we we'll see I think we'll see him on Saturday for sure all right back to your left in the front row Tyler H Marcus on the field the game Riley Leonard said kind of he joked it kind of took him three quarters to to get acclimated assimilated and and ready to go and win that type of ball game I'm curious when you go back and look at the four quarter progression of of what he did how did you evaluate the passing game and and how much better can it get in subsequent games yeah I thought you know what he did a a really good job in some of his decision making um you know there was also some decisions that probably he wish he would have saw something or made a different decision but he he really played the quarterback position well right he he he did what we asked him to do and that was to take care of the football um we weren't asking for explosive plays right and this had to be a complimentary football game and and Riley did a really good job at at doing that and obviously there were the 11 penalties I think it was 99 yards you're playing in front of 107,000 I'm sure that has something to do with it but when you looked at the penalties how easy is it to clean up and do you feel confident that it will get cleaned up nothing's easy um you know no it's not easy at all but we have to to practice it we have to drill it it's the lack of focus penalties that are the ones that you get you know frustrated on um you got to see the ball snapped if you're on defense right you you you can't jump off sides and it's easy for me to say that but we got to continue to drill that in practice over and over and over had you know two pre- snap penalties on offense um that we got to clean up and so those are the ones that you you you can't accept there's some other ones that you know is it a holding is it not all those different things like that's football you're never going to be perfect but the pre-nap lack of focus penalties are the ones that we have to clean up um and really continue to attack in practice right side Third Road Tim prer Marcus coach Den Brock was on the field calling plays I think at LSU he was upstairs was that a game situation with communication and then maybe learning the new headset and then in accordance with that your aggression on fource fourth down how much in that thought process was we've got a great defense and we don't think that they can move the ball on us yeah um you know then Brock's decision to be on the field was a decision that he made and we talked about it like what's best for you as an offensive coordinator to get your job done and uh you know when you're a coordinator you have to feel if you're going to be on the field which I was you have to feel comfortable with who's in the box and who's going to give you the information you need if if if you don't feel comfortable with that a lot of times you go up and so um you know when we were at Cincinnati he was on the field I think for our last three years together um and so he feels comfortable with Gino up there and and the rest of our our team giving him the information he needs and you know sometimes as a coordinator like you need to be a voice you need to be a leader like that's what leadership is figuring out what your group the group your leading needs and I think that's that sign of denrock deciding to be on the field and putting Gino up and it's okay that's what this group needs at this moment um as a leader the fourth down calls just I want to be aggressive uh I had a plan going into the game that you know was going to in certain areas of the field ones AO we were going to go for it um and right around that 50 yard line two was a go and made the decision go for it and um we're 50% would like to be 100% but I'm I wanted to be aggressive in that game I said listen we have have to be aggress me as as in some of those decisions I wanted to be aggressive I'm asking these guys to be aggressive and attacking um I just didn't want to be cautious in that moment of the game and uh there was a comfort in knowing that our defense I felt strong strongly about our defense too like all those things go into uh consideration before the game when you make these type of decisions right I had a plan going in um to call to go for it in those situations but the the defense um it it knowing what your defense do goes into consideration for sure and then and then how do you balance the decision making between pushing the football down the field with Riley Leonard which isn't necessarily at the top of his list of strengths and uh you know just playing to his strengths and what you guys do best offensively um you know I think a strength of Riley is pushing the ball down the field that's just my opinion as his as his coach um I'm no quarterback Guru but I do I feel strongly about um being able to say hey R let's take some shots and throw it down the field um and so again probably more than anything going into the game we might have thought we were going to see some different things defensively that maybe taking shots down the field wasn't um always going to be um you know the first thought um the other part of it was again as I said the battle of Field position as the head coach I said that's got to be the focus this game turnover margin and fill position and you know if you you take a shot on first down and you decide to throw it on second down you're in third and long three and out you're not changing the field position we have to move the change and uh that was a part of all of was a part of the plan okay to your left side uh third row Pete Burton Hi Marcus uh as did you talk about chasing Improvement throughout the year which I know is something we'll continue to hear from you you something things can be changed immediately other things take time and and progression what are some of the areas you identified from Saturday that you guys think you can fixed right away yeah those those pre- snap penalties are one for sure right and and we've practiced it but the results aren't where you want it so we got to practice it um in a different way right and it takes time but it's also takes strategy and so we've kind of sat down as okay how do we continue to find ways to address jump off sides defensively um offensively to to handle crowd noise to make sure we don't have those pre- snap penalties those are two things right away I can tell you can be addressed immediately um some of the the you know I guess decisions uh protections that we make as a coaching staff for our offense those are things that we can fix when you watch film say man I wish we would have had this protection check instead of the one we had right so we don't have a guy free freely going after our quarterback so those are things that that as a coaching staff that you can help right away um some of those other things will it it takes time takes time and um you mentioned on Saturday that you had pointed out pregame to the guys where the fans were and you were appreciative of the people that made it down and helped you guys out um you to that end how much are are you and your team looking forward to being here and and and having a full Stadium full of your supporters yeah um shout out to the our our fans that did go to College Station man we felt them um um they were loud they were um we we just felt their energy um but to be back owners no place like home that's what they say right um to be back in Notre Dame Stadium uh every time we practice in our Stadium I remind the team this has to be special we can't take it for granted it can't be another game and so um we owe it to each other to our football program to perform at a high level we also owe it to these fans that come here to support us um to make sure we're performing at a high level and a high standard and so um we're excited um our crowd has to be an advantage it's an advantage for Texas A&M right you can tell um during the game like the the atmosphere affects the game anybody that says it doesn't you're not in in one of these big stadiums right your your atmosphere and your crowd can truly have an impact on your opponent when they're loud when their offens is on the field it's hard you got to practice against that we spent intentional time for how many weeks practicing against crowd noise offense L right and and it can be energizing defensively right we don't need to be loud and crazy sometimes we're on the field defensively but it can be energize I mean when when you're on offense I'm sorry when you're on offense and you have success in your home stadium and they get going crazy like that provides energy and um that those are things that I want our crowd but like it's true like you can impact the game um with when you cheer and how loud you cheer right side second row Timo Mal go Jordan Batello made big plays in the game but it seemed like he also made a lot more where he was just doing his role his job he wasn't busting things is that the biggest growth you've seen in him I'm sure you expected it in his fifth year but you just comment on how he has really grown since you first started coaching him I feel like you were in our defensive film session you know we said the same thing batell played I mean we was a debate was he the player of the game or Xavier Watts the P Jordan played well and he played hard like consistently he did his job and and that's what you want to see out out of a senior and uh it's man from the time I've gotten here to where Jordan Bello is now man he's grown so much um and so proud to be on this journey with him um he you know his his performance is a reflection of the way he's prepared though he's preparing his tail off and uh he's playing at a high level right now this question is kind of unique to week two and I suppose when you you you've had unique openers Ohio State A&M and even Navy because of the triple option how do you set up Advanced Scouting For week two with an unfamiliar opponent which has really happened almost actually every time you've been here um you mentioned the NIU has 18 guys back so you can look at old film but how how else do you kind of just schematically set up Advanced scouting you know you you prepare for them all summer right as you're preparing for Texas A&M you take time to say okay we have to dedicate time to prepare probably for our first three opponents have a a base game plan um and then you go back and you watch one game um to see what has changed from last year to this year uh but you don't know exactly what you're going to see you have one game and you have all last year so you have to be able to adapt and adjust I know offensively they do so many different things so many shifts so many mo so many different personnels it's going to be a challenge um to one recognize what personel they have in the game um to to be able to handle all the different formations they give us so uh it it's again we could have H we have a base plan of what we thought we were going to be able to put together this summer but obviously that changes based off the things you saw last week all right middle row left side Sean Styers hey Marcus uh we saw going back to the spring that Adon has quite a knack for being around the ball and obviously we saw that again the other night how much growth have you seen from him in the time that he's been here and how much of that is is also just attributed to the Instinct that he has yeah he's got some some god-given ability I mean he's a ball player that's why I recruited him um you know he showed in high school that he was a playmaker and you know I think for a da it's a reflection of a lot of young people it's okay you're really really good in high school we evaluate you when you're playing fast you're playing the best ball you can play you know then you come to college and you're learning a brand new scheme a brand new system so you're paralyzed a little bit in terms of how fast you can play and so what you're seeing now in year two for Adon is now he's playing at that fast high level that we evaluated him in in high school and so um he's earned what he everything he's he's gotten man he his mom text me said thank you for believe believe I believed in him since the minute we evaluate him he's just now earning like he's earning everything he's he's really um getting on game days and so uh he's practicing well um he's studying and uh I'm proud of the way he performed on Saturday there was uh a little bit of an analytics debate after interview that you did last week and I mean you've seemed pretty tuned in you know for with the analytics and everything but how do you personally how do you balance sort of that side of things with also trusting your gut flow of the game and those kind of things you have to have a a pregame plan right we just talked about it going for fourth on fourth and one and fourth and two I have to have a pregame plan but there's also um a a gut feeling that you have to make as a head coach and some of that can be the momentum of the game some of them can be the where you're at home or away uh there's a lot of different things that kind of go into your your pregame plan but also your in-game decision making um my man big cat that was his name right he he didn't agree with me to to kick the extra point he didn't know where to stay he you know um I'll get in that later me and him we have another conversation coming up soon I'm sure but uh yeah the analytics are the analytics right um we have the book um sometimes I agree and disagree with the book again the book I said it after the game would would tell you to go down um I'm pretty sure uh in Jay love situation the same thing as duke but you have to make decisions as head coach in that moment like do you want to tell Jay love and the Huddle hey go down if you break we're just trying to get a first down and stay in field goal range right and and I didn't want to put that on his brain and go go score and and I have a belief in our defense that we'll be able to stop them all right down in front John Bryce hey Marcus um you referenced how valuable the iPads were and wondering how overall were the headset Communications and helmet Communications for the first time and and logistically how how did you guys plan and execute the iPads on the sidelines yeah I thought our coaches and our players both really did a good job at utilizing uh the iPads as a teaching tool um a learning tool um it was efficient and and it's an operation right it's it's not just coach the player it's who's the manager who's who's picking up the iPad who's delivering it how many we've taken to the Press I mean there's a whole logistical um system and plan that we've had to put in place and I thought they executed it um really efficiently and uh the feedback was great from the coaches and the players um in terms of the helmet to coach to player communication um thought it went well like you know the difficult part is like when does it turn on it's not when it turns off know it turns off at 15 seconds but exactly when is it going to turn back on so we can communicate to um Whoever has it cuz there's the you know sometimes you want to go Tempo and you got to wait for it to come on right uh so you can talk to your quarterback or defensively if you want to make a their offense is going Tempo and you want to try to get him a call and make a check um you got to still wait for it to turn on so um it it went really well um it it wasn't a negative it's just continue to get that that that that that exact detail of hey when are you going to be able to do it and communicate to them we know it's going to when it's going to turn off um but when are we going be able to get that person to the INF we need to and the second one for me we saw you celebrate on the field after the game a hug with Pete you even lifted Joanna up in the air for a hug but but pregame that's maybe as animated as we've seen you in the tunnel um what was going through your mind what was that were you sending a message to the team or or just what was that yeah it was intentional um you know there was a couple different reasons but you know I remember as we came out you know I'm looking I'm looking at Anthony nap and looking at Sam Pendleton and you know it's their first time they're freshman and and they're playing in this big environment and it's almost like you go into parent mode and you want to take that pressure off of them like put it on me let's go man like let's go this is what we talked about and I remember in that moment saying like we we we we're right here this is what we showed you in the meeting like this is what we just talked about right like this is we've been here that's why I told him like we've been here we know exactly where we're at because that's what I want them to feel when we go through that during the week of preparation of showing them where we're going this is what the crowd's going to be like we've been here and so I wanted to take a little bit of that pressure off of them I want them to have that mentality of like let's go man like let's go we're competitors and I didn't want them to have any fear and so it was intentional why I did that I thought that's what they needed at that moment obviously I'm I'm not always like that um but it wasn't just that oh man I'm jacked up I'm ready to go it was like okay you know sometime like as a parent or a coach who said all right like I'm with you like don't don't fear right have as much confidence in yourself that we have in you let's go we're doing this thing together and uh my wife sent me that video yeah it was probably a little bit out of control but um it was it was it was what was needed at the time I felt yeah all right left side second row Tyler James Marcus Christian Gray had a big play at the near the end of the game in his first career start what what's the importance of him to have a moment like that and to show the aggressiveness that he did where I think in a situation you could just go for a tackle but he was playing the ball and and was very aggressive in that sty yeah he had a good game man chrisan man is a good player um and it's good for him to make some big plays in that game um you know it's a mentality to be aggressive on Fourth and two right there and jump that ball because of all a sudden it's a slant and go that's six and so playing Corner man you have to know when to be aggressive when you can take chances and uh when you have to be smart right and so um that shows you the confidence he had and recognizing the formation and I know coach mickens and him has spent endless hours working on formations and splits and down in distances but um you got to trust it and you got to go do it and he did it at the right time and that was a huge play and then what did you think you guys were able to get out of Howard cross after he was dealing with some hamstring issues in Camp and being able to to play on Saturday yeah man he's a he's a problem on the inside he's he's tough to block and uh he he played really well and was disruptive and had a sack and um it's good to have 56 back and in full go all right we're going to wrap up on your right front row with uh Pete Samson Mark I was interested your sort of evaluation of the non- Kaiser linebackers um how they played and then I was also curious I think I think it was 8 and a half minutes ago it's 13313 the two linebackers out there are Bowen and Ury um what goes into that rotation where you're okay this is a tie game in the fourth quarter but we're still going to go with the young guys yeah um I think that's a reflection of the belief we have in all five of those backers like anyone at any time can be on the field and we're not bat in eye um you know Kaiser's your captain Kaiser's your vocal leader but all of them can perform at the level that we believe they need to perform and and you know Alsbury he he shoot man he played well he made a lot of plays and Kingston's out there as a freshman making plays Drake's playing well like sne being sne right he's he's doing some third down things but also doing well in base down and so um Max has done a great job with those guys and that he has confidence it's five starters those are five starters and when you're playing with two at a time versus 11 personnel sets like you got to be intentional about rolling them in the game and and you can't be emotional you have to be intentional about who's going in in this series and um I thought everybody in that linebacker room performed well uh and you mentioned setting protections earlier I was wonder if you go a little deeper on that in terms of the communication there offensive line Riley I mean I thinking of the the third and three that you know Riley gets blown up like how how does that work how does that get clean like here's an example right you game plan all year uh versus a team you say okay they haven't shown to do this let's not he he let's not count this guy and protect he's not going to come they're not going to drop this guy and then all a sudden they do it and you have somebody free going after your your quarterback and so you have to get to the sideline say okay guys that tendency that we saw isn't holding true let's make an adjustments and that's what you got to do but when you go into a game you have to make decisions and game plan based off what you think Tendencies show you and they did something we have never saw um and that's why we let that guy Run free it's it's not a a good game plan to let this guy Blitz and hit your hit your quarterback without uh you know being deterred but the greatest thing is we recognized it we made adjustments and uh we didn't let it happen so is that on Riley to set it or change it or how how does that work no that that that play is on Riley to listen to what his coaches says right and say don't hey we don't think he's coming right slide to protection this way or that way um and he did he tried as coaches and so then we get to the sidelines we say okay hey they did something we haven't shown let's make sure the next time we get this look we don't slide the protection this way um whichever direction we were talking about but um he he's just doing what we told him to do and we made the adjustments on the sidelines after that all right thank you coach awesome thanks guys