It wasn’t the prettiest win for the No. 3 ranked US LBM Coaches Poll Notre Dame, but coach Marcus Freeman is relieved that the Fighting Irish capped a rainy Saturday evening with a 27-10 triumph over longtime rival Michigan State.
“To win by 17...you don’t play your best ball,” Freeman told NBC Sports on-field reporter Kathryn Tappen in his postgame interview
. “It’s encouraging because we’ve got to clean up some things...things that we’ve inflicted on ourselves.”Freeman praised his quarterback CJ Carr, who was 18-for-24 with 234 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. Freeman added, that his quarterback set up junior receiver Micah Gilbert to have “a good day.” Gilbert finished with a team-leading eight receptions for 170 yards.
“(Carr) was getting
our offense in a good position to have positive plays and the looks he was getting,” Freeman said. “He took advantage of what the team gave him in the pass game with explosive plays. He’s a really good player and I’m glad he’s on this team.”
The Irish defense also continues to get the job done. The unit has sacrificed 13 points-or-less, including a shutout over Rice and just two TDs against through three games.
“The defense is playing really well,” Freeman said. “We didn’t play perfectly. We gave up too many points, but we’re greedy people. If the defense plays well, we’re going to have a chance in every game we play.”
Freeman didn’t want to dismiss Michigan State’s performance on Saturday, but also noted that he wants to make sure that Notre Dame “doesn’t beat themselves.”
“(Michigan State) is a good team. They’re a physical, disciplined and tough team, which I knew they would be,” Freeman said. “Our guys are tough, so it’s a great victory.”
It's 3-0 for the Fighting Irish and Kathryn Tappen chats with Marcus Freeman about their performance vs Michigan State. pic.twitter.com/64E58tPQf9
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 20, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Freeman speaks highly of Carr, defense after Notre Dame's win over MSU
