Marcus Freeman refuses to say ‘garbage time’ in blowouts

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program has regained its footing after a shaky 0-2 start, but head coach Marcus Freeman made it clear he’s not letting up. Following Saturday’s 56-13 blowout win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, Freeman pushed back strongly on the idea of “garbage time,” reinforcing the program’s culture of full-effort accountability.

In a postgame piece by On3’s Griffin McVeigh, Freeman addressed the media after the dominant win. When a reporter mentioned “garbage time” while asking about second-year defensive lineman Cole Mullins, the head coach didn’t hold back in his response.

“Please don’t call it garbage time to me. Every play is important, man. Every single play is important… If any of our guys had the mindset of ‘This is garbage time,’ then they don’t understand they’re being evaluated the same way the starters are. It’s important that they have that mindset because we’re going to hold you, that second group, to the standard we hold the first group to. That’s the only way to do it… This is game reps, man. You are not guaranteed a lot of these. Go make the most of them.”

Freeman’s response underscored his focus on development and depth, particularly in blowout games like the win over Arkansas. Though Mullins logged just one deflected pass, the 39-year-old coach praised his effort and progress as proof of the program’s “standard is the standard” mentality.

Notre Dame has outscored opponents 112-43 over their last two wins, bouncing back strongly from early losses to the Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies. Now sitting at 2-2 and ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll, the Fighting Irish have a chance to move above .500 when they host the Boise State Broncos this upcoming Saturday. By rejecting the “garbage time” label, Freeman is sending a clear message to players and fans alike, every snap counts as the program pushes to climb back into playoff contention.