Marcus Freeman’s 10 Biggest Wins at Notre Dame Ranked

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football seem to go back like rocking chairs at this point as Freeman is preparing his team for his fifth season as Fighting Irish head coach.

Along the way, Notre Dame has taken a big step in national relevance, going from being happy to make the College Football Playoff to having fair expectations of competing for national championships regularly.

That didn't happen overnight.

There was a process to get to that point, and the 2024 season has been the high-water mark of Freeman's tenure. Wins before that season helped set the stage for that memorable year, while a few wins that season were Notre Dame's biggest in decades.

With all that in mind, here are Marcus Freeman's 10 biggest wins as Notre Dame head coach.

The 10 Wins That Have Defined Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Tenure

Notre Dame vs. USC, 2025 - No. 10

Notre Dame Record: 4-2
USC Record: 5-1
Final Score: Notre Dame 34, USC 24
Star of the Game: Jadarian Price, RB, 13 carries for 87 yards and 1 TD, 2 kickoff returns for 113 yards and a score & Jeremiyah Love, RB 24 carries for 228 yards and 1 TD, 5 catches for 37 yards
Key Stat: 328 Notre Dame rushing yards

Notre Dame's win over USC was one of the most prolific games running the ball in Fighting Irish history. Still, it also proved to be something else, as Freeman's third win in four tries against the Trojans appeared to have a bit of a role - along with the Trojans joining the Big Ten - in the historic rivalry being put on hold.

Notre Dame vs. Louisville, 2024 - No. 9

Notre Dame Record: 3-1
Louisville Record: 3-0
Final Score: Notre Dame 31, USC 24
Star of the Game: Riley Leonard threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 52 more, including a touchdown.
Key Stat: Notre Dame overcame losing the total yardage battle, 395-280.

After a huge win at Texas A&M, Notre Dame fell flat at home against Northern Illinois. It beat bad Purdue and Miami University teams the next two weeks, but it's convincing win over a solid Louisville team really changed the tide of what would become a historic season.

Notre Dame at North Carolina, 2022 - No. 8

Notre Dame Record: 1-2
North Carolina Record: 3-0
Final Score: Notre Dame 45, North Carolina 32
Star of the Game: Hard to choose. Drew Pyne threw for nearly 300 yards while Audric Estime rushed for 134 and two scores.
Key Stat: Notre Dame erupted for 576 yards of offense after having major struggles the first three games.

After starting 0-2 in Freeman's first season, Notre Dame barely snuck by a poor California team to move to 1-2. What was Notre Dame going to be that year? The win in Chapel Hill against a Tar Heels team that was led by Drake Maye wound up being a turning point for an eventual nine-win squad.

Notre Dame at USC, 2024 - No. 7

Notre Dame Record: 10-1
USC Record: 6-5
Final Score: Notre Dame 49, USC 35
Star of the Game: Christian Gray's late interception not only kept USC from scoring a potential game-tying touchdown, but was returned to give the Irish a two-score lead. Xavier Watts then did the same thing minutes later.
Key Stat: As has been the case many times recently against USC, Notre Dame ran all over the field, averaging 6.8 yards per rushing attempt.

Beating USC is always a good thing but this one meant even more as it clinched an 11-1 regular season and secured a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff for Notre Dame, it's first such trip under Freeman.

Notre Dame vs. USC, 2023 - No. 6

Notre Dame Record: 5-2
USC Record: 6-0
Final Score: Notre Dame 48, USC 20
Star of the Game: Xavier Watts had two interceptions and a fumble return for a touchdown in an all-time defensive performance.
Key Stat: After throwing one interception all season long previously, Notre Dame forced reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams to throw three.

A week after an embarrassing loss at Louisville, Notre Dame welcomed unbeaten USC and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams to South Bend. The Fighting Irish defense had its way with Lincoln Riley's squad as Xavier Watts had a coming out party in a blowout victory. USC arguably hasn't been the same since that October night.

Notre Dame vs. Clemson, 2022 - No. 5

Notre Dame Record: 5-2
Clemson Record: 8-0
Final Score: Notre Dame 35, Clemson 14
Star of the Game: Benjamin Morrison had two interceptions on the night, including a pick-six in the fourth quarter that put the game on ice.
Key Stat: Logan Diggs and Audric Estime both eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark on the night, helping overcome just 85 passing yards as a team.

Clemson being the standard in college football feels like forever ago at this point, but in 2022 it entered Notre Dame Stadium in early-November unbeaten. Benjamin Morrison happened to the Tigers that night, as his two interceptions (one pick-six) helped the Irish to its biggest win in Freeman's first year.

Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame vs. Indiana, 2024 College Football Playoff - No. 4

Notre Dame Record: 11-1
Indiana Record: 11-1
Final Score: Notre Dame 27, Indiana 17
Star of the Game: Jeremiyah Love was mostly held in check, except for his 98-yard touchdown run early that set the tone for the night.
Key Stat: Notre Dame allowed just 2.3 yards per carry on the night, holding the Indiana offense in check until things were well out of hand.

Should Notre Dame's first College Football Playoff win be higher? Perhaps, but this felt like a must-win for the Irish. Jeremiyah Love's early 98-yard touchdown run set the tone for what would be a memorable CFP run all the way to the title game for Freeman and the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame at Texas A&M, 2024 - No. 3

Notre Dame Record: 0-0
Texas A&M Record: 0-0
Final Score: Notre Dame 23, Texas A&M 13
Star of the Game: 68 yards was the combined total yards on touchdown runs by Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love in the second half to propel Notre Dame to victory.
Key Stat: The Notre Dame pass defense allowed just 3.3 yards per Texas A&M pass attempt on the night.

Notre Dame's biggest road win in over a decade came as a tone-setter in the 2024 season-opener. The questions about what Notre Dame could be under Freeman were very much alive entering this game, and it's clear the expectations have risen in a big way for the Fighting Irish ever since.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia, 2024 Sugar Bowl - No. 2

Notre Dame Record: 12-1
Georgia Record: 11-2
Final Score: Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10
Star of the Game: Notre Dame's special teams stole the show as it featured a kickoff return for a touchdown and a line change on a late fourth down to help put the game on ice.
Key Stat: Notre Dame held Georgia to just 2.1 yards per carry for the game.

The top-two are interchangable if you ask me, but we'll go in order of which round they were played in. Georgia had won two of the last three national championships and was the SEC champion. All Notre Dame did was come into the heart of SEC country and push the biggest and baddest SEC team around for 60 minutes, securing it's biggest postseason win in 30 years.

Notre Dame vs. Penn State, 2024 Orange Bowl - No. 1

Notre Dame Record: 12-1
Penn State Record: 13-2
Final Score: Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24
Star of the Game: A true team effort, but Christian Gray's late interception put Notre Dame in position to kick the game-winning field goal near the end of regulation.
Key Stat: Notre Dame averaged just 2.8 yards per carry for the contest and still managed to find a way to win.

Do you want proof of concept with Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman? Look no further than its win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli kickstarted an end of half scoring drive that changed the tide of the game, while Jaden Greathouse had a huge night and Mitch Jeter kicked the Irish into the national title game with a last-second field goal.

The only way this one gets topped by Freeman at Notre Dame is if/when he wins a national championship.

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