Notre Dame football vs. Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl: 3 things we learned

Notre Dame football vs. Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl: 3 things we learned

No. 3: Marcus Freeman is a First Time Head Coach

Everyone is going to look for a reason why the Irish blew a 28-7 lead. The truth is that there is no one culprit. If the offense doesn’t turn the ball over twice, who knows what happens? If Spencer Sanders doesn’t escape the pass rush as often as he did, then, who knows if the defense would have had a key stop in them? It’s easy to second guess now that we have all of the information and the benefit of hindsight.

However, it’s important to remember that for all of the excitement around Marcus Freeman, he’s still a first-time head coach. That means he’s going to make mistakes. He, undoubtedly, will mismanage key moments of games. In fact, his decision to sit on the ball before halftime, coupled with not being more aggressive in the 3rd quarter, definitely cost Notre Dame momentum. That, in turn, was a key reason why they lost the Fiesta Bowl.

What’s also important to remember is that Freeman is going to grow from this point. He is going to be able to better manage games as time goes on. None of these are easy decisions. So, don’t expect him to be perfect right away.

Yes, Marcus Freeman coached his first game in the Fiesta Bowl. At times, it seemed like he was the best coach ever, and at times he struggled. That will be something he figures out throughout his career.