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Marcus Freeman: Notre Dame 'Failed' with Mental Approach in Upset Loss to NIU

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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman didn't believe that his team was mentally prepared ahead of a shocking 16-14 upset loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday.

"There is a physical approach to preparing for a game, and I think physically we prepared the right way, but there's also a mental approach and a mindset that you have to have every single week, and I think that's where we failed," Freeman said, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.

After losing to Ohio State in Week 1 of the 2022 season and Week 5 of the 2023 season, the Fighting Irish defeated Texas A&M to open their 2024 campaign.