Notre Dame football is looking to regroup following its first loss of the season, a 28-24 defeat to No. 8 BYU on October 17 in Provo, Utah. The No. 5 Irish used their recent bye week to analyze their performance and address the issues that contributed to the setback, according to head coach Marcus Freeman.

Freeman emphasized the importance of embracing accountability without excuses. He instructed players and staff to acknowledge mistakes straightforwardly, without adding qualifiers that could shift blame. “Don’t add a ‘but’ to it,” Freeman said during his Monday news conference in South Bend, Indiana. “When you add a ‘but,’ that leaves the opportunity to blame somebody else.”

One area under scrutiny was the end-of-game clock management. The Big 12 later acknowledged that one second remained on the clock after the final play, meaning Notre Dame should have had an opportunity for one more down. Freeman quickly dismissed any use of that time as an excuse for the loss but acknowledged the confusion surrounding the clock during the chaotic conclusion of the game. “With the human eye, could our guys look in the press box and say—from the press box—if the ball hit with one second left?” Freeman said. He called for some type of systematic solution to prevent similar timing errors from recurring, though he did not provide specific proposals.

Quarterback CJ Carr’s performance drew mixed reactions. Carr completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions, though he lost a fumble on a botched spike. The 55.1% completion rate and 99.8 passing efficiency were career lows for the two-year starter. Freeman acknowledged some missed opportunities but also praised Carr’s strong plays in critical moments, particularly during two-minute drills. Freddie emphasized that the loss should not undermine Carr’s confidence, noting that the quarterback has experienced just three losses as a starter and only one in the past year.

Notre Dame’s offensive personnel usage also faced questions. The coaching staff fielded only three wide receivers for more than two snaps against BYU: Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, and Micah Gilbert. Greathouse led with eight receptions for 125 yards, while Faison had six catches for 64 yards. Freeman attributed the limited rotation to the demands of trailing by 11 points at halftime and needing trusted players during critical drives. He said a conversation was held with coaches and players to increase opportunities for other receivers, contingent on consistent performance in practice. Running back Jonaz Walton, who had five carries for 17 yards on 10 snaps, saw limited use partly because of unsuccessful drives during his involvement, according to Freeman.

Defensively, the Irish lost key lineman Boubacar Traore early after he was ejected for targeting on the fifth defensive snap. Freeman said Traore did not require additional discipline beyond the ejection itself and encouraged learning from the mistake. He noted that Traore’s absence was felt, as Notre Dame recorded no sacks and only two tackles for loss in the game. Freeman stressed the responsibility of both players and coaches to adjust and improve defensive execution and playcalling to compensate for the loss.

Notre Dame (6-1) will face Navy (2-5) on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, before returning home for a highly anticipated matchup against No. 1 Miami next week. The Irish are aiming to tighten their execution and deepen player involvement as they seek to rebound from their upset loss.