Notre Dame is ranked No. 9 in both the Associated Press Poll and the Coaches Poll; it's likely the Fighting Irish will also be the 9th-ranked team in the College Football Playoff Poll when it comes out tomorrow night. They're coming off of a 49-10 win over the Navy Midshipmen this past Saturday and are gearing up for what will be their last Top 25 matchup of the regular season when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on head coach Pat Narduzzi and the Pittsburgh Panthers.
The Panthers are the winners of five straight games after starting the season 2-2. A quarterback change has ignited this offense and the defense has done enough to get Pitt back to a 7-2 record and ranked in the CFP Poll. Today, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman talked today at his press conference recapping their 39-point victory of the Midshipmen and the challenges of preparing for this gritty Pittsburgh team.
You can watch the full press conference here:
Here are some of Freeman's quotes from today's press conference:
Freeman On Jaden Greathouse's Return
"He's putting in so much work on getting that hamstring where it needs to be," Freeman explained. "Last week, we had to extract some blood from his hamstring; part of the healing process is blood build up and you have to extract it. Mentally, he's been in a good place. He's as frustrated as anybody. He wants to be out there but we have to keep working and then we'll see what happens here in the next couple of days or weeks depending on how it heals."
Freeman On How He Views The Heisman Trophy
"I think it's one of the highest honors you can get as a college football player," Freeman stated. "Somebody asked me if I thought Jeremiyah Love was a Heisman Trophy candidate and I said 'yes, absolutely.' But if we all focus on being the best player we can be for this team and give everything we have to help us win then I don't want to make decisions to influence the people that vote for the Heisman. I just want everybody in our program to put all their effort into winning and being the best players they can be."
"That's not to negate the prestigious meaning of the trophy and what it represents," Freeman continued. "It's a huge honor; somebody is going to win it, but I think Jeremiyah Love would be the first one to tell you that winning a game is way more important than that individual award. He's going to do everything in his power to make sure we are prepared to win that game. If the Heisman trophy comes with it, then great. That's amazing."
Freeman On Bryce Young's Development
"It's a transition and it takes time," Freeman said. "It's a transition whenever you put on weight, and it's good weight. He's put on good weight. I think, for him, it's almost natural. He's a big guy and he was young last year. You look at his genetics and he's going to be big. How do we get him to learn how to play with the proper technique with that size."
"It's something that takes time," Freeman continued to say. "You can teach, teach and teach but until continuously do it and practice it over and over and show him what he's doing right and wrong, it doesn't become second nature. He's doing a great job and he's improving. I don't know the stats but, for us when I go through the grades, he's doing exactly what we need him to do. He's going to keep grinding and keep working. He's a valuable member of this football team."
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