FREEMAN’S FOCUS: Marcus Freeman says every detail matters as Notre Dame prepares for Pitt

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Each week, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman shares what he wants to see from his team. This week, his message was simple: everything matters, and Pitt is not a team you can overlook.

Freeman said he was proud of how Notre Dame played against Navy, especially the special teams unit and the second-team players who stepped up late in the game. He said any player who steps on the field is held to the same expectation as everyone else.

One big improvement he pointed out was kicker Erik Schmidt, who has been working on a new routine after some struggles earlier in the season. Freeman said Schmidt’s progress shows how important it is to fix mistakes and move forward.

Looking ahead to Pitt, Freeman knows the challenge is real. Pitt comes in with strong momentum, ranking third in the country in rush defense and averaging 37 points per game, which is eleventh in the nation.

Freeman repeated one of his favorite phrases: “good followed by good.” To him, that means stacking strong plays and staying consistent. The team spent the week in the film room cleaning up penalties, reviewing mistakes, and learning from each other.

As he put it: anyone can learn from their own mistakes, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.