No. 5 Notre Dame looking to maintain focus against Northern Illinois in home opener

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman received a phone call from former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel two days after the No. 5 Fighting Irish won 23-13 at then No. 20 Texas A&M.

Freeman waited for the accolades to come from his college coach. Instead, Tressel issued a warning.

“It was, ‘Hey, I just want to remind you that the greatest danger is the illusion all is well when indeed, all isn’t well,’” Freeman said. “That’s the reminder needed more than anything. It was a big win for our program versus a good opponent, but we have so much work to improve on.”

Freeman doesn’t need any reminders about how one result can impact the next game.

All he has to flash back to his first season when Notre Dame lost at Ohio State in the season opener and then proceeded to lose its home opener to Marshall in Week 2.

This time, it’s the reverse scenario.

With a signature road win already on the resume and a favorable schedule ahead, the Fighting Irish (1-0) cannot afford a hangover Saturday afternoon against Northern Illinois. So Freeman wants his team to maintain its focus in Notre Dame’s home opener.

“You have to watch the film with a critical eye,” Freeman said. “You can’t let the emotions of a victory or a defeat affect the way you evaluate what you need to do to improve.”

And that means they cannot overlook the Huskies (1-0), who have been a regular Mid-American Conference contender. Last week, they walloped Western Illinois 54-15.

Quarterback Ethan Hampton was named the league’s offensive player of the week after a nearly flawless game in which he completed 18 of 20 throws for 328 yards and five TDs.

But the first matchup in this series will put Northern Illinois’ program at a different level, chasing, perhaps, the biggest win in school history. Coach Thomas Hammock knows it will be an uphill battle.

“(We have to make) it about us and how we prepare,” Hammock said. “We know it’s going to be physical. Notre Dame is going to stand in the middle of the ring, and we have to walk to the middle of the ring and match their intensity.”

That won’t be easy against a foe that weathered a massive season-opening challenge by playing in front of more than 100,000 hostile fans with a new quarterback, Riley Leonard, and a young offensive line.

Leonard responded by going 18 of 30 while rushing 12 times for 63 yards as the Irish produced 356 total yards, 85 coming on a key drive late in the game to seal the victory.

“I thought (Freeman) did a really good job in some of his decision making,” Freeman said. “There were also some decisions that probably he wishes he would have seen or made a different decision. He really played the quarterback position well. He did what we asked him to do. He took care of the football. We weren’t asking for explosive plays.”

Notre Dame’s defense did its part, too, with two interceptions and limited the Aggies to 246 yards.

But, as Tressel observed, it was far from a perfect performance. The Irish finished with 11 penalties for 99 yards and went 2 of 12 on third downs and Freeman knows those things must be cleaned up.

Big-game hunting

When Northern Illinois beats a power conference opponent, the coaches call it a “Boneyard” victory. The term also applies to Notre Dame. And because MAC schools almost always schedule non-conference games against power-conference foes, Hammock doesn’t expect his team to be in awe.

“We just want to play our best football,” Hammock said. “We just have to handle it early and settle into the game and then play the way we know how to play. I tell the players all of the time. I don’t need you to be Superman. I just need you to be your best.”

Apparently, it’s worked. Northern Illinois has 18 “Boneyard” wins since 1983.

Tech impact

Having helmet radios and tablets on the sideline was a big hit with Freeman. And he believes it made a huge difference for the Irish last week.

“I thought the iPads were key,” he said. “Those iPads really help with getting your players to see the adjustments we have to make and see what the opponent is doing. I thought our coaches and our players both did a really good job of utilizing the iPads as a teaching tool, a learning tool. It was efficient. The feedback was great from the coaches and players.”