Notre Dame Plans To Stay Aggressive With Pass Game Approach

Notre Dame’s offense is never going to be mistaken for an Air Raid attack. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman has consistently embraced a physical running game that begins with the offensive line, but Freeman has also continued to hammer home the need to take vertical shots in the passing game.

"I don’t put a number on it but it’s a mentality of hey I want to be aggressive,” Freeman said on Monday. "I want to take shots down the field. If during the game at some point I said, 'Hey I want to take a shot here,' I can easily be on the headset and say that. But to me the work is put in through the game plan and through the preparation of that mentality for taking shots. It has to be really fed through our players, too, to understand that we’re going to take shots. No matter what the result is we have to continue to do it.”

With grad transfer quarterback Sam Hartman at the helm on the field, that vertical presence was on display through Notre Dame’s first four games of the season, but it disappeared for the most part over the next four games against four consecutive ranked opponents.

The quality of opponent was one factor, but injuries at wide receiver were another. Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse have all been hobbled. Thomas and Greathouse were both as close to 100% on Saturday against Pittsburgh as they have been since the season’s first four games.

"When I think about last Saturday, one we have a talented room,” Freeman remarked. "I do believe we have a talented room, but we need to give those guys a chance to play at the fastest speed they can and that means maybe shrinking what we’re asking them to do.”

Pittsburgh’s defensive scheme gave Hartman and the Irish offense a chance to take some shots and win some 50/50 balls. They attached the perimeter early and were able to have success downfield. The first big play was the shot down the seam that Chris Tyree reeled-in for a 47-yard gain.

"We’re going to continuously be aggressive,” Freeman explained. "Even if the result isn’t what we want. The interception, the very first interception, it’s not considered a shot but that doesn’t affect the next series. I want you to be aggressive and push the ball down the field.”

Hartman’s first interception came at the end of Notre Dame’s first drive of the game when Pitt’s Phillip O’Brien swiped the ball in front of Rico Flores Jr. on a seam route. Freeman indicated that the receiver and quarterback have to be sure they’re on the same page with the route. The message to Hartman didn’t change after that, though.

"Be aggressive,” said Freeman. "(Hartman) comes to the sidelines, Coach Parker’s saying be aggressive, keep taking those shots.

"The way he responded after those two interceptions, man, was a reflection of Sam Hartman,” Freeman continued. "He is a consistent individual and always responds with the proper response.”

The 47-yard shot to Tyree came two plays and two pass attempts after that first interception. Tobias Merriweather got in the act in the second half as well when he caught a 42-yard shot from Hartman that set up the second of Audric Estime’s three touchdown runs on the day.

Six different Irish wide receivers have receptions of at least 35 yards this season. The aggressive approach will be key for the Irish in their road game at Clemson this weekend.

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