Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531388
30 FEBRUARY 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN … On the Irish wide receivers warm- ing up without shirts on: "They must not have been cold because as I told you, there's no such thing as cold tough guys. They'd better not have been cold. They'd better not have been out there shivering. "I'm glad they put some clothes on for the game." On graduate student kicker Mitch Jeter's 49-yard field goal: "That was huge because not only was it an impor- tant field goal, but the length of it. He's been doing it in practice, but to go out and do it in a game in cold weather — we needed that confidence in him, and he needed that confidence in himself. It was pleasing. It was really good to see him make those big field goals today. "We've got to fix the one that was blocked. I watched it from the sideline, and it looked a little low. I think that's what ended up being the issue. But we've got to fix that because that can't happen as we move forward." On sophomore wide re- ceiver Jordan Faison: "He's a playmaker. … Today, he was re- warded and targeted intention- ally in certain situations, and he made some big-time contested catches. He is a weapon for us. "We obviously used him on the kickoff return reverse, and we had a little bit of doubt say- ing, 'There might be a guy that can see it.' Well, the guy saw it, but we had a lot of faith that Fai- son could make him miss, and that's what he ended up doing." DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AL GOLDEN … On what he takes away from Indiana scoring 14 un- answered points at the end of the game: "We had the game in control the whole game, so I'm not worried about the end, but there's things that we can learn from it. "Obviously we've got to finish better, and I've got to make some calls there. But at that point, I just didn't think continuing to show elaborate pressures in that situation was to our benefit." OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE DENBROCK … On sophomore wide receiver Jor- dan Faison: "He's a guy for us offen- sively that's got to touch the football. I called the same play a couple different times, hoping they would get into the coverage that they ended up in when we made the explosive pass down the field." SENIOR QUARTERBACK RILEY LEONARD … On his first-quarter interception: "This was one of my better weeks pass- ing in practice, and then you get out there and the first throw is a pick. I had to bounce back like how I've been do- ing all year and how we've been doing all year." On his game-sealing touchdown: "That was special. It's hard for me sometimes — my head's always spin- ning all week — to take a second and take it all in. But that was the first time I was able to look out into the crowd and really embrace this moment." SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK JEREMIYAH LOVE … On slowing down at the end of his 98-yard touchdown run: "I was looking up on the video board. He wasn't going to catch me. … I knew I was going to score." GRADUATE STUDENT LINEBACKER JACK KISER … On the sequence following Leon- ard's interception: "If you look around the sideline, everybody just knew, 'We have to do our job. I don't think it was too chaotic at all. … Certainly, big plays were made, and the momentum really shifts. "It is huge when you can get an interception in the red zone and take one to the crib like J-Love did. Certainly, that was a huge turning point in the game." SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JORDAN FAISON … On rising to the postseason stage, both against Indiana and in his Sun Bowl MVP performance last season: "The whole team loves playing on the biggest stages. When ev- eryone's watching, people are performing. When the oppor- tunity comes my way, I just have to make plays, and I was able to do that tonight." On his 44-yard reception: "We worked on it all week and for multiple weeks. I run the route as we practiced. I looked back, and I see Riley moving and then jumping and throwing the ball. I'm like, 'All right, I have to go make this play for him.' "I wasn't able to score, but I was more worried about getting the ball and then scoring." FROM THE LOCKER ROOM Senior Riley Leonard scored his 15th rushing touchdown of the season in the win over the Hoosiers, a new school record for the most in a single season by an Irish quarterback. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER