Notre Dame didn’t just dominate Syracuse. The Irish detonated them. A 70 to 7 Senior Day avalanche that began with 21 unanswered points before the offense ever took a snap and ended with a clear message about who this team has become. Even Marcus Freeman had to pause and take it in. “I haven’t been a part of a game like that. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a game like that. Twenty one points on the board and the offense hasn’t been on the field.”
Everything about the start came from defense, special teams and pure readiness. A pick six. A blocked punt for a touchdown. Another pick six. All before CJ Carr ever took the field. Freeman kept emphasizing why it happened. “You have to be in the position to make those plays. To block a punt you have to be in that position. So credit to our guys for being in those positions and then taking advantage of the opportunity.”
He praised the dominance while refusing to label it perfect. “The score shows a dominant victory but that doesn’t always mean you played perfectly. They played really really well. But I still think there’s more. I’ll find reasons to make sure our guys understand that there’s more out there.”
The breakout star was Jalen Stroman, who was forced into a starting role after Tae Johnson was injured during practice while punching the ball out. Stroman delivered a pick six, a blocked punt that became another touchdown and some of the cleanest tackling of the night. Freeman has been preaching patience to him all season. “He didn’t complain. He just works. He just works. He just works. Here you go Stro. This is why you work. And that first pick six, I was so happy for him because it reaffirmed everything.”
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Jeremiyah Love added his own jolt to the offense and a level of trust that Freeman openly acknowledges. “He is a special football player. It is a confidence when he is on the field. He consistently does his job. He consistently performs well.”
The stat sheet added an almost comical twist. Syracuse held the ball for more than 41 minutes and still lost by 63 points, an absurd reminder of just how little defense the Orange actually played and how efficient, explosive and opportunistic Notre Dame was on every snap.
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Freeman pointed back to the Purdue game when discussing the defensive turnaround. That was the week the staff and players had a decision to make. “You have two options. Either you stick together or you do what outsiders would do and point the finger at one person. They all said we are going to stay together. That was the moment.”
Senior Day added emotional weight. “We had a special group of seniors that might have played their last game at Notre Dame Stadium. Special shout out to all the seniors, the band, cheerleaders, managers, everybody.”
And now the reality is unavoidable. With Stanford next, Notre Dame is one win away from the College Football Playoffs. Freeman reminded his team to enjoy the moment before moving forward. “We gotta celebrate this victory. If you don’t enjoy it, that is a miserable life. You have to try to enjoy these because they are really hard to obtain.”
Notre Dame looks complete, confident and prepared for what comes next. One more victory, and the Irish are in.
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