The Orange Bowl has been one wild ride to watch. Before Thursday’s matchup against Penn State, Notre Dame had to deal with a nasty virus outbreak in the locker room, leaving several players sick plus a handful of injuries. On top of that, fans learned there would be no team-themed alcoholic beverages at the Orange Bowl—unlike the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Could all this lead to a dull moment? Maybe not, but a bad referee call might just top it all!

During the game, Notre Dame fans erupted in protest over what they saw as referee bias. Pat McAfee posted a clip on his X account with the caption, “WE’VE GOT BEERS ON THE FIELD.” In what seemed like a bit of revenge, Fighting Irish supporters threw beer cans onto the field. The message from McAfee? “WHAT A SHITE CALL.” So, was the referee call biased?

The controversial play caused a brief delay and seemed to benefit Penn State QB Drew Allar, who had thrown a terrible pass. Some angry Notre Dame fans at Hard Rock Stadium threw trash onto the field in frustration. Whether it was the right call or not, the question remains: what really went down on the field?

The two teams had TDs in the second half, with Penn State leading 10-3 at the break. Late in the 4th quarter, Riley Leonard of Notre Dame tied the score at 24 with a 54-yard TD pass to WR Jaden Greathouse. Moments earlier, RB Nicholas Singleton had scored his 3rd TD run of the game, giving the Nittany Lions a 24–17 advantage.

Things got heated when a questionable pass interference call on Notre Dame safety Adon Shuler allowed Penn State’s touchdown. Shuler was flagged for contacting Tyler Warren, a Penn State tight end, even though he didn’t appear to have a fair chance to make a play. To make matters worse, the officials completely missed a huge play by Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser, who intercepted a deep pass from Drew Allar. It was a frustrating sequence of events for the Irish.

So, how did Coach Freeman react to all this? Let’s just say he wasn’t happy.

Marcus Freeman on the Orange Bowl protest

At first, Marcus Freeman was visibly frustrated by the controversial call and didn’t hold back his feelings with the referees. He asked plenty of questions, making it clear he wasn’t happy. But as Notre Dame fans threw beer bottles onto the field, Freeman took a different approach. He simply smiled and gestured at the officials, accepting the call that had robbed his team of a turnover. Maybe it was the fact that Notre Dame quickly tied the game on their next possession that helped Freeman stay calm.

However, the outcome of the game could’ve changed his mood. If the Fighting Irish had lost, it’s hard to imagine Freeman still grinning. After all, he made history as the first Black head coach to compete in a national title game.

But in the end, Freeman showed gratitude and respect for his team’s effort. “They believed and they got the job done. I’m really proud of them,” he said, brushing off the injuries, flu, and bad calls. Despite all the challenges, the Orange Bowl ended in Freeman’s favor with a 27-24 victory.