There's been plenty of talk about how the Notre Dame football team's defense is struggling. However, head coach Marcus Freeman thinks he knows how things can get sorted out, and it's really not that complicated.
The Irish have had a serious problem adjusting to new defensive coordinator Chris Ash's game plan. Freeman has talked about how frustrated he is by the execution, but has also made it clear he thinks it is indeed the execution that is the problem. Not necessarily the approach to the opposing team's offense. He explained his views even more earlier this week, saying a unit full of stars needs to "master" their roles the way Al Golden's teams did.
Notre Dame football players need to 'master' their technique
"Anybody can understand I play this guy man-to-man, but the difference between making a play and not making a play usually comes down to some type of technique," the Notre Dame head coach said. "In particular, the young guys have to learn how to play with the proper technique."
However, Freeman wasn't putting all the onus on the players or blaming them for screwing up a perfect defensive game plan. He also made it clear that he believes the coaching staff hasn't adjusted to what it's seeing the players can't execute.
"We have to understand that not every player can execute what we want them to with this exact technique," explained Freeman. "How do we change techniques or maybe use a different technique for this individual so he can get his job done?"
It doesn't help that the Irish haven't really had a cupcake on the schedule yet. While Purdue generally falls into that category, they've shown to be better competition under Barry Odom against two Top 25 teams this season.
This weekend, Notre Dame faces yet another potent offense in Arkansas. How Freeman's words match up with development and improvement (or not) will be on full display on Saturday afternoon.