Notre Dame down but far from out after loss at Miami
The Irish got pushed around by the Hurricanes. But the promise of a special season was enough to keep everyone grounded after defeat.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Marcus Freeman stood against a wall in the visiting media room while poring over the box score. It’s rare that you see a head coach right there by himself once you arrive to interview him after a game, but the press box elevator was unusually slow, foot traffic out of Hard Rock Stadium was a real problem, and Notre Dame’s head coach had already exchanged postgame pleasantries with Miami’s staff and addressed his own team in the locker room by the time any inquiring minds had made it to meet him.
When he finally took the podium, he decided to wait for a few more reporters to arrive. How long had he been there, in that mostly empty room, alone with his thoughts on a game that was right there for the taking, on the fact that his team has now lost two straight dating back to last year, on the harsh reality that there are 13 long days between this contest and the next shot at redemption? And even that game, a home opener against a talented Texas A&M team, will come with an added level of pressure now.
And yet, it was hard for Freeman and his Irish to be truly devastated given the way this one played out, and given the inevitable twists and turns that await on what they still very much expect to be a long, fruitful ride through a 12-team College Football Playoff.
Trust me, a losing coach wouldn’t offer that much grace to late-arriving media had he been beside himself with frustration.