Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 FEBRUARY 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN … On his team's resilience: "I often tell them, 'In your lowest moments you find out the most about yourself.' We've had low moments, but we had a really low moment Week 2, and these guys battled. We've got great leaders. "We've got great players that chose to put this university and this football pro- gram in front of themselves." On looking forward to the national championship: "You know what? The greatest thing is there is one day guaran- teed you don't have to stress. We don't know who we're going to play. So, let's enjoy the night and let's enjoy tomorrow. Hopefully we can watch the game or try to as a fan. I don't know if we will. "But the minute that we find out who wins that game, you go into competition mode." GRADUATE STUDENT KICKER MITCH JETER … On his game-winning field goal: "We were going down there driving. I was getting prepared to go out there and kick. They had the ball through the in- terception. That's really when it was like, 'All right, it's going to come down to a kick. Let's go make it.' So, I was able to go out there and I was happy to execute." On dealing with adversity through- out the season: "Coach Freeman talks a lot about delayed gratification. He's been talking like that all the way back to week two, when the NIU game happened. "So, it's kind of been my mindset go- ing through an injury, having the delayed gratification now to be able to come out and give our team a chance to go win a national championship." SENIOR QUARTERBACK RILEY LEONARD … On Jeter's game-winning field goal: "Yeah, it's a really weird feeling. It's hard to describe the emotion that goes on during that time. It's hard to de- scribe the emotion that going on right now even. "But I think it's kind of funny to me, because I kind of knew the kick was go- ing to go in. We all knew the kick was going to go in. The kid has got ice in his veins. Any time his number is called and he's got to make it, it's a lock." SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK JEREMIYAH LOVE … On Freeman's message about Penn State head coach James Franklin's comments at Wednesday's joint press conference: "To be the attack- ers, really. Coming into this game, we're not scared of losing. We're not playing to not lose. We're playing to win. We're playing to attack. We're playing to be the aggressors. "I ain't gonna speak on their head coach, but we feel like as a team, they didn't really respect us. So, coming into this game, we wanted to come in and make a statement, be the aggressors, dominate them physically." JUNIOR QUARTERBACK STEVE ANGELI … On being called into the game: "I think playing quarterback here and with the culture of our room, my coach prepared me well to step in there. It's really just about my teammates, try- ing to be the best I can for those guys and putting them in the best position." SENIOR TIGHT END MITCHELL EVANS … On the back-and-forth battle against Penn State: "Holy cow, that was a good game. Back and forth. Obvi- ously, you don't like to turn the ball over, but when we turn the ball over, I have the utmost trust and faith in our defense to cover our butts, and they did it." SOPHOMORE RIGHT GUARD CHARLES JAGUSAH … On how he was able to get himself to a place where he was able to play in the Orange Bowl: "Honestly, it's just a credit to everybody around me. Mentally, it's difficult, after you had an injury and then you feel like you're do- ing well and you get another one. All the trainers, all the coaches, Coach [Joe] Rudolph, Coach [Loren] Landow, Coach [Marcus] Freeman, everybody helped me along, helped me to stay engaged. "Then, when you get your opportu- nity, you just get to go out and execute." GRADUATE STUDENT LEFT TACKLE TOSH BAKER … On what kept him engaged and motivated as a backup this season: "You really have to stay engaged, be- cause you don't know when your op- portunity is gonna come. The worst thing you want is when your opportu- nity does come, you're not prepared. "Each week, go in and prepare like you're gonna start and even if you don't start or you don't play, then next week you go and prepare the exact same way. That's what I've been doing this sea- son." GRADUATE STUDENT DEFENSIVE TACKLE HOWARD CROSS III … On whether the Irish are a team of destiny: "We're in the running to make history. It means a lot to me and Jack [Kiser], obviously, being here as long as we have, and everybody in the program. 'By any means' is kind of our mentality here." FROM THE LOCKER ROOM Senior quarterback Riley Leonard accounted for 258 yards of total offense (35 rushing, 223 passing) and 2 touchdowns in Notre Dame's win over Penn State. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER