Freeman on Rice Prep: Why Notre Dame Went Full Pads and Expanded Its Edge Rotation

Notre Dame’s preparation for Rice’s “gun-based triple option” comes down to accounting for three things on every option snap, and Marcus Freeman said Thursday the Irish put pads on Tuesday specifically because there was no other way to simulate what the Owls do. Part of that plan is a change at edge rusher: Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young will play against Rice’s option looks Saturday after handling their responsibilities in practice.

Freeman started with the principles, which travel from one option team to the next even when the formation changes.

“It still has principles that carry over when you prepare for Navy or Army, any of the triple option offenses, but the biggest difference being they do a lot of stuff out of gun,” Freeman said. “But there’s going to be a good amount of plays that you’ve got to have somebody accounted for, the dive, the quarterback, and the pitch.”

The rest of it is about restraint, which is harder to coach than effort.

“And so I think that’s the biggest thing is how do we make sure we’re disciplined,” Freeman said. “We want to be aggressive in what we do, but we still have to be disciplined in terms of our eyes and having great eye discipline. But if we’re not disciplined and we’re not sound in making sure somebody’s accounted for, the dive, the QB, and the pitch, then it’s going to lead to some big plays.”

Pads Were Part of the Plan

Notre Dame practiced in pads Tuesday after considering not doing so, since the Irish are on a short week after opening the season on Sunday night. Freeman was asked how much of that was Rice-specific rather than a general week-two decision.

“It was both. I don’t think you could replicate the things we’re going to see from Rice without having pads on on Tuesday,” Freeman said. “And if it wasn’t that offense, I probably still would have put on pads. But I’m aware of physically getting them what they need to be prepared for Saturday, but also knowing if you’re going to have diminishing returns. And so I believe we made the right decision.”

Freeman’s answer was that the pads were necessary to get a real look at Rice’s offense, and that he probably would have gone to them in week two anyway. What told him it worked was Wednesday: the Irish practiced well Tuesday and did not come out flat the next day.

More Trust in the Edge Rotation

Against option offenses last season, Notre Dame leaned on a narrower edge group than the one it will use Saturday. Junior Tuihalamaka and Josh Burnham were the edges Notre Dame trusted in those option packages a year ago, and Traore was the one left out — he didn’t play a down against Navy. Freeman said he could not recall the specifics of why Traore did not play in that game and did not try to reconstruct it. Young didn’t record zero snaps like Traore, but he played 16 snaps to Burnham’s 32 and Tuihalamaka’s 29.

“Yeah, I can’t remember last year. You know, I think one being that probably Junior and Josh had played probably more against the triple option offense was the reason why we played them early, why we played them a lot more,” Freeman said. “But this year they’re going to play. They’re going to be out there. They’ll be ready to go. They’ve done a great job in practice of understanding their responsibilities. And they’ve got a lot of confidence.”

Both have already produced in the opener. Traore had three tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack in the 41-13 win over Wisconsin. Young had four tackles and a tackle for loss, and Freeman said earlier this week his impact was felt far beyond the stat sheet.

Rice Will Make the Secondary Work Too

Rice will not make it a pure option exercise, either, and Freeman said the Owls have shown enough variety that the secondary carries the same burden as the front.

“Yeah, they’ve shown to do a little bit of everything. They’ve run the triple option. They’ll throw it. They’ll run the quarterback. It doesn’t have to be an option. It can be some type of traditional offense. So you’ve got to be prepared for a lot. I don’t know what they’ll do. We’re prepared,” Freeman said.

Aside from preparation, Freeman stressed how critical eye discipline will be for the Irish in containing Rice’s version of the option. “There’s a job that you have to do on each play depending on what the offense does, and your eyes will tell you what your responsibility is,” Freeman said before adding, “And so eye discipline is the most important key to accomplishing your responsibility.”

Notre Dame will be without star safety Tae Johnson, so more of that responsibility will fall to Luke Talich.

What Notre Dame Has to Avoid Saturday

Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, and Rice will go after the edges early to see whether Traore and Young squeeze the dive or chase it. If either one crashes a beat late or takes the quarterback when the pitch is his, the Owls get the corner, and the safeties are left cleaning up a play that should have died at the line of scrimmage.