Chris Ash says defensive success starts with staying connected

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- As the Irish prepare for their last road test, the defense enters the matchup with momentum and confidence. Coming off the win over Syracuse, head coach Marcus Freeman said it was the defense’s best execution all season when it comes to limiting missed assignments. He added that while it wasn’t perfect, a few players graded at 100 percent — and that’s the standard they believe shows their true potential.

Statistically, the defense is delivering like one of the top units in the country. Opponents are averaging only 4.4 yards per play, which ranks among the top 10 nationally. They’re also giving up fewer than 300 total yards per game, showing they’re not just stopping points but controlling possession and forcing shorter drives. On third down, teams are converting only around 34% of the time, which means Notre Dame is making timely stops when they matter most and preventing explosive plays.

For Ash, the message this week was simple — the progress starts with how tightly this group plays together.
“These guys love each other, they do everything for each other. That’s the number one thing. That connection led to commitment and they played really hard for each other. We want to win, we want to reach our full potential, we want to do all the things that people want us to do.

But if we stay connected and we stay committed, we play really hard for each other — the rest will take care of itself,” Ash said.
The only challenge for fans back home might be staying awake with a kickoff time of 10:30 p.m. ET. When asked whether the late start could have any effect on the team, Freeman shut it down, saying, “This is Notre Dame time.” He said it’s all about mindset and while they’ll make small adjustments in physical preparation, there will be no excuses.

If you tend to go to bed early, you can catch highlights Sunday morning with ABC57 News providing full coverage from the West Coast.