Notre Dame will be heading into its matchup with NC State this weekend. But all is not well for the Fighting Irish. They’ve been dealing with a list of growing health concerns that could seriously impact Marcus Freeman’s game plan as they look to face the USC Trojans next week. Four of the key players on the Notre Dame squad are listed as questionable in the injury report. These include tight end Copper Flanagan, defensive lineman Preston Zinter, kicker Noah Burnette, and wide receiver Jaden Greathouse.

Freeman’s Monday presser was the bearer of bad news, as it showed a team trying to piece together a healthy roster. But they’ve to manage issues from the last game as well as the lingering off-season problems that have been aggravated. Freeman didn’t sugarcoat the situation when discussing his injured players. “DeVonta Smith reaggravated his calf strain. Noah Burnette, it’s a new injury in the right hip,” Freeman explained, highlighting that some of these issues are fresh setbacks rather than carryovers. 

The kicker situation is particularly concerning, with Freeman noting that “Burnette was in too much pain to kick on Saturday. We have to get this thing figured out”.That’s not something a head coach wants to say heading into a conference game where field position and special teams execution could make all the difference. When asked about Flanagan, who’s been sidelined since tearing his left Achilles in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia back in January, Freeman was emphatic about his importance: “Cooper is an impact player.”

Let’s talk about Flanagan because his return would be amazing for the Fighting Irish. The sophomore tight end has been out for a while now. He hasn’t played a snap this season after suffering a devastating Achilles injury during last year’s College Football Playoff run. Freeman and the staff have been optimistic about getting him back, but there’s still some recovering for him to do. Then there is Noah Burnette, who has been on a slippery slope. The kicker was already dealing with hip pain on Saturday, and it was so grave that he wasn’t able to perform his duties. Burnette’s injury is a new one, which means the Irish staff is still figuring out the severity and the game plan ahead.

There’s also Preston Zinter’s concussion, which adds another wrinkle to an already thin defensive line rotation. Moreover, Jaden Greathouse’s thigh issues have limited him. He is one of the higher production guys, and he probably won’t be suiting up against NC State either. Notre Dame is walking a tightrope right now with these injuries. Freeman’s got to balance getting guys healthy for the long haul against needing wins right now to stay in College Football Playoff contention. The fact that he’s calling Flanagan an “impact player” suggests they’re working hard to get him back sooner rather than later, but rushing someone back from an Achilles tear is playing with fire.

Freeman addresses the zebras after a penalty-filled victory

Look, we all saw Marcus Freeman lose his cool on the sidelines Saturday. It’s not like him to get that animated with officials, but when your team racks up 11 penalties for 112 yards and at least a couple of those flags feel like highway robbery, you’re going to say something. Among those was one of the calls that was on the most controversial side. Jason Onye was called out for roughing the passer, and this penalty wiped away an interception. When faced with this call, Freeman was visibly upset, but credit should be given where it’s due; he handled the postgame discussion with maturity and calmness.

 “I know Justin. He did our Virginia game last year. He’s a good guy. Works hard. They’ve called throughout the season; they’re going to protect the quarterback. And I talked to them before the game. I said, ‘you protect our quarterback,'” Freeman explained, acknowledging the crew’s track record while making it clear he had concerns about how things went down. It’s the diplomatic way of saying “I respect you, but some of those calls were brutal” without crossing the line into getting fined by the conference.

The Onye call was the one Freeman couldn’t quite wrap his head around, and honestly, neither can anyone who watched the replay. Freeman admitted he needed to go back and review the film, but his frustration was still evident when discussing what more Onye could’ve done differently. “I don’t know what Jason (Onye) can do. That was the one. The other one I saw, the hand hit the head. They told me, if the guy’s hand hits the helmet, (indiscernible) they’re going to call it,” Freeman said, referencing the technical explanation officials gave him while still questioning the spirit of the rule.