It was a fantastic April Saturday, the weather cooperated and the Irish won a football game. There were plenty of instant takes after the game concluded but now that it has been about 24-hours, there is more to digest. Here are a few lasting thoughts from Notre Dame’s Blue vs. Gold game.

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Marcus Freeman welcoming back former players

The list was massive of former players being invited back to South Bend for the spring game. When Aaron Taylor was interviewed mid-game, he mentioned that Freeman “rolled out the red carpet” for former players. It seems like a far cry from the way Brian Kelly operated. Nice to see the players who made the program what it is now being able to return.

Jim Tressel’s influence on Freeman

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Head coach Jim Tressel of the Ohio State Buckeyes leads teammates Alex Boone #75 and Marcus Freeman #1 out onto the field before the college football game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 13, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. The Trojans defeated the Buckeyes 35-3. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Freeman mentioned his former head coach Jim Tressel multiple times as being a massive influence on his coaching career. The former Ohio State head coach had a defensive-first mentality, with his offense playing mistake free. After the Blue vs. Gold game that is exactly how this team is made-up, an elite defense with a solid, but unspectacular offense. Yes, quarterback Tyler Buchner did not play, but would he really have had that much more of an impact due to the non-contact red jersey. This team mirrors what Tressel’s former teams looked like.

Depth everywhere except quarterback

It’s not hard to look at the roster and say it’s deep, with the exception of one position, quarterback. Drew Pyne got the majority of snaps and did not look very good. Steve Angeli looked very solid in the second half, but that was against the second and third string defenders. There is a long way to go with this position and it starts with recruiting. Freeman is making a very concerned effort to upgrade the talent there, but those players won’t arrive on campus for a while. Let’s hope Buchner stays health throughout the season.