Skip to content

967sports

"The Home of True Sports Lovers"

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Football
  • Hockey
  • Basketball
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • NRL
  • sport cars
  • MLB
Live
  • Home
  • 2024
  • September
  • 8
  • Notre Dame axes head coach Marcus Freeman over persistent instability.
  • NCAA

Notre Dame axes head coach Marcus Freeman over persistent instability.

Tee Blaze September 8, 2024

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Marcus Freeman has yet to master a crucial aspect of coaching at a premier college football program: consistently defeating the teams you’re expected to beat.

The Notre Dame coach now has a surprising home loss to 28-point underdog Northern Illinois to add to his record, which already includes home defeats to Marshall and a struggling Stanford team in 2022.

Freeman acknowledged the situation, saying, “We’ve been here before,” but this defeat is notably worse.

Entering his third year with the Fighting Irish, Freeman, though still young at 38, can no longer use inexperience as an excuse for himself or his team. “It’s our job as coaches to ensure our players are prepared,” Freeman stated. “Performance reflects preparation.”

Notre Dame started Week 2 ranked fifth, coming off a solid road win over Texas A&M and appearing to have one of the clearest paths to the College Football Playoff, beginning with a home game against a Mid-American Conference team.

The Fighting Irish scored a touchdown on their first possession but managed only one more score for the remainder of the game—a third-quarter rushing touchdown by Jeremiyah Love to briefly lead 14-13. Despite this, the offense, led by new transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, struggled to add more points. Leonard’s poorly thrown interception set up the Huskies with favorable field position, adding to the growing sense of unease at Notre Dame.

 Marcus Freeman
Marcus Freeman

Regarding Michigan, No. 3 Texas’ dominant win over No. 10 Michigan seemed determined by the Wolverines’ decision to avoid the transfer portal last December. Michigan, with Jim Harbaugh likely heading back to the NFL, faced challenges reconstructing its roster while dealing with a quarterback situation that’s less than ideal. Davis Warren, a cancer survivor and walk-on, has yet to prove he’s the solution for a playoff contender.

In the broader landscape, the top four AP rankings include three Southeastern Conference teams: No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, and No. 4 Alabama. No. 14 Tennessee might be better than its ranking suggests after a commanding win over No. 24 NC State. Penn State, ranked eighth, had a shaky first half against Bowling Green but rebounded to win by a single score, demonstrating resilience.

Big 12 contenders No. 16 Oklahoma State and No. 17 Kansas State both secured tough nonconference victories with second-half comebacks. Oklahoma State overcame a high yardage game by Taylen Green and Arkansas, winning in double overtime after exploiting numerous mistakes. Kansas State benefited from a late scoop-and-score and a crucial offensive pass interference penalty to escape New Orleans unbeaten.

A few ranked teams struggled against unranked opponents: Iowa State edged No. 21 Iowa with a late field goal, and Illinois secured its first win over a ranked nonconference team since 2019 by defeating No. 19 Kansas. No. 11 Utah, leading against Baylor, lost sixth-year quarterback Cam Rising to a hand injury but still managed to win, with Rising’s injury reportedly not severe.

In another notable result, UAB, led by former Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer, was defeated by Louisiana-Monroe, which had hired interim coach Bryant Vincent. Lastly, No. 25 Clemson showed they still deserve national attention with a dominant 35-point first quarter against Appalachian State.

About The Author

Tee Blaze

See author's posts

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Post navigation

Previous: Steve Sarkisian expressed disappointment after Texas, saying…
Next: Miami Dolphins: Video Shows Disturbing Incident of Police Officer Allegedly Hitting Wide receiver

Related Stories

maxresdefault (6)
  • NCAA
  • Oregon Ducks

The Long Wait Is Over: Nate Bittle Ends Speculation, Withdraws from NBA Draft to Return to Oregon for One Final Run with the Ducks in 2025–26

Kelly June 9, 2025
kansas-state-13674891
  • Kansas State Wildcats
  • NCAA

A New Era Begins: Kansas State Lands No. 1 Overall Recruit

Kelly June 6, 2025
img_6288
  • NCAA

Brian Kelly Raids Texas, Snatches 4-Star Lineman from College Football’s Power Elite

967sportsof May 28, 2025

You may have missed

bosss
  • NHL

🔥Blackhawks Sound the Alarm: Preseason Exposes Shocking NHL Weakness Before 2025–26 Kickoff

Kelly October 4, 2025
USA
  • NHL

🏒Breaking: Chicago Blackhawks Stun NHL with Bold Late-Offseason Signing — A Strategic Move Aimed at Leadership, Depth, and a 2025–26 Resurgence

Kelly October 4, 2025
bruce
  • MLB

💥Bruce Bochy’s Sudden Giants Reunion Sends Shockwaves Through MLB — Rangers Fans Call It a Stunning Betrayal as 2026 Power Balance Shifts

Kelly October 3, 2025
MLB
  • MLB

🚨 Breaking: Rangers Stun MLB with Blockbuster Managerial Hire That Could Redefine 2026 and Usher in a Bold New Era in Arlington

Kelly October 3, 2025

Categories

  • A-League (1)
  • AFL (546)
  • AFLW (2)
  • Alexander zverev (4)
  • Aston Martin (2)
  • Astrit Selmani (1)
  • Baseball (753)
  • Basketball (379)
  • BOXING (3)
  • Canadian Premier League (3)
  • CFL (57)
  • Chicago Blackhawks (1)
  • Cincinnati Reds (12)
  • CRICKET (37)
  • CYCLING (2)
  • darts championship (9)
    • Mercedes-Benz (7)
  • Dinamo București (1)
  • Dog Show (1)
  • Edmonton Oilers (1)
  • Entertainment (1)
  • Football (100)
    • Bundesliga (2)
    • Champion League (1)
    • Championship (1)
    • La Liga (3)
    • Premier League (50)
  • Formula 1 (67)
  • formula1 (154)
  • golf (9)
  • Hockey (262)
  • huskies (1)
  • Kansas State Wildcats (1)
  • manchester united (2)
  • Michigan (1)
  • michigan wolverines (8)
  • MLB (1,120)
  • MLS (126)
  • MMA (2)
  • MotoGP (2)
  • National football league (2)
  • National League (1)
  • NBA (372)
  • NCAA (1,544)
  • NCAA BASKETBALL (11)
  • NCCA (35)
  • New England Patriots (8)
  • New York Yankees (9)
  • NFL (3,017)
  • NHL (249)
  • Novak Djokovic (1)
  • NRL (362)
  • olympic (1)
  • OLYMPICS (1)
  • Oregon Ducks (1)
  • pool (1)
  • Rugby (96)
  • Samu Aghehowa (2)
  • Serie a (6)
  • Snooker (1)
  • Soccer (80)
  • sport cars (2)
  • St. Louis Cardinals (11)
  • Tadej Pogačar (1)
  • Tennis (118)
  • Texas rangers (7)
  • Transfer News (16)
  • UFC (2)
  • UFL (5)
  • USWNT (1)
  • VolleyBall (1)
  • WNBA (5)
  • Wrestling (4)

Tags

AFL Atlanta Braves Atlanta Falcons Auburn Tigers Boston Celtics Boston Red Sox Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Cincinnati reds Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Edmonton Oilers Essendon Bombers Formula 1 Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Max Verstappen Miami Dolphins Michigan Wolverine michigan wolverines Minnesota Vikings MLB MLS NBA NCAA New England Patriots New York Giants New York Jets New York Knicks New York Yankees NFL NHL NRL Ohio State Buckeyes Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks Sydney Roosters Tennis Texas Rangers
  • Home
  • Football
  • Hockey
  • Basketball
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • NRL
  • sport cars
  • MLB
  • Home
  • Football
  • Hockey
  • Basketball
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • NRL
  • sport cars
  • MLB
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.
%d