Northern Illinois | Marcus Freeman Postgame Press Conference (9.7.24) | Notre Dame Football

uh obviously disappointing disappointing in the performance um you know it's our job as coaches to make sure these guys are ready to go and uh we got to go back and evaluate the way we're prepared um and figure out exactly you know the the mishaps occurred in the preparation um I've always said performance is came out I've always said performance is a uh reflection of preparation and um you know so we got to figure out where we failed in in preparation but it's disappointing um you know you go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a TA of two weeks but you know we got to own this thing as coaches and players we got to own it we got to fix it I've been here we been here before right we've been here before um now it's time to get it fixed we got to get it fixed and uh get back to uh playing football the way we know how to play we've played before and um we can and we will so with that I open up for questions first question is Marcus at the very end of the game I think it was a hang on yeah Marcus at the very end of the game I think it was a 62 Y is that well within Mitch's range or were you thinking Hail Mary potentially as well no I mean it's right there on the edge we had the wind at his back um so the thought process being with the wind at his back hey if he gets under this thing and drives it then there's a shot um that he can make it he's made it um probably not from that distance but close to that distance and with the added win uh we thought that was the best option for us and then Riley's second interception second and one seems like a good chance to to take a shot was that the look that you guys wanted and it was it just an underthrow and then how would you evaluate his performance as well yeah um yeah we we wanted to take a shot on that situation and obviously not the execution that we wanted um obviously never intend to throw an interception but that's the look we wanted that's what the that's where we wanted the ball to go we just got to throw a better ball um you know we everybody's going to try to point a finger at somebody some side of the ball One play one person it is uh it's the entire program that underachieved today and the entire program has to own it and improve from it on your right Mar the defense last last week very tight performance today did it was it misdirection was it youth what what do you think happened defensively today with the breakdowns you know I think I told you guys on Thursday they did some they they got some a unique offense um you know the I think about the explosive plays in the first half and and um the very first pass really good throw really good catch uh in a too high coverage and we got to down the ball we we didn't get a chance to down the ball and it goes for a touch on the rest of the explosives I think were uh a mixture of of eye control right you having your eyes on your man but also edges toward our defense we let the ball get outside of us too much and so um that's not the Notre Dame defense we've built over the past three and four years like that's not um a performance that we're proud of um but we just got to get it fixed this is probably too big picture of questions but did you feel like as a head coach as a program you guys had evolved Beyond dat like yeah absolutely absolutely you know I I felt the preparation was exactly where we needed we you know to come off that big win and come back and have two tough practices which was the only option for us and you know I thought we had a sharp practice Thursday and Friday um in terms of you know obviously not the physical side of things but just you know I thought maybe in the first house I was like okay hey we need to you know I don't know exactly why we're not executing the way we we need to but maybe that was the wakeup call we needed to go out and and change this the second half and um it started to go that way right and uh defense has started playing better um in the second half and we just couldn't capitalize off it on offense we could not you know other than the one touchdown um I think Jay love had we just couldn't continue we couldn't move the chains either that's the thing like we can't go three and out um um and we can't turn the ball over and so those are areas we just got to get fixed people Marcus what did you tell the team just now in the locker room I just told him the same thing I just said we got to I said we got to ownness every person in here every coach has to own it first right and not blame somebody else that's the only way to fix it is when every I'm sure person everybody outside of here will will try to point the finger at some coach some player some person that should be at the head coach it's it's my job um but we all have to own this and we all have to really take a deep dive and fix it and our leadership will show like if we have true leadership which I believe we have they'll take care of the locker room they'll make sure that these guys um they don't separate um but I also told them I've been here I've been here um this is as low as it gets you know and and there's only one option option for me and that's to get back to work and get it fixed and that's who I am and that's who this team will be and that's the way I'm going to lead is that I'm not going into hiding I'm going in to to get it fixed and um and and I'm I'll be just as confident in uh what we're going to be able to do as a football program um moving forward as I was going into this game but there's some serious some some schematical things that we have to attack and get and get corrected they were able to run the ball pretty effectively in the second half what did you see them doing up front that that was challenging for you guys you know some of them were you know good schemes they they got a good stretch running game um you know where they were able to puncture uh some holes that we didn't have a backer or a d lineman in that Gap but couple more missed tackles right we got to make sure we're tackling and and we we're knocking the ball carrier back and then as I said earlier two or three times they they they get around the edge defensively and when that happens you know when you're a man coverage team uh you know and you're playing man coverage they get outside of you that thing's going to go for a a little while so a lot of different um areas that we got to improve on to stop the run defensively in the front row on your Marcus you said moments ago it's our coach it's our job as coaches to make sure they're ready to go and you said today we underachieved as an entire program how do you but You' had good practices in the week did you sense it at any point today and how spe specifically do you own it and fix it moving forward I think you you that you go back and you evaluate everything you go back and you evaluate okay exactly how did we practice you go back and look and say okay was our game plans good enough to to give us a chance to win like all those different areas it's not just the physical part of practice but it's it's looking at okay what did the the opponent do in the game that we were prepared for or weren't prepared for if we were prepared for him did they execute or did we execute if we weren't prepared for it why hey is this something that a team's trying to attack us because of some area we've showed in the previous game so all those different things are are ways to evaluate you have to debrief you have to evaluate every single thing that you did in the previous week if it was practice structured and I'm going to evaluate and say okay what do we got to do to make sure we have a better output and that's the only way you can do it right and as you move forward into the week as you move forward into the game you say okay feel good about the preparation preparation's done now it's about performance performance is a reflection of preparation okay the performance wasn't where we wanted be let's go back and evaluate the preparation from A to Z and um preparation is so much more than practice right it's obviously the game plans and it's and you know the choices that we make as as players too right coaches and players like all these choices that only um sometimes we as individuals know hey did I do everything in my power this week to prepare the way I needed to and um that's a a long look that each individual in this program has to make uh in the merror to maybe in the in the third quarter you guys had to use a defensive timeout um you what what happened there um I I can't even remember John I know we did I don't know if it was Personnel we're in the wrong Personnel at the time or um maybe a call that we didn't like I just can't remember exactly why I called it but I know it was something that we didn't like defensively on your second Marcus what halftime adjustments did you guys make on offense that you were hoping would maybe work better than they did in the second half you know I think we we talked about being able to take some shots down the field hey if they give us man coverage they try to take some shots but we can't get away from running the ball um you know that was something that I think we we have to do we had to do uh we did it better but not as effective as we needed to to to win the ball game and so at times we ran it but at times we we couldn't run the ball and at times we threw it decently and times we couldn't throw the ball the way we needed to so the the the adjustments that we made um they didn't turn into points other than seven in the second half after the game last week you were asked about Riley Leonard's usage as a as a runner was did you feel like you guys got had to run him as much as you wanted to this week or and has had that has that had any impact on his ability to throw no I don't think so um it's something we can ask him I mean we'll ask him if he feels the the amount of times we run him ranning has an impact on him throwing the ball um those are dialogues that we def we definitely will have um we didn't run him as much this week as we did the previous uh previous week um and part of that was intentional but part of that was was there's times in the games we said we need to run them keep the ball in his his hands I think we have to protect better we got to protect our quarterback better U and then what I got to figure out is okay is it protection or is it hey decision making why aren't we getting the ball out of our hands is it routes like it's not just one person it's a collective group effort that we have to really evaluate and say okay here's the issue here's a plan moving forward that's really going to help us have more success Marcus last week you said like the fired up energy in the tunnel before the game was was the approach the team needed like what was your and really the whole staff's approach before this game and why do you feel like the team came out flat well I think that's why I said this on Monday like I thought going into a big environment um I try to take the pressure off of of some of those young old linemen um that hadn't been in that type of environment um as we we came into home was very clear man hey focus on exactly what your job to do if you're not motivated to play in Notre Dame Stadium then then that's a choice it's Choice motivation is a choice and so we try to be clear on here's exactly what we need to do let's focus on winning the interval let's focus on reloading um and make sure you have a clear mind as you take uh take the field but it also was listen we got a attack we got attack from the minute the foot hits the ball and uh we did we came out offense we attacked and we scored a touchdown but that wasn't the the consistent play that we need like that's what I want to make you understand like if if I knew me taking the pressure off him was going to result in us doing exactly what we were supposed to do on every single play I would do it no matter what it took I would do it every day but we have to make sure like what this team has to be able to do in the game of football is reload every play and win this play like that's all that matters doesn't matter the last play doesn't matter like on this play can we consistently do our job and then on the next play do our job and and that's the mindset that we have to have when we take the field coach all right thanks