By John Brice
Special Contributor
Distractions? What distractions?
Marcus Freeman has a number of elements he and his Notre Dame coaching staff are confronting as they prepare the Fighting Irish for Saturday’s Shamrock Series game against BYU in Las Vegas, but the trappings of that location and the potential for players to lose focus on the Cougars (4-1) aren’t atop Freeman’s list.
“We’re not going to get out there in time to experience any of the distractions that I think Las Vegas can present,” said Freeman, whose first career two-game winning streak has helped Notre Dame even its ledger at 2-2. “We’re going to get there and be very strategic in what we do. I want them to go see Allegiant Stadium (host venue, home of the NFL’s Raiders) and go straight to the hotel. Have dinner, we’ll have time together and a normal meeting we have on Friday night.
“Then they’re going to go to bed. We have to remember our bodies are used to Eastern Standard Time, so we’re going to try to get them to bed at a decent hour and wake them up at a decent hour to get us ready for the game on Saturday.”
That game, which kicks at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 PT, is the 11th iteration of the Shamrock Series, which traces its origins to the 2009 contest against Washington State in San Antonio, Texas.
Notre Dame is undefeated in the series, with locales ranging from the DMV to New York City to Chicago and multiple stops in Texas. Still, Freeman is personally taking steps to ensure the team, which isn’t staying on the infamous ‘Vegas Strip,’ remains focused this week.
“They got the head coach, who will be doing bed check at 8:30 Pacific Time on Friday night,” Freeman said. “So, I’m not too concerned.”
What Freeman is focused on seeing from the Irish is the ability to sustain the on-field gain on display in Notre Dame’s wins last month at home against California and on the road at North Carolina, a dominant victory in which the Irish are hoping to build off an offensive identity now on film.
“I think North Carolina’s a good football team and you saw that again this Saturday with them going out and winning again (41-10 against ACC foe Virginia Tech),” Freeman said. “They’re a talented football team. They’re a good football team, well-coached. But I think that’s what our identity has to be. We have to be able to run the ball. It’s not always going to be explosive and 10- to 15-yard gains, but if you’re able to move the ball with consistency and stay on track and stay in rhythm, it opens up everything in our offense and the pass game. It’s great to see.”
With Drew Pyne set for his third career start this week against the Cougars, Freeman is imploring the offense to continue to lean on an ever-improving offensive line, a unit at the foundation of the record-setting day at North Carolina that included more than 100 all-purpose yards for Notre Dame’s three-headed-backfield-monster of Logan Diggs, Audric Estimè and Chris Tyree.
“I think it’s a testament to our offensive line,” Freeman said. “It starts with them. I don’t care what running back you have back there, if your offensive line isn’t executing, blocking, to the way it has to, nobody’s gonna be able to run the ball. Our offensive line continues to get better and better and better, which is really helping out our run game.”
Pyne’s progression, from leading a fourth-quarter comeback against Cal in delivering Freeman’s first career win as head coach to his machine-like consistency in a 289-yard passing effort against the Tar Heels, also has Freeman believing the Irish offense is finding its footing.
“It’s been really good to see Drew Pyne, No. 1, make good decisions,” Freeman said. “That’s the most important thing at the quarterback position. You’ve gotta make the right decision. No. 2, he’s limited his turnovers. He’s taking care of the football. No. 3, he’s starting to make a lot of plays.
“It’s good to see him and that growth and that part of our offense with some guys stepping up.”