Marcus Freeman explodes ‘not good enough’ over Notre Dame’s defense after 41-40 loss to Texas A&M originally appeared on The Sporting News
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman voiced sharp criticism of his defense after the No. 8 Fighting Irish dropped a 41-40 thriller to No. 16 Texas A&M on Saturday night. Despite a back-and-forth battle that featured scoring in every quarter, Freeman said defensive breakdowns cost his team a chance to finish on top.
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“It’s not good enough. It’s not good enough in the run, the pass. We’re not getting enough pressure on the quarterback…It’s not the calls. It’s the execution,” Freeman said after the game.
The Aggies picked apart Notre Dame’s defense through the air, with quarterback Marcel Reed completing 17 of 37 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Texas A&M added 128 yards and three scores on 32 carries.
One bright spot for the Irish was redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr, who made his first start inside Notre Dame Stadium. Carr connected on 20 of 32 attempts for 293 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Also read: CJ Carr reveals the fear that nearly cost him Notre Dame’s QB1 job
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He was sacked three times and penalized for intentional grounding, but Freeman praised his overall command.
“You have to live with the tipped ball that turned into the pick,” Freeman said. “I thought he played really well. There’s nothing I can think off the top of my head that I had to say, ‘Hey, you have to live with that.’ He did a heck of a job tonight. He led our offense, protected the football, put the ball in great places for our wideouts to make some plays.”
Notre Dame’s offense also benefited from a strong run game. Jeremiyah Love carried 23 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, while Jadarian Price contributed 12 rushes for 68 yards and two scores.
In the passing game, Eli Raridon recorded four catches for 85 yards, Malachi Fields added five receptions for 77 yards, and Love caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
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The Fighting Irish will try to regroup at home on Sept. 20 when they face Purdue at 3:30 p.m. ET.
