Notre Dame Football Leads Nation in Surprising Stat Under Marcus Freeman

Under Marcus Freeman's leadership, Notre Dame excels in an unexpected stat category. See what sets the Irish apart this season.

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman greets players before the game against the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Freeman era has had many dramatic ups and downs so far

The beginning of the Freeman era has been a wild ride for Notre Dame and its loyal fan base. There have been many high-profile letdowns such as the Marshall, Stanford, and NIU games in which the Irish were multiple-score favorites at home.

On the flipside, there have been some really strong moments such as the surprise beatdown of an undefeated and fourth-ranked Clemson team in 2022 and the huge upset win against Texas A&M as an underdog in College Station.

What exactly are we to make of Freeman's tenure thus far? Are the Irish starting to round into a consistent football operation or will inconsistencies remain? Surprisingly, Notre Dame has been the best team against the spread in college football since Freeman's arrival to South Bend.

Yes... Notre Dame has some awful losses under Marcus Freeman (-28 vs NIU, -20.5 vs Marshall, -16.5 vs Stanford)

But did you know... Notre Dame is the best ATS team in the country since Freeman became head coach in 2022 pic.twitter.com/dGhmLnmiTO

— Tim Murray (@1TimMurray) November 13, 2024

What does this mean long-term for Notre Dame?

Since Freeman's arrival, Notre Dame has covered the spread 66.7% of the time. Better than any other team in the same timeframe with a 22-11-2 over record. Aside from the obvious benefits to those who engage in betting in favor of the Irish, what does this record mean for the Irish on the playing field?

Outside of the major outliers previously mentioned, this record indicates that Notre Dame has begun to perform to expectations or better more often than not.

This is a good sign of progress and overall consistency for an Irish team with a young coach who has had to learn all of the tough lessons of being a first-time head coach in some of the brightest lights in college football and under the shadow of the golden dome.

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