Notre Dame’s defense is being scrutinized under the spotlight of frustration. The team’s 0-2 start has left fans and analysts questioning Marcus Freeman’s offseason decisions, particularly the gamble on Chris Ash calling the defensive plays. Once a stalwart unit defined by physicality and disciplined coverage, the Irish defense has fallen short of expectations, and one high-profile mistake has intensified the criticism.

Ash’s follies were highlighted against Texas A&M, where a missed holding call on the Aggies’ offensive lineman Chase Bisontis directly led to the game-winning touchdown from Marcel Reed to Nate Boerkircher. Even officiating expert Terry McAulay called the lapse “patently egregious missed offensive holding foul,” saying the penalty should have been flagged regardless of game context. That breakdown only fueled frustration among former Irish voices, including ex-quarterback Malik Zaire, who argued the wrong coach was trusted with the defense.

Zaire went so far as to suggest that former defensive coordinator Mike Mickens should have been calling the shots over the weekend. “Mickens should have been DC,” he vented his frustration on X. The Irish defense failed to even lodge one sack against the Marcus Reed-led offense. The Aggies’ offense dominated the ground with 488 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per play. The Aggies had 13 penalties for 86 yards, yet they sailed right over the Irish’s defense.

Notre Dame briefly reclaimed control late in the fourth quarter. After Texas A&M tied the game at 34 with a field goal, both offenses traded possessions without breaking through. Then, with 2:43 left, Jeremiyah Love broke free on a 12-yard run into the end zone, giving the Irish a 40-34 edge and sparking the loudest celebration of the night inside the stadium. The Aggies weren’t finished yet. Marcel Reed marched the offense downfield in the final minute, setting up a decisive 4th-and-goal from the Notre Dame 11. With the game hanging in the balance, Reed lofted a pass to tight end Nate Boerkircher, who came down with a contested grab in the end zone. That touchdown sealed a 41-40 victory for Texas A&M and left the Irish stunned.

Naturally, the Irish faithful are frustrated over the fact that Freeman hauled in Chris Ash over Mikens, which could have been an easy fix to plug the defensive coordinator situation during the offseason. Nevertheless, the HC puts resolute on his defensive hire.

Marcus Freeman issues statement over Saturday’s blunder

Following the defensive scare, Freeman is determined to get going, finding ways to improve the lackluster showdown. “I can’t sit here and dwell on being 0-2 as much as I need to dwell on how we find ways to improve,” Marcus Freeman said post-game. “That’s what I need to dwell on: how do we get better? How do we evaluate what we’re doing, why things are and aren’t working, and how do we attack them and get better?”

But that doesn’t mean he avoided acknowledgement. “It’s not good enough. It’s not good enough in the run, the pass. We’re not getting enough pressure on the quarterback…It’s not the calls. It’s the execution,” Freeman said.

The 2025 season is churning out a lot of unexpected storylines. We are talking Arch Madness, Kalen DeBoer’s blunder, Carson Beck’s redemption arc, and more. And here comes the Irish Madness. The season opener saw a 27-24 loss against Miami. The defeat could have been excused owing to the roster plugging into Ash’s new defensive playbook, an offense that could not block, and the Jeremiyah Love appearance or the lack of it.