Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman knows Saturday’s matchup against Boise State won’t be a walkover. The No. 21 Fighting Irish have already faced a tough schedule, dropping early-season games to Miami and Texas A&M before rebounding with dominant wins over Purdue and Arkansas.
But Freeman made it clear this week that the visiting Broncos are no ordinary Group of Five team. Boise State, coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, enters South Bend averaging more than 560 yards and nearly 50 points per game over its last three contests.
Freeman praised Boise State’s dynamic offense, describing its constant movement and deception as challenges to defenses' discipline.
“It’s a great challenge for our defense,” Freeman said. “They will use every motion and shift to try to get your defense off-balance.”
Freeman Praises Boise State’s Offense, Prepares CJ Carr for Defensive Pressure
Boise State’s offense stumbled in its season opener, managing just 378 total yards in a 34-7 loss to South Florida. Since then, the Broncos have exploded, averaging 567.3 yards per game and scoring at will.
Freeman credited much of that success to redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen, who has thrown for 1,129 yards and nine touchdowns with only one interception while adding a rushing score.
“Sometimes I look at a throw he makes, and I go, ‘Oh, I don’t know if he should have thrown it there,’ and he puts it right where it needs to be,” Freeman said. “And that sometimes overcomes always making the exact perfect decision, is having confidence in your decision, and he’s definitely that.”
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Madsen’s precision and confidence have drawn national attention after a 3,018-yard, 23-touchdown season last year. Freeman also noted Boise State’s defensive front, which will test Notre Dame’s young quarterback, CJ Carr.
The redshirt freshman has been steady through four starts, but has thrown an interception in each of Notre Dame’s losses and has been sacked five times in those games.
“This is going to be a really good challenge for our offense,” Freeman said. “You’ve got to win your one-on-one battles versus this defense.”
Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.