Marcus Freeman and his Notre Dame football team met the media Monday in New Orleans, two days ahead of the Irish facing Georgia in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals in the Sugar Bowl.

Naturally there were a lot of questions for Freeman about facing Georgia, who has won two of the last three national championships.

“You can tell they’re a physical, aggressive, attack in mindset,” Freeman said when asked generally about the identity of the way Georgia plays on both sides of the ball. “They’re big on the offensive line. They run the ball. They’ve got some good backs. They can throw the ball, too. They’ve got some skill that presents challenges. Defensively, again, they’re big up front. They’ve got multiple backers, like they do running backs, that make plays, that are difference-makers. And they’ve got good skills. So, really balanced team.

“I think when you say, what’s their identity, I know what I see is a physical, sound team that plays with velocity, and it’s something we often talk about in our program, is that at the end of the day, it’s not going to be about tricking your opponent. It’s going to be about playing with velocity, which equals violence and some other physical attacking words. So it’s a really good football program.”

And velocity is the word Freeman used when asked what he wants to see his team bring on Wednesday.

“It’s playing with velocity for 60-plus minutes,” Freeman said. “And in order to do that, you have to have clarity in terms of what you’re being asked to do. And that’s going to be important in these last 48 hours, to gain as much clarity as we can so then you’re not thinking.

“I told them yesterday, if you wait until you know to make a decision, it’s going to be too late, and you’re not playing with much velocity then. And so we’ve got to continue to prepare in these last 48 hours to gain as much clarity as we can. And listen, when the ball snaps, let’s go play with velocity, man. Go play with speed, go play to make plays, and win this play. I mean, I know that’s coaching talk, but win this play. Win this play with velocity on Wednesday.”

One of the big advantages the Irish have in this game is the mobility of quarterback Riley Leonard, who has 15 rushing touchdowns this season. Notre Dame has taken different approaches to how they’ve used Leonard rushing the football this season. Leonard was struggling throwing the football early in the year and as a result, ended up running the ball a lot in the 1st half of the season. This led to him taking a lot of hits and being banged up at times. As the season progressed and he developed chemistry with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, Leonard’s passing improved and the need to run the ball as much decreased. Of course, the Irish have certainly picked their spots on when to use him in the run game.

“We know the ability that Riley has to run the football,” Freeman said. “It’s something that helps our offense. It’s not always a designed quarterback run. It’s sometimes his decision to take off and make a play with his legs. As the head coach, you hate to see your quarterback get hit, but it’s a part of the game. And it’s what makes him unique and special and productive for our offense. So I don’t want to take that away from him.

“We have to utilize what he does well but also understand that he’s our quarterback and we’ve got to protect him. So I think there’s a fine line of how much he runs versus how much we design QB runs versus, hey, stay in the pocket and throw the ball. We have to utilize all three different areas in our offense, and that will be a part of our plan coming up.”

Georgia now has a mobile quarterback of their own although it’s a very inexperienced one as Gunner Stockton who will make his first career start in place of the injured Carson Beck. Notre Dame has examined the 80 plus plays Stockton has played in extensively to try and figure him out.

“I don’t think they’re going to change their offense completely because of who’s at quarterback,” Freeman said. “He does a lot of things well that Carson Beck did well. He can throw it. He can do a lot of really good things, and he makes great decisions in those 86 plays that we watched him. So I don’t assume it’s going to be that much different, but it’s also a game of adjustments. We have to be able to see what they’re trying to do and their plan of attack versus our defense and be able to adjust, and that’s what the game of football has been all year.”

The good news for the Georgia offense is they are healthier on the offensive line. They have interchangeable parts on the line because of injuries this season. Now, the very large O-line might be in its best position to protect the quarterback but also to help establish the run.

Trevor Etienne leads the way for the Bulldogs at running back. He averages 5.1 yards per carry, rushing for 571 yards so far this season along with nine touchdown runs. He’s also caught 28 passes.

“He is a really explosive, very good football player,” Freeman said. “If you give him space, he’s going to take it, and he’s got the ability to take it the entire way. So he’s a challenge, and he’s a challenge in the run game, but also in the pass game. And so we have to know where all their backs are at all times. They utilize their backs in really unique ways, and it’s not just one guy. I think Etienne is extremely talented. He does a lot of things well, but they’ve got a stable of backs that present challenges. And so we have to know where they’re at, we have to know where they’re aligned, and really have a great plan for their running back situation.”

Notre Dame and Georgia will be a 8:45pm kickoff Wednesday night in New Orleans. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

We will have a full breakdown of the matchup tonight at 7pm on Notre Dame Federal Credit Union’s Irish Football Fix on Pulse FM.