Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Scribbler
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Nearest buying and selling parks on the podium with schoolteacher Marcus Freeman overdue Saturday evening, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman paused as a chant started close the primary stadium tunnel.
“We love Marcus! We love Marcus!”
“Me too,” Hartman stated with a grin.
The year had no longer began with an outpouring of aid for Freeman, the second-year schoolteacher whose group had dropped two of 3 video games to actually fall out of the Faculty Soccer Playoff race. A 33-20 loss at Louisville, no longer lengthy next a tragic house defeat to Ohio State, had stirred some lack of certainty in regards to the 37-year-old Freeman and Notre Dame’s route.
The year resulted in decidedly other and dominating type, as Disagree. 21 Notre Dame clobbered Disagree. 10 USC 48-20, the Combating Irish’s maximum lopsided win in opposition to a top-10 opponent since beating USC via the similar margin in 1995. Notre Dame scored on offense, protection and particular groups to complete with its maximum issues in opposition to an AP top-10 opponent since piling up 54 in opposition to Disagree. 9 Boston College in 1992.
“Adversity is part of life,” Freeman stated. “I told our guys … I want to be an anti-fragile program. I told them this on Monday. What does that mean? We just didn’t get through it, through adversity. We are better because of the adversity we faced. That’s easy to say. The challenge is do the things that it takes to make sure we’re better, and that’s what these coaches and players did.”
Notre Dame’s protection did issues no longer carried out sooner than in opposition to USC quarterback Caleb Williams and the people’s Disagree. 1 scoring offense coming into Saturday’s recreation (at 51.8 issues in step with generation). The Irish was the primary group to intercept Williams 3 times, and so they did so within the first part. Led via protection Xavier Watts, who had two selections, a compelled fumble and a 15-yard scoop and ranking within the terminating mins, Notre Dame had a 5-0 edge in submits, secured for the fourth-best yielding margin in opposition to an AP top-10 group within the year 20 seasons.
The Irish had six sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hurries, overwhelming USC’s offensive order and persistently placing Williams on his heels. In addition they was the primary group within the year 20 seasons to report 5 takeaways and feature a distinct groups landing — on Jadarian Price‘s 99-yard kick go back within the fourth quarter — in opposition to an AP top-10 opponent.
Hartman joked later on that he merely “threw the ball a couple times” and would purchase defensive coordinator Al Blonde “another Ferrari.”
“The mentality, the work, the preparation, all just aligned perfectly, and it’s a credit to our head coach,” stated Hartman, who had two landing passes, together with a 46-yarder to Chris Tyree within the 3rd quarter next USC had in the end reached the top zone. “Monday night, we’re in there and guys are beat up and we’re all kind of like, ‘Shoot, we’ve got to go.’ And something we said all week was, ‘What better opportunity to have USC come play?’
“It’s a presen that I’ll by no means fail to remember.”
Notre Dame finished with 28 points off of turnovers. Watts became the first player to record two interceptions, a forced fumble and defensive touchdown since Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau did so in opposition to Penn State in 2022.
“It’s simply mad, one thing you by no means actually imagined,” Watts said. “I used to be available in the market simply enjoying, seeking to have a laugh, seeking to do my task, and it ended up going down.”
After tightly contested games against Ohio State, Duke and, for three quarters, Louisville, Notre Dame led by 11 points or more for the final 34:14 on Saturday. The Irish had only one drive longer than 50 yards and converted only 3 of 10 third-down plays, but they scored on all five of their red zone scoring chances.
Freeman said he challenged his coaching staff to not focus on what happened at Louisville, but why it happened. They had “tricky conversations,” reevaluated what they were doing in practice and ultimately simplified their approach to eliminate confusion.
“Weeks that you simply lose are actually lengthy, particularly round right here,” Freeman said. “The expectancy is that you simply win each and every recreation you play games. I do know the hours are the similar, however the weeks that you simply win appear to advance via actually speedy and the after alternative is right here. However it’s what it’s. It’s important to pick out your head up and advance again to paintings.”
