Why shouldn’t Marcus Freeman do all of that and more? He smirked, gave a high five, gave a hug, and grinned.
As Notre Dame slashed through the ruins of Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s dynasty, Jayden Harrison of the Irish had just dashed into the end zone on a kickoff return touchdown for the team’s third score in less than a minute of game time.
And the excitement of the green-and-navy-clad fans in the Superdome stands couldn’t have been equaled by the Notre Dame coach’s.
This one was eagerly anticipated by the Irish.
A long, long period, I mean.
For what length of time? The last Irish triumph of this size was not witnessed by the Notre Dame players who were instrumental in their team’s 23-10 thumping of Georgia in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl.
To jog any hazy recollections of the golden domers having a golden moment of this magnitude on a postseason stage, even Freeman, the 38-year-old coach of the Irish, would need to call Lou Holtz.
Does this outcome imply that Notre Dame will win a national championship? I still have my doubts. In only one week, Penn State will play in the Orange Bowl, the first of two rounds that will be brawls worthy of brass knuckles. Although Notre Dame isn’t the most complete squad on the field, it demonstrated that it is more polished than Georgia and has a competitive defense.
“I want to celebrate this,” claimed Freeman. “I’m pleased with these men. This program makes me proud. We must board that aircraft and shift our attention to Penn State.
Whatever happens next shouldn’t take away from what happened here for a program that won its largest postseason title in over three decades.
Linebacker Jack Kiser remarked, “To achieve team glory like this, it’s an awesome deal.”
The game is won by Marcus Freeman. Brian Kelly was unable to attend Notre Dame.
Although Irish supporters may not like to acknowledge it, Brian Kelly, Freeman’s predecessor, was instrumental in bringing Notre Dame back to prominence. His teams did well in the regular season, and Kelly recorded memorable wins against Oklahoma and Clemson on their way to winning seasons. However, his Irish were a constant wilter in the postseason.
In actuality, Georgia became into a rival that Kelly was unable to defeat.
After Georgia dominated Thursday for a quarter and a half, these Irish might have also faded, but Notre Dame’s defense held firm.
The Fighting Irish defenders are a formidable team that is even superior to the defensive juggernaut Smart assembled at Georgia this season. Additionally, Notre Dame committed fewer serious errors than a rival that played true to its image as an unpolished club that frequently committed costly turnovers.
