Marcus Freeman Revisited

[arrowryan]

Now he’s just blatantly lying

 

[IrishBryan77]

Now he’s just blatantly lying

Is this some sort of gaslighting situation or what? 🙄

 

[mrmcgrail]

I mean he's right to an extent every scheme defensively works if it is executed properly but the issue is we don't have the guy's to execute what ash is calling so they need to find out what these guys do well and don't do well and call that. We don't have the fs to play as much cover 1 as last year. We don't have the d line to play zone.

 

[RipWheeler]

Sad couple of days in this thread.

Let's be brutally honest, though, the suicidal stuffed animal parade of tears and entitlement was as predictable as water being wet.

Also wet, from what we can gather: the pants and sheets of a lot of the fellas who frequent this board.

 

[mrmcgrail]

Throw in we don't have a nickel back and we have some of the worst design pressure packages I've ever seen it's going to be a long season if we don't find the right mix out there and get someone else calling the defense

 

[arrowryan]

I mean he's right to an extent every scheme defensively works if it is executed properly but the issue is we don't have the guy's to execute what ash is calling so they need to find out what these guys do well and don't do well and call that. We don't have the fs to play as much cover 1 as last year. We don't have the d line to play zone.

There should be no scheme where Bowen is covering a TE on 4th and goal from the 11. That is coaching malpractice.

If that’s their “scheme”, then they can all get fucked.

 

[irishjim]

There should be no scheme where Bowen is covering a TE on 4th and goal from the 11. That is coaching malpractice.

If that’s their “scheme”, then they can all get fucked.

no kidding. They couldn't put Blair's tall body in there? not have 5 guys on 1?

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Brice/O’Malley/Prister seem to think MF alluded to getting involved w/ the D during his presser. This seems to be in contrast to the quotes we’ve seen on X. What gets me is they had TWO weeks to prepare for the Aggies. What did they see in the 1st 2 games that led them to believe they could contain Craver/Concepcion by putting together the game plan we saw Saturday night.

Elko was quoted as saying they saw on ND’s film that the outside pass would be there for their guys. WTF were ND’s coaches studying?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I typically leave room for myself to be disappointed. So while I am at the moment, I'm not terribly surprised or panicked.

Hopefully this turns around fast because if not we're looking at a potential 2016 on our hands.

 

[Guyjin37]

Guys. I know everybody's busy and can't watch every video, but don't take everything on X as gospel in turn. The official ISD and Pete Sampson have gone hard in the wrong direction on the press conference, reporting on the "deny, deny, deny" parts of MF's words. Big bedwetter tactics. But anybody who watched it (or just read it like I did: Everything Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said in Purdue week news conference) would know that the message wasn't far off from what we all want to hear (short of "Ash is fired," of course).

The reality of what he said is this:
- He spent the vast majority of the PC talking about the defense.
- He insinuated he would become more involved as necessary.
- He is aware of the poor communication and direction being given to players and how it is affecting their play.

Summing it up with the following quotes, verbatim, you can parse the coach speak to understand that the coaches--Ash, specifically, being the DC--have been telling the players to do something they can't. So, they're going to change what they're asking them to do. In other words, the execution problem isn't the players' execution of the plan, it's that Ash is telling them to do something they don't understand. And MF will be stepping in to stop it:

"It’s the execution of what we’re asking them to do. If we’re asking them to do things they can’t execute, then we have to evaluate what we’re asking them to do. Like I said, it’s not a call, it’s not a scheme, there’s no perfect call, no perfect scheme. It’s the ability to execute."
and
"We have to fix it and correct it. We’ve identified it, we have a plan to get it corrected, and now we have to do it."
and
"What we have to do is, again, evaluate what we’re asking our guys to do. And then say, if they can’t do what we’re asking them to do, then we either have to change it or address it in practice in a way they can execute exactly what we’re asking them to do at the level we’re asking them to do it."
and this was my favorite, seemingly aimed directly at Ash, in my own opinion:
"I think it starts with what I said in the opener. What are we willing to tolerate? What am I, as the head coach, willing to tolerate? I have to demand that everything that we’ve set as our standards are met. That’s what I have to continue to do. If I need to be involved more in a certain area then I will, and I am."

 

[IRISHDODGER]

MF strikes me as someone who is not going to allow a weak link to adversely affect his team very long. Not saying he thinks that of Ash at this juncture as I have no clue what is said/done in practice & film review. But he knows, he as a HC turned a huge corner last year & now it’s on the verge of collapsing back to the mean.

 

[NDPhilly]

He has to be absolutely pissed, they hit on QB and have their most physically gifted team since he’s been there and the defense (which was his baby prior to being promoted) has absolutely collapsed despite returning a ton.

 

[ThePiombino]

He has to be absolutely pissed, they hit on QB and have their most physically gifted team since he’s been there and the defense (which was his baby prior to being promoted) has absolutely collapsed despite returning a ton.

Sure, but -- and I say this as an ardent supporter of Freeman -- he has only himself to be pissed at.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

I am curious how he handles this. Obviously, there has been a major regression defensively and there's a very clear common denominator. We've seen him move on from an inept coordinator before in Gerald Porker, but not until the season was over.

I think people who want Ass fired now are going to be severely disappointed. MF made his bed, he needs to sleep in it for at least the 2025 regular season, or a large majority of it (I'm not advocating for that at all, I'd rejoice in Ass getting fired today). From MF's perspective, probably not good optics to hire a guy and can him two games in. That wouldn't be the type of "boss" loyalty prospective coordinators would be too keen on.

If he has a mind to promote Mickens and Mickens is ready, then the point may be moot. But then why didn't he make that call already if that's the case? Maybe he makes the move and gives Mickens the reigns as a trial. Idk. All I know is this is the worst defense we've seen around here since 2016, and with the guys we had coming back, it's a major disappointment.

 

[Free Manera]

I think he will give Ash a few weeks to see if he can get it together. But I also think he is going to take a much more active role in gameplanning and maybe even playcalling. He came as close to calling out Ash as you can without naming names. Saying that the players are being asked to do things they can't do is a pretty clear shot.

 

[pumpdog20]

I typically leave room for myself to be disappointed. So while I am at the moment, I'm not terribly surprised or panicked.

Hopefully this turns around fast because if not we're looking at a potential 2016 on our hands.

The 2016 team got smoked by the only ranked team they played, and lost to teams like 5-7 Texas, 3-9 Mich State, 4-8 Duke, and 6-6 NC State.

This year as painful as it seems, is a combined 4 points to two current top 10 teams. There could potentially be another 1 to 2 losses coming, and this team will still never be as bad as that 2016 team.

 

[irishu]

I think you guys need to get back to work

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I remember being disappointed in Freeman’s defense the one year he called plays. His three linemen set was gashed every week.

 

[T Town Tommy]

How much time does Freeman spend with the defense now? He said in his presser that he spends a lot of time now with the defense but that he would spend more as needed. I guess the phrase “a lot” is literal but did he see things, or tolerate things, that should have been corrected but wasn’t? Or his “ a lot” referring to more macro level defensive planning, etc.? I wish he would have been a bit more clearer with that.

 

[Irish#1]

I am curious how he handles this. Obviously, there has been a major regression defensively and there's a very clear common denominator. We've seen him move on from an inept coordinator before in Gerald Porker, but not until the season was over.

I think people who want Ass fired now are going to be severely disappointed. MF made his bed, he needs to sleep in it for at least the 2025 regular season, or a large majority of it (I'm not advocating for that at all, I'd rejoice in Ass getting fired today). From MF's perspective, probably not good optics to hire a guy and can him two games in. That wouldn't be the type of "boss" loyalty prospective coordinators would be too keen on.

If he has a mind to promote Mickens and Mickens is ready, then the point may be moot. But then why didn't he make that call already if that's the case? Maybe he makes the move and gives Mickens the reigns as a trial. Idk. All I know is this is the worst defense we've seen around here since 2016, and with the guys we had coming back, it's a major disappointment.

Yep, those expecting Ash to get canned soon better reset expectations. MF will give him the season to show if he can adjust. Given MF's presser, I expect assignments to be simplified or return to a defense closer to what Al used last year.

 

[NDWarrior]

The 2016 team got smoked by the only ranked team they played, and lost to teams like 5-7 Texas, 3-9 Mich State, 4-8 Duke, and 6-6 NC State.

This year as painful as it seems, is a combined 4 points to two current top 10 teams. There could potentially be another 1 to 2 losses coming, and this team will still never be as bad as that 2016 team.

I agree, MF will never let this team approach the level of the 2016 debacle of a season. They could lose 1 or 2 more (if things aren't course corrected), but they should win a majority of the games remaining.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

The 2016 team got smoked by the only ranked team they played, and lost to teams like 5-7 Texas, 3-9 Mich State, 4-8 Duke, and 6-6 NC State.

This year as painful as it seems, is a combined 4 points to two current top 10 teams. There could potentially be another 1 to 2 losses coming, and this team will still never be as bad as that 2016 team.

4-8 is a low bar.

 

[Sea Turtle]

How much time does Freeman spend with the defense now? He said in his presser that he spends a lot of time now with the defense but that he would spend more as needed. I guess the phrase “a lot” is literal but did he see things, or tolerate things, that should have been corrected but wasn’t? Or his “ a lot” referring to more macro level defensive planning, etc.? I wish he would have been a bit more clearer with that.

I wish the people of Graceland had been more clearer on the rules while on the tour there. I got kicked out for sitting on the furniture even though I didn't touch anything with my hands.

I guess those security cameras Elvis had set up still work 😞

 

[irishff1014]

It’s more than the defense. The team looks flat and looks slow. The team doesn’t look organized. To be quite honest it reminds me to the BK teams.

 

[IrishLax]

I typically leave room for myself to be disappointed. So while I am at the moment, I'm not terribly surprised or panicked.

Hopefully this turns around fast because if not we're looking at a potential 2016 on our hands.

I don't think it will go full 2016 but I think it could be a 2022 style season where they stub their toe again against someone mid because of flaws. But in general, I think this is the reality for Freeman in Year 4:

He is collectively 3-5 in the first two weeks of the season. The only year he went 2-0 to open things up is when he got 3x tune up games in the first four weeks of the season in 2023... he had Navy, Tennessee State, NC State, and then Central Michigan. By contrast, he is 5-1 in post season games in his 3 full seasons only losing the National Championship game. His teams always play better towards the end of the season and the Texas A&M game last year was more of a fluke than the norm. The Marshall and NIU games are the norms.

So they really need to consider "why" they are front loading the schedule like this and Freeman also probably needs to look at how they are approaching fall camp so that they are not so sloppy out of the gate. It's not ideal to spend a month trying to find your team identity and some cohesion.

 

[IrishBryan77]

I have seen Bob Davie teams execute better. 🙄

 

[T Town Tommy]

I wish the people of Graceland had been more clearer on the rules while on the tour there. I got kicked out for sitting on the furniture even though I didn't touch anything with my hands.

I guess those security cameras Elvis had set up still work 😞

Well alrighty then… didn’t answer my questions but I will file away the Graceland information as good to know.

 

[ulukinatme]

I have seen Bob Davie teams execute better. 🙄

 

[T-Boone]

Sure, but -- and I say this as an ardent supporter of Freeman -- he has only himself to be pissed at.

The problem is Golden left. What could he have done to stop that.

 

[ThePiombino]

The problem is Golden left. What could he have done to stop that.

Presumably nothing, but he sure as hell ahould have made a better hire.