Jeremiiah Love’s play that most impressed Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame football defeated USC 34-24 on Saturday. The Fighting Irish put together a dazzling display of attack as well as some physical defence. One play in particular impressed the Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.
That the play came from Notre Dame quarterback Jeremy Love. Love rushed for 228 yards in the game, but it was a game where he blocked for his quarterback CJ Carr who left Freeman in awe.
“Great players who play great when they have the ball in their hands but continue to put the team in front of me, that’s hard to do,” Freeman told The Athletic. “That might be one of the hardest things we ask of our players – to put the team before me.”
Carr scored in that fourth quarter, helping Notre Dame to the victory. The Fighting Irish are now 5-2 on the campaign.
Notre Dame looks more like a 2024 team
Notre Dame opened the 2025 campaign with disappointing losses to Miami (FL) and Texas A&M. The team looked like it was incapable of making the College Football Playoff, especially since the defense was struggling so much.
Things have changed since then. Notre Dame coach Freeman is more involved in the game calling for defense. Something clicked, because Notre Dame has won five straight.
Freeman said he talked to God while his team was en route to beating USC.
“I’m sitting there like, ‘God, I get you, man.’ You know?” Freeman said. “Notre Dame, there’s something … at that point I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’
Freeman said his team’s physicality on defense is the key to success moving forward.
“That’s what we want. That’s our advantage,” Freeman said. “We have to play the game in a physical way that maybe not every team wants to. I’m not saying they don’t. Not every team wants to play that way.”
Notre Dame next plays at Boston College on Nov. 1. The Fighting Irish essentially have to win the rest of the year to have any chance of making the CFP.
2025-10-19 18:00:00
