Marcus Freeman explains how Notre Dame beat USC after tough schedule

You would have a tough time finding a team with a harder four-week stretch this season than Notre Dame. Four straight ranked games came in a row for the Irish, with USC being the latest on Saturday night. Marcus Freeman saw his team go 2-2 but end on a high note with a rivalry win against the Trojans.

There was a little bit in the four games for Notre Dame too. They were on both sides of a blowout while breaking the heart of Duke. Everything began with a heartbreak of their own against Ohio State in South Bend.

So, how did Notre Dame get through the four games? Freeman made sure his team was mentally tough on a weekly basis.

“It took a lot of execution,” Freeman said via NBC. “It took taking a deep dive into what we’re doing and why we’re doing it and how we’re doing it. As I told this group, elite competitors don’t care what happened the week before.

“It’s our choice to make sure we have the mental discipline and mental toughness to do what it takes to have success. Credit to these players, they worked their tails off. And these coaches.”

Notre Dame slows down Caleb Williams, Marcus Freeman to enjoy win

Notre Dame made Caleb Williams look like a human being and that’s maybe being generous. A true masterclass from Al Golden’s defensive unit, not letting USC do anything all night. Freeman kept telling his team Williams would make a play at some point, making sure they did not take a play off.

“I told those guys ‘Every play, just compete against that guy.’ He’s going to make plays,” Freeman said. “And he’s a great football player. But be relentless in terms of your effort and your attitude and how you attack that guy. To come up big with five turnovers is really impressive.”

When holding a player with the capability of Williams to the game he had, you have to celebrate a little bit. Freeman would usually give himself 24 hours but Notre Dame does have a bye week. Maybe an extra day of fun will be allowed before moving on to Pitt.

“We’re going into a bye week,” Freeman said. “So, we’re going to take a little bit of time and enjoy this. Usually, I say 24 hours. It might be 48 hours on this one. Let’s enjoy it.”