Marcus Freeman had plenty of ups and downs to learn from in his 1st season as Notre Dame football coach

Marcus Freeman was named head coach at Notre Dame last December, and he has learned from early mistakes he made a year ago.

He immediately hit the road to recruit while simultaneously preparing his team to face Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl four weeks later. The whirlwind challenge was perhaps too much; the Irish blew a 21-point first-half lead and Freeman lost his first game as a head coach 37-35.

No. 19 Notre Dame will try to start fast and finish strong against No. 20 South Carolina in the Gator Bowl on Friday in an intriguing matchup of 8-4 teams.

Notre Dame has adjusted its bowl preparations from 2021, giving battle-worn veterans more rest in December while also providing younger players with opportunities to prove themselves in practice.

“You have a whole year of data to look and say, ‘How do we want to prepare?’” Freeman said. “If we don’t enhance what we’re doing, you’re going to get passed by, and that’s something I believe in.”

Freeman has a whole season of ups and downs to learn from. Notre Dame started 0-2 in 2022 but won eight of its last 10 games, including a victory over then-No. 5 Clemson.

Even with the turnaround, Freeman’s first season failed to live up to expectations.

“The standard of Notre Dame football and the expectations of Notre Dame football have been set way before I got here and before our players got here,” Freeman said. “It goes back years. The expectation for Notre Dame football is to play at such a high level that you win every game you play. We understand that and we respect that.”

The Irish’s five-year streak of at least 10 wins is over. A 38-27 setback to USC was the program’s first loss in November since 2017.

Still, a hot start doesn’t necessarily equate to long-term success in South Bend.

Former Irish coaches Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis both overachieved early by winning nine and 10 games in their first regular seasons, only to experience losing campaigns shortly after. Ultimately, both were fired.

Lou Holtz won a combined 13 games in his first two seasons before leading the Irish to a 12-0 record and a national championship in his third season in 1988.

Past Notre Dame coaches never had to navigate some of the challenges all coaches face now.

Three of Freeman’s most productive players left the team before the Gator Bowl. First-team All-America tight end Michael Mayer, who leads the team in receiving and touchdown catches, will skip the game to prepare for the NFL draft. The same goes for second-team All-America edge rusher Isaiah Foskey, who’s tied for sixth in the nation with 11 sacks.

Quarterback Drew Pyne started the final 10 games, completing 64.6% of his passes for 2,021 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. But he decided to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 2 after learning the Irish would pursue a transfer quarterback in the offseason. Pyne is committed to Arizona State for the 2023 season.

Tyler Buchner, who started losses to Ohio State and Marshall to open the season before having shoulder surgery, will start at quarterback against the Gamecocks.

ESPN reported this week that Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman — the ACC career record holder for touchdown passes — is expected to enter the portal and land at Notre Dame.

It will take time for Freeman to build the program he desires. The Irish have the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class, per the 247Sports composite rankings. Win or lose, he will challenge what he has done in the past as he heads into Year 2.

“We talked about it being a bumpy road, and it wasn’t how we foresaw it as the season started,” Freeman said. “But the ability to improve week after week after wins and losses was the challenge that I had as the head coach for this team.”