No Marcus Freeman answers in bad Notre Dame football losses a massive red flag
The Notre Dame football team’s loss to Northern Illinois was bad enough. It was terrible almost from the very beginning. It was so frustrating before it was officially a loss that Irish players and coaches ran off the field for halftime to a rain of boos.
The loss was bad enough. The lack of anything resembling answers by head coach Marcus Freeman after the game is so, so, so much worse. And it’s worse yet because this isn’t the first time in his short career in South Bend where answers were needed, and he couldn’t provide any.
“It's the entire program that underachieved today and the entire program that has to own this,” Freeman said after the 16-14 loss.
Ok Marcus, but the “entire program” is under your leadership. So trying to spread the blame around doesn’t scream to me that you have a handle on what’s going on.
Everybody outside of here will try to point the finger at some coach, some player,” Freeman added. “We have to fix it. I've been here. This is as low as it gets.”
It’s the “I’ve been here” that is most concerning about everything. Yes, you have been here. And we’re already back here again. In a place where Notre Dame football shouldn’t have to be.
Notre Dame football head coach doesn’t have answers, and that’s the problem
There was another quote that stood out as rather worrying.
“If you're not motivated to play in Notre Dame Stadium,” Freeman said. “That's a choice. Motivation is a choice.”
Ok, but how in a season like this are there players that aren’t motivated? What was the warning sign that has the Fighting Irish head coach thinking motivation is the problem? Was that simply an answer to a question when you didn’t have a real answer? Or is there legitimately some concern among the coaching staff that motivation is a problem? That someone or many someones on the Blue and Gold that have made that choice?
The biggest question of all is, can the Irish bounce back strong? They play Purdue next week. And while the Boilermakers aren’t a great team, there isn’t an opponent on the Notre Dame football team’s schedule that should be taken lightly at this point.
We don’t know how Notre Dame will play next week, and worse, I don’t think Marcus Freeman knows either.