Notre Dame Football: Marcus Freeman updates media ahead of Louisville

Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman met with reporters Thursday following the Irish's 28-3 win over the Miami (OH) RedHawks as the team prepares for Saturday's game against the Louisville Cardinals. The trainer called out some outstanding things and of course talked about fashion.

How are you, fellow children?

On the experience factor of seventh-year Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough and senior Louisville wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks: “Shough is a guy that is extremely experienced. He's a big guy and tall. Not really easy to take off. [He’s] He's seen a lot of defenses and throws a really good ball deep. Very similar [sixth-year senior Miami (OH) quarterback Brett Gabbert] Last week it will be really difficult to confuse them in terms of what to play defensively. But it will be a challenge to ensure we operate at a high level. Wide receiver Brooks is a playmaker. He's a guy they're going to try to get the ball down the field. He can make contested catches and will certainly be a challenge for our DBs.”

It's called style

The coach answered the question on everyone's mind and said, “Yes, they will wear the green jerseys.”

Field facts

On the evolution of the field wide receiver position with the return of Jordan Faison from an ankle sprain, with Kris Mitchell in the game and with KK Smith's strong performance against Purdue, Freeman said: “I have a strong feeling for the position. I think it's deep. Faison is back, I would think [to] his normal self or as close as possible. Kris has played well and KK has done a good job on both occasions in the last two games, so I feel good about the room. They had a good week of practice and we’ll see what the game dictates performance-wise, but I’m really happy with the field wide receiver position.”

Recovery, possibly return

As for what defensive lineman Jordan Botelho might have in 2025 given his knee injury in the Purdue game and subsequent surgery, Freeman said: “That's something we've told him is an option for him if.” “It's something he wants to do.” But more than anything, [we’ve] I wanted him to somehow be able to cope with the different emotions after an operation like the one he had. We just want him to know that if he wants to come back next year, we would love to have him back.”

One game away

Of defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka's standout performance when Botelho was sidelined against the RedHawks, Freeman said, “I think it's just a reflection of the preparation he did, the depth. “He took advantage of the opportunity that came his way , and so it's a great example for everyone in our program. You are always one move away. He played a little bit for us, obviously in a bigger role. He had a lot of performance on Saturday, and that doesn't happen with luck either. It’s because of the preparation and he puts in a lot of work and I’m happy for him and glad he was able to get that production on Saturday.”

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