Marcus Freeman: 'Honeymoon stage is over' after Irish's loss

Marcus Freeman's first game as Notre Dame's head coach ended in an embarrassing second-half collapse in the Fiesta Bowl. South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Freeman says 'honeymoon stage is over' after Irish's collapse in Fiesta Bowl

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 1/1/22

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will not want to remember his first game as head coach. Despite what happened, he’s absolutely not shying away from the challenge.

The Fighting Irish lost the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday 37-35 to Oklahoma State after blowing a 21-point first-half lead. The collapse ensured that Freeman started his Notre Dame head-coaching career with a loss, and it was a key setback for the new coach after all the positivity that followed his appointment.

Freeman knows this and is not hiding from it. He offered a hugely encouraging quote following Saturday’s loss, proclaiming his honeymoon over.

"The honeymoon stage is over.” – Marcus Freeman

— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) January 1, 2022

Freeman is right about that. Most Notre Dame fans were happy with his appointment, and few will turn on him now. However, expectations will remain high, and this loss will lurk in the back of everyone’s mind heading into next season.

The good news is Notre Dame showed what it can be capable of in the first half. The key for Freeman and his staff going forward will be figuring out how to keep that going and being able to adjust on the fly better than they did Saturday.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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