Kudos if you managed to keep your cool during the Boston College vs. Notre Dame game, because head coach Marcus Freeman definitely didn’t. Known for his usually composed demeanor, Freeman hit his limit and showed a rare flash of frustration on the sideline Saturday night. Cameras caught him and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock in an intense exchange with kicker Marcello Diomede as tensions rose late in the 25-10 win.

On November 6, Tyler Horka posted a clip from the Notre Dame vs Boston face-off. He wrote, “Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and head coach Marcus Freeman ripped into Marcello Diomede when he became the third Fighting Irish kicker to miss a kick in ND’s 25-10 win over Boston College.” Kicking woes have followed Freeman’s program like a shadow. While injuries have complicated the situation, consistency and confidence remain hard to find among the three players sharing duties.

Freeman’s patience is hanging by a thread after three different kickers turned routine field goals into a disaster reel. Diomede missed an extra point attempt in Chestnut Hill. But Noah Burnette opened the night’s struggles when his first extra-point attempt ricocheted off the upright. Later, freshman Erik Schmidt had a chance to steady things before halftime but sent a makeable kick from inside 40 yards sailing wide.

Then, in the third quarter, junior Marcello Diomede joined the list of misfires by missing his own extra-point try. Schmidt eventually connected on one later in the game, but by that point, Notre Dame had already left five valuable points on the field. Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock were visibly animated on the sideline as they spoke with Marcello Diomede, their frustration evident after another special teams lapse. Following the game, head coach Marcus Freeman didn’t sugarcoat the team’s kicking situation when addressing reporters. Now, where do Freeman’s three kickers stand at the moment?

Burnette’s leading the trio with 20-of-22 on PATs and 5-of-6 on field goals. Freshman Schmidt has been solid on extra points (12-of-13) but is still searching for his first field goal after two misses. Diomede’s numbers are slimmer, 2-of-3 on extra points, no field-goal tries yet. Meanwhile, the kicker issue is not something new for Freeman and co.

Injuries shadowed Mitch Jeter all season, and Notre Dame’s kicking game felt it. He watched the Irish limp to a 15-of-27 mark on field goals, including two blocked in a stunning 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois. Still, when it mattered most, Jeter came through clutch, drilling the game-winner against Penn State to seal a 27-24 victory and punch Notre Dame’s ticket to the national championship. As Freeman struggles to get rid of this nagging issue, the program turned into a laughingstock.

Analysts not buying into Marcus Freeman and co.’s top 10 glory 

The CFP committee’s first rankings dropped on Tuesday, November 4, and Freeman’s Notre Dame cracked the top 10 at No. 10. Not bad for a team that started 0–2 with losses to Texas A&M and Miami. Since then, the Irish have strung together six straight wins and climbed back into the mix. However, the rankings still caught some side eyes. The reason?

Freeman’s boys are sitting ahead of No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Oklahoma, and No. 18 Miami, each with the same number of losses and arguably boasting more impressive wins. And yes, that’s the same Miami team that handed the Irish their opening-week defeat under the national spotlight. On that note, On3’s Ari Wasserman shared his expert take, “Notre Dame is ranked ahead of Texas and Oklahoma… I think this year’s Notre Dame team is the most mis-ranked team I’ve ever seen in the initial CFP Poll in a decade.”

However, the CFP chair, Mack Rhoades, defends Marcus Freeman and co.’s rankings based on how they have bounced back after hitting a wall. “We talked about, I think early on defensively, maybe they weren’t as good as what we thought they would be,” he said. “But certainly most recent, it seems like they’ve been much, much better defensively.” With Notre Dame back in the CFP hunt, it’s time for Marcus Freeman to patch up the cracks carefully without turning the gridiron into a blame game.