NEW ORLEANS — The tears came. They couldn’t be stopped by Marty Biagi. Of course he tried. We all attempt to control our emotions at times, but they typically overcome us.
Biagi became emotional on Thursday night after his Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Georgia to progress to the playoff semifinals and win a 12th consecutive game.
And given the situation, that is entirely acceptable and reasonable.
The past 14 days have been incomprehensible for Biagi, the coordinator of special teams at Notre Dame. He buried his father the morning after the Irish’s victory against Indiana, had a wife in the hospital until two days ago, and became a father to a set of twins the day before the team’s first-round playoff victory two weeks ago.
Then, on Thursday at the New Orleans Superdome, Biagi’s team scored three field goals, a touchdown, and executed one of the game’s most spectacular plays: a trick play in the fourth quarter that tricked the Georgia Bulldogs into a penalty that extended the drive.
With tears in his eyes, he pointed to the roof of the dome and then to the horde of admirers in front of him, saying, “It’s been a roller coaster.” “I am aware that my father is in heaven, watching over us.”
If this is the case, Stephen Biagi witnessed his son guide his alma mater, Notre Dame, which he graduated from in 1973, to its greatest triumph in almost thirty years.
It is impossible to overestimate this victory.
Notre Dame, college football’s only remaining blue-blood independent and possibly its most divisive program, defeated the SEC champion in a 23-10 knucklefight game to win its first major bowl game in 31 years. They will now face coach James Franklin’s Penn State team in the Orange Bowl semifinal next Thursday and guarantee that a Black head coach will play in the national championship game.
In his third year leading the Irish, Marcus Freeman, as mild-mannered and humble as any in his profession, shoved aside the praise. “Your color shouldn’t matter. Your evidence of your work should,” he said, before later adding, “This isn’t about me. I want to make sure that’s clear.”
But shouldn’t it be? Freeman has managed to steer a Notre Dame team that lost to Northern Illinois in Week 2 to college football’s Final Four. Despite significant defensive injuries, the Irish’s defense — Freeman’s baby — suffocated the Bulldogs after doing the same to the Hoosiers.
And he delicately handled this week’s tragic events in New Orleans. In a somewhat unusual move on Wednesday — day before a playoff game — he permitted his players three hours to meet with their family members here in the city. In times of tragedy, Freeman said he wanted to bring comfort to his players and their parents.
Unfortunately, he says, don’t give him any credit.
Some, like Biagi, who credits his special teams to the latitude Freeman grants him, didn’t pay attention.
“Our head coach is committed to making the third phase a priority,” he stated. “Our players and staff support special teams.”
It certainly appeared to be.
Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards to start the second half, Mitch Jeter made field goals of 44, 47, and 48 yards, and the Irish gained a crucial third down with some deception.
Let’s discuss that play. With seven minutes remaining, the Irish were up 13 points and faced a fourth-and-1 at their own 18-yard line. The punt crew formed a line. The Notre Dame offense then quickly replaced the 11 guys who had just rushed off the field. Georgia was permitted to substitute its defense for its punt coverage team in accordance with substitution rules. They quickly switched out the majority of their players in such a mad dash that two lineman fell into the neutral zone as quarterback Riley Leonard got the snap of the ball.
After Notre Dame was given a first down due to an offside penalty, they went on a drive that, in many respects, sealed the win. Five more minutes were spent by the Irish off the clock.
“We’ve been working on that s*** for weeks,” Biagi chuckled. We have to pay close attention to every little detail. The execution was excellent. It requires a great deal of practice.
Freeman then dismissed any acknowledgment of the punt-swapping action. However, his quarterback cut short the coach’s response to inform reporters that Freeman came up with the plan to introduce the offense after the punt team, rather than the other way around.
“Excellent decision,” Leonard remarked. “Excellent performance.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart claimed the play was unlawful during his postgame press conference, citing a rule that forbids a team from substituting all 11 players while the “ball is in play.” The long snapper, however, never set over the ball to make it, according to the replay.
In any case, the Irish faithful were ecstatic after seeing the act. They soon yelled their quarterback’s name, sang as the band played their well-known battle song, and cheered as blue confetti fell.
Leonard ran for 80 of the game’s most crucial yards while passing for only 90. At one point, he picked up a first down by jumping over a potential tackler and landing on the ground. Coaches advise Leonard to refrain doing such actions. He doesn’t pay attention.
“It worked out today, even though everyone keeps telling me to stop doing that,” he remarked.
Despite Leonard’s outstanding performance on Thursday, Notre Dame’s defense and special teams were the main attractions.
The quarterbacks add to the historic impact of these two teams competing in a game like this in the last week of the season, as well as the playoff ramifications, which are substantial.
Anybody, including two of the greatest of all time, like a Brady or a Manning, would find this amazing. With two guys that went the extra mile to get here, with as many ups as downs, it might be even more amazing.
Among the most important NFL regular-season games ever?
It shows the strength of never giving up on yourself and pits Sam Darnold against Jared Goff.
