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Marcus Freeman Candidly Expresses Frustration With Notre Dame's Defense After Win

The Fighting Irish are still searching for their identity on that side of the ball.

Tom Dierberger

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a turnover by the defense agains Purdue during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a turnover by the defense agains Purdue during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. / Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
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Marcus Freeman wasn't satisfied Saturday night, even after Notre Dame claimed its first victory of the young season by defeating Purdue 56-30 in South Bend, Ind.

Speaking with the media after the game, Freeman looked frustrated and pounded the podium with his first while discussing his defense's performance against the Boilermakers.

"We tried Cover 1, Cover 2, Cover 3, Cover 4. What happens is you start to panic," Freeman said. "You start to say, 'O.K., this coverage isn't working, let's try this. This isn't working, let's try this.' And then we're doing nothing.

"You know what, they're going to make plays, and you've got to trust that, hey, this is what our game plan is. This is what we can do and execute. And you've got to trust your players to get out there and get it done."

Defense has been a big issue for Notre Dame so far this season as it has limped out to a 1-2 record. In Week 1, the Fighting Irish didn't force any turnovers and watched as Miami marched down the field and kick a game-winning 47-yard field goal with just over a minute to play. In Week 2, Notre Dame allowed Texas A&M to gain 488 yards of total offense and conduct a game-winning 74-yard drive in crunch time to steal a victory.

Notre Dame's defense had a better night against Purdue, allowing just 76 yards on the ground. But they still allowed 30 points, including 23 before halftime, along with 303 yards through the air as they try to figure out a consistent strategy against the pass.

The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 22 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, will battle Arkansas next week at Razorback Stadium.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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