Marcus Freeman details excitement for 2024 season after bowl win
Notre Dame ended the season strong with a win in the Sun Bowl over Oregon State. For head coach Marcus Freeman, one of the biggest takeaways was how excited he was for the 2024 season after the game.
As Freeman explained, the Sun Bowl represented a chance for less experienced players to compete and show what they’re capable of doing.
“You had a lot of young guys, guys who didn’t have an opportunity to play much all year get a chance to go play and compete,” Marcus Freeman said. “And they really, to me, displayed the execution that you see in practice.”
The example that Freeman used was Steve Angeli, a backup quarterback who got to start the bowl game with Sam Hartman opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft. In the end, it became a sort of coming out party for Angeli, who completed 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 27 yards in the 40-8 win. Next season, he will compete with transfer Riley Leonard to start at quarterback for Notre Dame.
“Steve Angeli, he’s a really good football player, and he’s shown that in practice. I’m just using him as an example, but we have some guys who are really good football players that didn’t get the opportunity to do that too much throughout the season because of the guys they had in front of them,” Freeman said.
“But I’m confident in the direction of this football program, with the guys that we’re bringing in, the guys we have, the coaches that we have on this staff. I’m really excited as we move forward.”
Notre Dame will start the 2024 season with a tough road test against Texas A&M. Marcus Freeman will hope that the bowl win will provide the Irish with important experience for the game.
Marcus Freeman reflects on ‘bumpy road’ en route to 10-win season
With the Sun Bowl win, Notre Dame finished the season with a 10-3 record. It was a solid season, but as Marcus Freeman knows, it was an inconsistent and bumpy road to get to that point at times.
“We got this thing, it’s called a bumpy road,” Freeman said. “But this bumpy road ended really well. I’m proud of these guys and this university, the fans, our band, our cheer squad. This is a wonderful opportunity. But I’m proud of these players the most, and it’s a pleasure to coach them.”