On Saturday, Notre Dame football made a statement with a 70-7 demolition of Syracuse that was the kind of performance that rewrites record books and sends shockwaves across college football.

But despite the historic margin, head coach Marcus Freeman showed little interest in basking in the lopsided win. Instead, his postgame message centered on mentality, perspective, and staying grounded.

Freeman spoke to reporters after the game, fielding questions about Notre Dame’s dominance, including the program’s most points in a single game since 1932 and a near-shutout performance. When asked how a 70-7 victory impacts a team with postseason aspirations, Freeman emphasized the importance of consistency over score lines.

“You know, I hope I feel the exact way I feel right now that I did last week,” Freeman said, via Tyler Horka of On3 Sports. “And if we win — what was Boston College’s score? It wasn’t a firework or whatever, that it wasn’t great. But it was like this is what I tell our guys. Like, I don’t care what the score. We gotta celebrate this victory. We’ll get to work the next day. We’re going to dissect it. We’re going to find ways to improve.”

The win itself was filled with milestones, as Notre Dame scored 35 points in a quarter for the first time ever, posted its highest point total since 1977, and handed Syracuse its worst defeat since 1893, but Freeman explained why embracing every win, no matter the margin, is essential for both players and coaches.

“But if you don’t celebrate, if it’s 70-7 or 10 to 7, if you don’t enjoy that, like, it’s a miserable life, because they put a lot of work into this, right. And it’s never going to be perfect, even if you win 70-7,” the coach said.

He added that the challenge lies in teaching a team to appreciate success while still demanding improvement, displaying the true character and vision of the program.

“So I gotta continue to teach them and tell myself to enjoy every one of these, no matter if it’s Pitt,” Freeman said. “No matter if it’s Pitt, no matter if it was last year, the Orange Bowl, like, you have to try to enjoy these, because they’re really hard to obtain.”

With nine straight victories, the Fighting Irish remain firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation. And even though Freeman won’t over-celebrate a 70-point explosion, Notre Dame knows the real test lies ahead, with bigger goals, and another postseason push still in front of them.