Notre Dame came so, so close to clinching that Natty last year. The ride to that game was no cakewalk for Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish kept losing one man after another to injuries, especially in the defense. “Losing-sleep injuries,” former DC Al Golden had remarked about the locker room situation back then. But Freeman persevered, with a commendable defense nevertheless. However, it fell short against that of Ohio State on the big day. Now, Al Golden is gone, and new DC Chris Ash is in.
Under Golden, the defense was not as bad, ranking among the best in the country. Last season, his defense gave up just 15.5 points per game and 4.8 yards per play. But the NFL knocked on his door, and Golden departed for the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, Chris Ash, who brings in a blend of NFL and collegiate coaching experience, will be tasked with shaping a defensive line that no longer has its stars, like Rylie Mills and Jack Kiser.
So far, it looks like the Ash is coming up good in his new home. Freeman told the press on May 1, “I love the progression we’ve made with Coach Ash, he’s a good leader, and I’m extremely happy.” Ash’s career has been put up for debate, but he still has the skills that Urban Meyer had vying for him at Ohio State. However, his last CFB outing as head coach for Rutgers did not see any good numbers and cost him his job. He’s had stints with Jacksonville and the Raiders, too, and will now build a Notre Dame defense replete with new faces. It’s only been five months since Ash donned the team colors, and his work is showing results.
In the Blue and Gold game, the defense lost to the offense 31-76. Against the offense, his defense was still able to keep them out of the end zone on four of their seven trips to the red zone. Ash has still not made significant changes to the Golden-instilled defense in the team. “All of us have gotten a lot more familiar with his style of coaching,” Junior safety Luke Talich noted of Ash. “It’s a little different than Coach Golden, but it’s good in its own way. You know he’s going to push you every single day; he’s going to get after you. I feel very confident in his ability,” he added.
The 2025 season will be a test of redemption for Marcus Freeman. We’ll have to wait and see if Chris Ash builds a career highlight for himself at Notre Dame. On the other side of the ball, Freeman talks about a controversial strategy that seems to be a favorite of a team valued at $6.6 billion.
Marcus Freeman is keen on employing debated-upon Eagles play
Freeman said he’d very much like to employ the Eagles’ signature move, the ‘tush-push.’ “Absolutely. I mean, it’s had a lot of success with the Eagles, so I think a lot of teams are studying that. We’re always looking for an edge,” Freeman remarked. The play has almost all defenses crumbling in front of it, with calls of its ban never really seeing any fruition. The move has rewarded the Eagles with a slew of regular-season wins.
The play involves the quarterback being pushed ahead into the opposing defense by the line behind him. It involved guys who can cause some serious damage, featuring a running back and a tight end. The Eagles’ trio consisted of Jalen Hurts, left tackle Jordan Mailata, and left guard Landon Dickerson. Hurts went behind the 697 lbs combo of Mailata and Dickerson. Another element of that line is Center Cam Jurges. With all of these heavyweights barreling ahead, not many defenses could hold them back. “It’s like a truck with four-wheel drive,” Jurgens noted.
That move, with a starting QB-hopeful like CJ Carr, can up Notre Dame’s game by leaps and bounds. Freeman heads one of the most elite programs in CFB right now, and the willingness to employ such a move shows his intent for this season. With new DC Chris Ash in tow, can he come close to a National Championship spot once again?
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