Marcus Freeman will coach the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish against NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick and UNC in Chapel Hill on Saturday. Belichick, who previously coached Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl wins, has struggled to find success at North Carolina in his first two seasons. However, he still commands plenty of respect from opposing coaches, with Freeman recently addressing their upcoming matchup.
"I've never met him personally," Freeman told reporters. "What I do know is that you don’t win as much as he’s won without being a great coach, a great leader, and you can see it in the way his team plays. ... They’re gonna be exactly where they’re supposed to be, and you gotta find a way to beat them; you’re not gonna trick them." More news: Urban Meyer Says He’d Suspend Texas’ Colin Simmons for Vulgar Celebration Freeman also said he wanted his team ready to "expect the unexpected" when facing an all-time great in Belichick on Saturday.
The No. 3 Fighting Irish are 4-0 with wins over Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Purdue. North Carolina will be their first ACC opponent of the season, with the Tar Heels at 2-1 after wins over TCU and East Tennessee State. UNC's only loss came from a second-half collapse against Clemson after leading 17-6 at halftime.
This season, Belichick is attempting to improve upon last season's disappointing 4-8 finish. However, UNC now faces a very good Notre Dame squad with aspirations of returning to the College Football Playoff after being left out of last year's bracket. The Fighting Irish offense averages 42.3 points per game, while the defense allows just 8.3 points per game, currently second-best in the nation.
UNC is allowing 13.7 points per game to opponents, which is 20th-best in the country, but they are only scoring 23.3 points per game. Saturday could be a long day of trying to keep up with Freeman's Fighting Irish. Notre Dame heads into the game as 21-point favorites for Saturday's road game at 12 p.m.
More news: Bears’ Case Keenum Fires Up Locker Room With Postgame Speech After ‘MNF’ Win For more about Notre Dame and college football, visit Newsweek Sports.
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