Freeman not concerned with ND’s lack of QB sacks

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - The Notre Dame offense has given us plenty to talk about through four games this season, but so has the defense.

So far, the No. 9 Irish are only allowing opponents to score an average of 12 points per game against them. But still, the conversation surrounding the Irish defense is their lack of sacks against the opposing quarterback — something they’ve done just six times this season.

But the less entertaining stat for the fans is the “pass efficiency defense,” or basically how good is your defense at stopping the passing game. And that’s something the Irish are excelling at.

“I knew somebody was going to ask me about it... sacks... everybody keeps talking about sacks, sacks, sacks,” said head coach Marcus Freeman during a press conference on Monday. “I told Coach (Al) Golden we’re number one in the country in pass efficiency defense, and so that’s the stat I’m worried about. I’m not worried about sacks.

“The pressure that we’re getting is great,” he continued. “Sacks will come, and I don’t want our players overly concerned about sacks because that’s an individual stat. That really doesn’t matter. I want to be number one in pass efficiency defense. I don’t know who’s number one in sacks. I want to be number one in pass efficiency defense. That’s a great stat.”

We’ll see the Irish defense back in action this weekend, as the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes make the trip to South Bend for a top 10 showdown. Kickoff for Saturday’s matchup at Notre Dame Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT. The game will air right here on WNDU.

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