Heading into fall camp, Notre Dame football focuses on solutions before opener at Texas A&M

SOUTH BEND — For the second time in Marcus Freeman’s three seasons at the helm for Notre Dame football, a nighttime road date with a traditional power awaits on the other side of fall training camp.

In 2022, it was a high-stakes trip back home to face Ohio State that opened the first full season of the Freeman era. Fifth-ranked Notre Dame was competitive that night against the second-ranked Buckeyes, but the Irish wilted late and lost 21-10.

This time, with fall practice set to open on July 31, it’s a trip to Texas A&M that looms. The Aggies will open the Mike Elko era on Aug. 31 with a night game at raucous Kyle Field, where the seating capacity of 102,733 makes it the largest venue in the Southeastern Conference.

“It will be a hostile environment,” Freeman said during an offseason visit with beat reporters. “We get it. We understand that. Our guys will be prepared. That’s the last thing they need to focus on.”

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Instead of fretting about the noise and the 12th Man and “Gig ‘em” pouring from the stands, Freeman wants his coaches and players to be solution-oriented.

“What we need to focus on is, ‘OK, if we’re going to go on silent count, let’s do it. If we’re going to go on the clap, let’s do it,’ “ Freeman said. “Let’s prepare for the noise and not just sit here and talk about it over and over and over. Let’s prepare for it, have an actual answer for it.”

This is the voice of a third-year head coach as opposed to a first timer taking over a program that was coming off five straight 10-win seasons but hadn’t visited Ohio Stadium in more than a quarter century and hadn’t won there since 1935.

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/heading-fall-camp-notre-dame-124133917.html

Author : South Bend Tribune

Publish date : 2024-07-18 12:41:33

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