Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540994
28 NOV. 8, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN … On if struggling to establish the run hurt Notre Dame's ability to score offensively: "This isn't the first team that tried to load the box. We probably had a different plan coming into this. We can't fumble the ball on the plus 5-yard line, right? We were driving, ready to score points, and then that would have been 14 points, and we fumbled the ball. "So we've got to take care of the foot- ball, and [when] we have chances to score touchdowns, we've got to score. And we didn't do that enough. We did it enough to win, but not enough to our standard." On his message to redshirt junior running back Jadarian Price after another fumble: "Protect the football. Continue to focus on it in practice. And then on Saturday, go ball. Go do what you do. He's earned a lot of confidence and credibility from his coaching staff because of the proof of what he's done for three years here. "We're going to play him a lot. We're going to give him the ball. We're going to let Jadarian be him. We've got to attack it in practice. We can't be insane and not say anything about it. We've got to con- tinue to work on it in practice and focus on ball security. But we're going to give him the ball and let him go." On how much Notre Dame missed injured junior cornerback Christian Gray: "You miss Christian because of the experience that he brings. He's a guy that's been out there a couple years, big-game experience. He's a really good player. But that's why you've got to con- tinue to develop other guys. "He tried [to play], but we just thought it was best to probably hold him out this game. We just didn't think he could consistently get his job done with his injury. We'll see how he feels next week. But he practiced. He was getting closer. But as it got to game time, he wasn't ready to go." NOTRE DAME REDSHIRT FRESHMAN QUARTERBACK CJ CARR … On the pressure of needing to fin- ish the season playing perfectly: "When you think of it as you have to be perfect, then it feels like you have to be perfect. The reality is we have to come into every game and narrow it down to one play at a time. "We've got to win that one play at a time. Then we've got to win multiple plays consistently, and that will turn into a quarter, a half, and then hopefully that'll continue to produce wins. It's not we've got to win four games and do all this stuff. "It's just continue to get better start- ing Sunday and then into Monday, and we'll get to next week when it gets here." On watching junior running back Jeremiyah Love's 94-yard touch- down run: "It felt really good to hand him the ball and him take it that far. I've said before, we got two running backs who can do that on every play. Watch- ing it from the sideline, him looking at the sideline at our guys was awesome to see. Just pumped the guys up, I think." On his connection with senior tight end Eli Raridon: "He's just very consistent with what he does and comes to practice every day and wants to get better and wants to work. We just have the timing down for some of those overs and the trust has continued to be built. If it's man coverage on a linebacker, that's a really good matchup for us." NOTRE DAME SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA … On the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on him: "I'm not sure what they said. I just got to celebrate with my teammates. Nobody's worth 15 yards, not even me." On the defensive improvement this season: "We've made great im- provement. We've been able to get aligned, communicate and play with a level of violence and effort that's al- lowed us to be successful." BOSTON COLLEGE HEAD COACH BILL O'BRIEN … On Notre Dame: "That's a good team. That's the No. 12 team in the country. They got a really good offensive line. They got really good backs. Our guys fought hard. I'm proud of the team. Losing's not good, but I'm very proud of the football team." BOSTON COLLEGE LINEBACKER OWEN MCGOWAN … On playing in the ND-BC rivalry at home: "It was really special to play in it. The fans gave us a lot of energy, a lot of juice. It was a special atmosphere. Just frustrated that it didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. But it was a fun night." — Tyler James FROM THE LOCKER ROOM Senior tight end Eli Raridon (above) has developed a strong connection with redshirt freshman quarter- back CJ Carr. PHOTO BY NICK GRACE