Notebook: Marcus Freeman, Audric Estime on the same turned page
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Marcus Freeman's and Audric Estime’s collective mindset never changed.
Despite a collection of offensive inconsistencies this season, Notre Dame’s first-year coach, Freeman, has withheld his devotion to a schematic identity. One that did not reflect the expressed intent until the second half of Saturday’s game.
Before the Irish rushed to a season-high 147 yards in a 24-17 victory over California, that dimension of the offense ranked 111th of 131 FBS teams. In the first half, Notre Dame only totaled 61 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Estime entered the game averaging a meager 2.8 yards per carry. At the half, he had 28 yards but just five carries.
So, Freeman made his message to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees clear.
“I wanted to run the ball,” Freeman said.
And Estime followed his coach’s directive in lockstep.
In the second half, the 6-foot, 227-pound Estime registered 46 yards on 13 carries (3.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Estime reached the end zone following a sequence of four of the same play calls. The final one — a 1-yard score.
His touchdown gave the Irish their first lead (14-10) and the confidence to rely on the run game down the stretch.
“I felt like that was our goal coming into the game was to run the ball and be dominant,” Estime said. “We did that successfully. So, doing that gave us a lot of momentum and power to go and win this game."
Estime finished the game with career-highs in carries (18) and yards (76). He did not lose a yard on any carry, which earned a sign of approval from quarterback Drew Pyne.
“When you give the ball to Audric, he falls forward,” Pyne said. “I trust those guys. It’s pretty easy when I can just hand it off and score a touchdown."
And it wasn’t just Estime that headlined the rushing efforts.
Junior Chris Tyree added 64 yards on 17 carries (3.8 yards per carry). The bulk of Tyree’s running workload came in the second and third quarters (12 carries, 54 yards), which exceeded his involvement in the run game in the first two weeks combined (9 carries, 45 yards).
While it took until the third game of Tyree’s junior season to receive a full slate of opportunities, his commitment to the bigger picture paid dividends for Notre Dame in its first win of the season.
"I've never lost my confidence because every time I step on the field, it's just about taking advantage of every opportunity I get,” Tyree said. “Whether it's two, three, four (or) 20 (touches), I'm gonna try my best to take advantage of every opportunity that I get.
“So even coming into this game, it's been the same mentality. So, I tried my best to do that today, and we came out with the win.”
Tyree and Estime’s uptick in production came after Logan Diggs did not play because of a late-week illness that caused him to miss practice Thursday and kept him on the sideline Saturday.
The Tyree-Estime duo also finished first and second on the team in receptions (five, three) and yards (44, 43). They combined for 217 of Notre Dame’s 297 yards of total offense.
Sacks for everyone
After only a combined four sacks in the first two games, the Notre Dame defensive line lived up to Saturday’s challenge. The Irish front four notched all six of the team’s sacks.
“I was hard on them, (defensive line) coach (Al) Washington,” Freeman said, "Even after the first half, a couple of QB scrambles. But they know I believe in them.
“There was one point, Jayson Ademilola, in the second half, walked over to me, and he said, ‘Coach, I got you.’ Went out and made a sack.
“That's what you want, man. You want some guys to take ownership in the performance on the field. That's a deep group. Coach Wash does an excellent job with that group, and we're going to need them all. We're going to need them all to have a relentless pass rush.”
In the third quarter, Ademilola had a solo sack on California quarterback Jake Plummer on second down. The Bears punted two plays later. On the ensuing drive, Notre Dame claimed the 14-10 advantage on Estime’s touchdown.
Ademilola also assisted Isaiah Foskey on a sack on third down of California’s second-to-last offensive drive, which ended with a punt.
But perhaps the most effective sack master was Jacob Lacey.
Last week against Marshall, Lacey only saw 10 snaps and did not record any statistics for the second straight game. Against California, Lacey flipped the switch for a team-best and career-high two sacks while also finishing tied for third on the team with five tackles.
Lacey’s final sack came on the first drive of the last quarter, which resulted in a Bears three-and-out. The Notre Dame offense scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on the next series.
“Honestly, my mindset was to put on for my brothers around me,” Lacey said. “I knew I had a chance to make a play based on what they were doing. I could kind of understand the things that they were calling. I knew a pass was coming, and I knew I had to make a play for my team.”
Turnovers await
Through the first 12 quarters of the season, Notre Dame has yet to have forced a turnover. But that is not to say it did not have its chances on Saturday.
The Irish almost had three in the final minute of the game. Clarence Lewis intercepted Plummer, but JD Bertrand’s targeting call wiped it out. Then, six plays later, Justin Ademilola’s near strip sack and TaRiq Bracy's recovery/return for a TD were called back after a replay reversal. Brandon Joseph was inches away from an interception on the game’s final play.
“I mean, just can't buy one at the end of the game,” Freeman said. “JD gets the targeting, and (we) almost get a chance the last play of the game. But we're going to focus on the positives."
Hash marks
- Freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison made his first career start after seeing time over the last two games. Morrison came away with three tackles, including one solo.
- Freshman wide receiver Tobias Merriweather was the only player to make his Irish debut on Saturday. Merriweather did not record any statistics in the limited time played. He is one of six freshmen to appear in a game this season.
- Michael Mayer moved up to tied-for-second all-time in career receptions (128) and touchdown catches (11) among former Irish tight ends. Mayer evened Ken McAfee in receptions, and Tyler Eifert in touchdown catches.
- Defensive end Isaiah Foskey is now ninth all-time in career sacks (18) after bringing down Plummer 1.5 times Saturday. Foskey is tied with Bryant Young.
- By playing in his 52nd game, safety Houston Griffith is tied for fifth all-time in career games at Notre Dame. Griffith contributed three tackles (two solo) in Saturday’s game. Offensive lineman Josh Lugg (50 games) is tied for seventh.
- Following Saturday’s win, the Irish improved to 9-7 all-time when wearing green jerseys. Notre Dame is 6-1 in green jerseys since 2010.
- Notre Dame remains undefeated (5-0) in its all-time series against California. The Irish are 3-0 against the Bears at Notre Dame Stadium.
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