Notre Dame had plenty to play for Thursday night in the Orange Bowl, with a spot in the CFP Championship Game at stake, but players apparently got extra motivation the day before the game from an unlikely source: Penn State head coach James Franklin.
The Athletic reported Friday that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman left a Wednesday press conference “angry” after an interaction with Franklin. According to The Athletic’s Pete Sampson, Franklin, 52, “playfully asked” the much younger Freeman his age, and complimented him on his hairline. (For Franklin and anyone else wondering, Freeman turned 39 on Friday.)
That sounds like lighthearted banter, hardly the stuff of bulletin board material, but Freeman did not take the interaction with Penn State’s coach well.
“He was angry. He was angry with the press conference thing, whatever was going on between that,” safety Xavier Watts told The Athletic. “He was mad about that. All the anger went toward us and that anger went onto the field.”
Freeman’s unease with Franklin at the media event was evident to others.
James Franklin has thrown lots of shade at Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman in pressers this week.
Franklin is trying so desperately to little brother Freeman.
Freeman is visibly tired of Franklin’s comments.
pic.twitter.com/RV8QQ9DkFW— Caleb Conrad (@CalebConrad23) January 9, 2025
Notre Dame beat Penn State, 27-24. No one will ever know how much of Freeman’s anger transferred to his players. But on certain plays Thursday night, you could almost sense Notre Dame playing “angry.” Exhibit 1A: Running back Jeremiyah Love shook off four Penn State defenders on this incredible fourth-quarter touchdown run.
Jeremiyah Love with a ridiculous effort for a go-ahead Notre Dame TD.
Sean McDonough on the ESPN call. 🏈🎙️💪#CFP pic.twitter.com/Tt4FsoV3eZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 10, 2025
“I’m not gonna speak on their head coach, but we felt like their team didn’t really respect us,” Love said after the game (via The Athletic). “We wanted to come into this game and make a statement. Be the aggressors. Dominate them physically. That’s the message. Be physical and play violent. The whole game.”
