Marcus Freeman Sees Room to Grow After Notre Dame’s 27-10 Win Over Michigan State

Notre Dame left a rain-soaked Saturday night with a 27-10 victory over Michigan State, moving the Fighting Irish to 3-0 and holding their spot at No. 3 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Head coach Marcus Freeman, though, was more focused on the mistakes than the margin.

“To win by 17… you don’t play your best ball,” Freeman told NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen during his on-field postgame interview, adding that the team needs to clean up self-inflicted errors.

Carr and Gilbert Connect

Sophomore quarterback CJ Carr turned in an efficient outing, completing 18 of 24 pass attempts for 234 yards while adding a rushing touchdown. Freeman highlighted Carr’s command of the offense, saying the quarterback consistently put the unit in favorable positions and capitalized on explosive opportunities in the passing game.

Junior receiver Micah Gilbert was the primary beneficiary, hauling in a team-high eight catches for 170 yards — a performance Freeman credited to Carr’s distribution.

Defense Setting the Tone

Notre Dame’s defense has been the story of the young season. Through three games, the unit has allowed 13 points or fewer, including a shutout of Rice and just two touchdowns surrendered overall. Freeman acknowledged the group wasn’t flawless against the Spartans but emphasized the standard: “If the defense plays well, we’re going to have a chance in every game we play.”

Freeman was careful not to diminish the opponent. He described Michigan State as physical, disciplined, and tough — as expected — and said the focus remains on making sure the Irish don’t beat themselves.

The Media Angle

The game was broadcast nationally on NBC, a property of Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA). Comcast shares closed at $22.74, down 1.22% from the prior close of $23.02, giving the media and telecommunications company a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion. High-profile college football broadcasts remain a key piece of the company’s sports programming slate.

What to watch

• Whether Notre Dame holds its No. 3 ranking in the next US LBM Coaches Poll release.
• Continued production from the Carr-to-Gilbert connection as conference play approaches.
• Whether the defense extends its streak of holding opponents to 13 points or fewer.
• Comcast’s upcoming quarterly earnings report, which will cover NBC’s college football viewership performance.

Source: original release