Marcus Freeman credits team for how it handled postponement in Sugar Bowl
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and head coach Marcus Freeman went to New Orleans knowing they had a massive challenge to handle on the field against Georgia. However, once there, the Irish also had to manage the challenge of the game being delayed a day.
That delay stemmed from safety concerns following the terror attack in the French Quarter early in the morning on New Year’s Day. That attack led to the deaths of 14 people while dozens of others were injured. There were also concerns about explosive devices around the city.
Following Notre Dame’s win in the Sugar Bowl, Marcus Freeman shared some of what the Irish team went through during the delay and how they handled the postponement.
“Yeah, yesterday morning, we woke up, and we had heard there was some type of incident,” Marcus Freeman said. “I don’t think we all knew the details, but we were getting ready to play a game. And by the time we had a break and we had lunch, we found out that the game was postponed. And then we found out more details, and I think once you found out more details about the tragedy, the emotions took over each individual differently. But they handled it spectacularly, and they prepared.”
The Sugar Bowl, which doubled as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, was originally scheduled for 8:45 p.m. EST on New Year’s Day. Kickoff wouldn’t be until 4:00 p.m. EST on January 2nd. That was time that Notre Dame chose to spend together as a team.
“We spent some time together. And I think that’s what you do in tough moments. You want to spend time with family, and that’s what we are. But they found a way to get prepared for this opportunity and refocus,” Freeman said.
“And again, it’s unprecedented. Life – you know, I told them this morning, there’s things in life that are unpredictable. And the ability to handle those unpredictable things determine the success. And they handled this incident, this change, but they handle everything that’s thrown at them in an unbelievable way.”
The game itself was an excellent one for Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman saw his defense force two key fumbles while special teams came up massive with a kick return for a touchdown and a fourth down fire drill that caused Georgia to jump offsides late in the game. In the end, the Irish won 23-10 for their first New Year’s Six bowl win since 1993.
Now, Notre Dame is set to take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl. That College Football Playoff semifinal will be played on Thursday, January 9th. It will also see the Irish playing on short rest compared to the Nittany Lions whose quarterfinal game was on New Year’s Eve.
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