Freeman: Data Told Him Notre Dame Was Elevated Football Team Before Kickoff

Marcus Freeman had already decided Notre Dame was an “elevated football” team before Sunday night’s kickoff at Lambeau Field. He made the call on offseason data, and he made it early on purpose.

Asked after Notre Dame’s 41-13 win over Wisconsin, a game the Irish entered favored by 20.5 points, whether the retooling of his offseason had paid off, Freeman went back to the weeks before the game.

“I felt like it did before the game, and it was intentional to make sure that I didn’t wait till the outcome of the game to say if we are an elevated football team,” Freeman said.

“And the data is what told me that this is an elevated football team. We practiced more, we met more. They were more ready physically for this game in terms of the explosion of their jumps,” Freeman said.

Freeman’s teams have not started seasons well. Notre Dame was 0-2 last year and 0-2 in 2022, his first full season, and the Irish lost to Northern Illinois in the second week of 2024. The overhaul was aimed at that.

“It was really important. It was really important and something I challenged myself with, the entire program, to really evaluate how we prepared,” Freeman said. “And we had to start the season off the right way, and at the end of the game I feel like we really did.”

Where the First Half Went Wrong

Notre Dame led 13-10 at the break, and the problems were specific.

The offensive line was shaky until Sullivan Absher replaced Styles Prescod at right guard. Freeman said that possibility was built into the plan.

“Yeah, the plan was if we needed to play them both, we would,” Freeman said. “Like it wasn’t set in stone, they’re going to go this series, this series, this series, but we knew there’s a real possibility of Sully going in the game. And so we’ll evaluate it and see as we move forward, but there’s a lot of confidence in both of those guys.”

Wisconsin also found something at outside corner. Jayden Sanders, who had 23 tackles at Michigan as a true freshman a year ago, bit on a double move and gave up a 28-yard touchdown that tied the game at 10.

Freeman was asked about the coverage breakdowns.

“They got us a couple times playing man. And we thought we could play man, and we can play man,” Freeman said. “But if they know you’re in man over and over and over, you know, they did a good job on some man beaters and we have bad eyes and, you know, those are things that we continuously get because we play a lot of man.”

Injuries Added to the Trouble

Notre Dame lost two defensive starters in the same half. Brauntae Johnson, a preseason Associated Press second-team All-American who put up 48 tackles and four interceptions in 10 games last season, went down in the second quarter with the Irish ahead 13-10. Defensive tackle Jason Onye, who had 26 tackles last season, went out as well. Both were ruled out in the third quarter and spent the rest of the night on the sideline in boots on their left feet.

Asked whether he had an update on either, Freeman said, “No. I was just told they’re out for the game, and we’ll meet with the medical staff tomorrow.”

The Second-Half Cushion

Notre Dame outscored Wisconsin 28-3 over the final 30 minutes. Aneyas Williams ran in a 3-yard touchdown to make it 20-10, and on Wisconsin’s next possession DJ McKinney took an interception back 55 yards for a score.

“That was big. Yeah, that was big because it’s 20 to 10, you know, 20 to 10 right out of the half after we scored, and then to get that pick six and make it 27 to 10, you know, it gave you a little bit of a cushion,” Freeman said. “You feel a 17-point lead is a lot different than a 10-point lead.”

Williams added a 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Wisconsin did not score again after a field goal with 14 seconds left in the third.

What the Result Changes Now

The 41-13 result gave Freeman and the Irish something the offseason numbers could not.

“Like to me what your performance is always a reflection of your preparation, but it does a lot for your mentals, you know, and to win with the final score being 41-13, I think does a lot for the confidence,” Freeman said. “And it’s important to have confidence as you continue to move forward.”

Freeman had told the team all week it would have to struggle to get where it wanted to go.

“And sometimes you don’t believe it till you’re in it,” Freeman said.

Right guard is now a live competition between Prescod and Absher, with a week of Rice preparation to settle it. Freeman will meet with the medical staff Monday. What comes out of that meeting determines how much reshuffling, if any, Notre Dame has to do in the secondary and line after playing Wisconsin without star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa already.