JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 18, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 18, 2023

Eric Hansen

3:02

OK, that's going to do it for this week. I have a hard out today with our podcast recording session stacked right after this. Thanks to J&R Solutions. If you live somewhere where you have trouble getting internet, check these guys out. ... Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back next Wednesday at noon ET to do it all over again.

3:00

OK Lightning-round questions. ... 1. It should concern them and it's their job to fix it. 2. That was a 48-yard and that kid has been up and down. A 43-yarder is much more manageable. 3. If he leaves, he'll be the first true junior offensive lineman in ND history to do so. So there's a chance he comes back, but I would not expect it. Fisher more likely to come back then not. 4. Love would have the inside track. I think Price, two years removed from the Achilles injury, would challenge him. 5. Oh yes, they can. It's called whiplash.

Matt (KC)

2:55

Hi there, hope you are well, here are my five rapid fire questions. 1. ND won big against USC, but gifted great field position, the offense didn't have long sustained drives, is this worrying coaches behind the scenes? 2. Why did Marcus Freeman call timeout at the end of the 1st half? Time was likely to run out before the snap and even if it didn't, USC gets the ball moved 5 yards closer to kick the same field goal? Seemed like a better play is to take a chance the clock runs out before the snap. 3. Joe Alt keeps getting moved lower in the first round (late 20s) in mock drafts, is there any chance at all that he and Blake Fischer both return next year? 4. When Estime leaves, will Love be the primary back next year, the guy seems electric, even between the tackles with a slight frame (though who isn't slight compared to Estime)? 5. Just a comment, haters that talk about ND being overrated then try to use a win against us to prop up how good their team is (can't have it both ways folks)!

Eric Hansen

2:55

We haven't spoken with Marcus since the USC game, so on-the-record specifics won't happen until next week.

2:54

Hi David. To you first answer, cornerback recruiting continues to be strong. To your second question, they better have.

David Hudson Fresno, CA

2:53

One of the broadcasters said the ND defensive backs were playing man coverage. A few years ago this would have been impossible; the SC receivers were too fast. Williams would probably have picked an ND zone apart. Can the Irish keep this up through good recruiting? Also, TheIirsh offense needs to get much better if ND is to win its remaining games. Does Freeman and his staff have good plans for this?

Eric Hansen

2:53

Hi Tom. I won't go too deep into the wide receivers since we've hit it pretty hard. But for a grade, I'd give them an incomplete ... and it's not just an awful pun. I'm not big on midseason grades or partial scores. I think the dominant storyline for this position group will be written over the last four games. And I am giving my grade independent of other factors. ... I really don't think it's fair to speculate on specific players transferring unless it's very veiled. This is not. What you could ask yourself is whether No. 5 is being given an opportunity to prove himself? If the answer is yes, then does a transfer still make sense? Recruiting is always part of the equation, whether it's bye week or game week. You can do both and must do both to be successful. Not a one-or-the-other proposition.

Tom from Grand Rapids

2:47

Eric, thankful as always for this opportunity, does a bye week bring a brief respite for you or are they just as hectic as a game week? From your objective analysis / opinion where would you grade the ND wide receivers. From a talent standpoint are they underperforming, where they should be, or overachieving? Is this grade influenced by the perceived growing pains of the O.C? Do you honestly feel #5 stays at ND past this year, or does he jump ship, could this offense move him around (different sets) to get him more involved? Bye week, two games, bye week, two games - that’s how the regular season ends, will this allow the coaching staff to really dial this team in, or will recruiting be the primary goal? GO IRISH ☘️🏈☘️

Eric Hansen

2:47

Jay, keep in mind the offense COULD turn things around, but I'll take on this hypothetical if I can make it more generic. If a coordinator is performing to a level that a change would be necessary, wouldn't it stand to reason that recruits would understand and maybe even applaud the change? I think it's far more difficult when an assistant leaves for another job on his own volition to win back over certain recruits.

Jay, Granger

2:44

if Parker doesn’t turn around an underperforming offense in the last four games and Freeman is forced to replace him how many recruits is he directly responsible for bringing to the team? Would it be more likely he takes a step back on the coaching staff because of fallout on recruits decomi

Eric Hansen

2:42

Hi Matt. Love's elevation from option 5 to option 2 during the course of the season does speak to the coaching staff's agreement about his ability to positively affect the offense. He did not have a lot of touches against USC ... but to you point, it's actually a very good one. I think he could have helped out -- not fixed, but helped -- in the passing game more than he's been given a chance to. Perhaps they don't want to put too much on his plate, being a freshman, but I agree about the missed opportunity. Good stuff, Matt.

Matt In Augusta NJ

2:39

Hope all is well Eric. Is the offensive staff making a mistake by not getting Jeremiah Love more involved in the game plan? He brings a lot to the offense that we are lacking currently in my opinion...SPEED. I know he is limited by Estime at RB, but why not get him involved in the pass game. I think ND missed an opportunity to get him trained at WR (slot only if its too much to learn) and could have used him against Duke and Louisville. As much as i like the walk on, having Faison playing shows where the WR room is now. Love needs touches, especially in the transfer portal days....If Love cannot catch I apologize.

Eric Hansen

2:39

Hi John. I think trying to light a fire against a defensive front with that much pre-snap movement and in that loud of an environment and with that much tread on the tires of chemistry and working to see plays through one set of eyes instead of figuring that out and lighting it in practice -- ff true -- would be a huge coaching miscalculation in my estimation.

John from Scottsdale

2:36

I have a theory on the offensive line rotation against Louisville and I want your thoughts on it. MF never calls out anyone when asked about problems, it always comes back to him (an excellent quality in my opinion). I think he was not happy with the interior line play and to light a fire under the starters he made some in game substitutions. So without saying a word to the press he sent a clear message play needed to improve because changes in a game speak louder than words at a practice. I know it’s easy to propose this theory after the interior line played much better against USC but I was going to ask this last week but work obligations made me miss the live chat.

Eric Hansen

2:36

A 10-2 Notre Dame team with a road win at Clemson in November? Odds I'd be willing to take.

Andrew (NWI_Irish96)

2:35

What are the odds a 10-2 team would make a NY6 bowl?

Eric Hansen

2:35

Hey Newt, great to hear from you. I got asked this question with a 20-year time frame from the Atlanta club last night, and I would have to research it to make sure I'm not missing someone. But yes, Manti. He was a Heisman runner-up, so he had big, impactful games and especially when the offense wasn't scoring much in 2012. Pete Sampson of The Athletic mentioned Mo Crum in 2007 vs UCLA. Ben Morrison last year vs. Clemson was epic. I would have to put Xavier Watt's performance in that same category. Not only the turnovers, but his hits and coverage outside of those plays was phenomenal.

Newt in Midlothian, Va

2:31

WHAT A WIN!!!!!!!! I was trying to explain to my son what Xavier Watts did Saturday night was historic! Can you remember a better performance from a defensive player? Only thing that comes to my mind was Manti Te'O at Oklahoma, which was probably more just a Heisman moment. Anywho, thanks for the chats and your continued work and Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

2:31

Hi Jim, and thanks for the compliments and thanks for the wishes for less work on the bye week. To be honest, we don't dial is back too much. There's so much interest in this team ... and a lot to catch up on behind the scenes ... and hitting hoops harder this week and a special NIL story coming soon as well that I can't get to on a game week but has been percolating for a few weeks. ... I need to get specifics about the sports psychology aspect for the next time it comes up in chat. It does exist, though not on the same form of the Brian Kelly/Amber Selking model. I think it's more voluntary now. I think with Kelly/Selking post-2016 a lot of it was baked in. So there were regular meetings for players and staff. I like that Marcus does have an open "question everything" policy, so if there's enough of a demand to reconsider that, I think it will get a good look this offseason.

Jim, Oakwood, OH

2:26

Hi Eric, I hope you can get a well deserved rest/break during this bye week. GREAT job with your excellent coverage and writing! Thank you. My question concerns the chat last week where you mentioned the importance of each athlete developing the right competitive mentality required of their position. You’ve also written about Coach Free’s belief in Sports Science … and I ‘m wondering if there is a current staff member doing what Dr. Amber Selking did so well (she departed 18 months ago?) in the field of Sports Performance? Be Well.

Eric Hansen

2:25

Wow, you guys are on fire with your opening lines. Not sure if there's a direct correlation to the rescinding of the no-drinking and no-bare-feet rules, but maybe we should extend those. ... No, I don't think Sam Hartman will get a chance to call his own plays. Perhaps a nice happy medium is giving him MORE power to change plays at the line of scrimmage. .. I don't want to take anything away from Al Golden, but the game plans are always a collaboration, with Marcus having his fingerprints on them, but Golden did a great job of looking at teams that had some success against Caleb Williams and then retro-fitting it to ND's own offensive scheme. ... and best regards to you, Andy.

Guest

2:22

Andy, Wilmette IL: Thanks again for saving ND fans from their heads popping off. I really like Sam Hartman and appreciate his experience. Do you think Sam will ever be allowed to run the offense and call his own plays? Also, did Coach Freeman have any influence on the defensive schemes last week? The D seemed different. Best regards to you and yours.

Eric Hansen

2:21

Well Jerry, you made me chuckle ... so mission accomplished. Boubacar (traditional, un-copyrighted spelling) played two snaps and got one sack and one extended celebration that required a timeout. I call that a net win. There was a media-open practice about halfway through training camp, and Traore caught my eye over and over again against admittedly the second and third offenses. I spend every Tuesday night (except the bye weeks) taking to DC Al Golden and he's brought Boubacar up before in terms of a guy he was pondering using more. If the developing guys on defense (and there's a bunch of good ones). I think he's the one who has the best chance of meaningful snaps in the back third of the season, not just mop-up time.

Jerry, Portland ME

2:17

Eric, how about BOO!-bacar (Boubcar spelling has been stylized for October, trademark pending {jk}).. Love seeing the emergence of young talent and the integration of promising/skilled youth at big moments in the season. How much more do you think we will see of Traore and who else among the under classmen might you guess makes an introduction in the remainder of the season?

Eric Hansen

2:11

OK Bob, the last line got me. .... Tyler James did an excellent piece for us on third downs in his film analysis. So if you're looking for depth, this will get you all the detail and nuances. ... The short answer is that ND isn't doing itself a lot of favors on first and second downs. And there have been questionable choices for the last four weeks on third down.

Guest

2:06

This may be more involved than you can get into here - or maybe it's much easier to explain because I don't know - which is why I'm here and relying on your infinitely superior knowledge and expertise.

Bob in Rome, Italy

2:06

I was unable to see the game live BUT I did see detailed highlights and was totally impressed with the special teams andt the entire defense.. but in reality the defense and specials teams scored 34 of the points…counting field goals, kick off returns, interception returns to an almost TD … so really…after reading that we were 3 for 10 in third down conversions…give me your opinion of the offense

Eric Hansen

2:05

Hi Mark. Without feeding the rumors, I'm not sure any football player who's not a bench ornament is fully healthy after eight straight grinding weeks, but Hartman is healthy enough to play and be effective and run the ball and throw it and hug Joe Montana. Just keep in mind when an uber-experienced QB is playing with inexperienced wide receivers, sometimes the accuracy issues stem from running routes less than correctly/precisely/consistently. And some of it's play-calling on first and second downs that puts you in a situation where the defense and the opposing defensive coordinator knows you have very limited options on third down. Will the pieces come together? I don't have anything to base it one one way or another, but I do have confidence the O-line will improve and the wide receivers will show at least moderate improvement with better health. Thanks for the kind words.

Mark, Orange County CA

2:01

Hi Eric, I am still on cloud nine after ND's dismantling of USC. I honestly did not feel confident that the Irish could keep the USC qb from having the success he had last year. So happy that the defense played so well. I am still concerned about the offense. They did a lot of punting against USC which statistically has a weak defense. Hartman's throws have not been accurate. 3rd down conversions have been around 30% successful. Rumors on social media are that Hartman is not 100% healthy. What is your take on the offense? Will the pieces come together for the remainder of this season? Thank you for these chats and your insights. Your work is very much appreciated !!!!

Eric Hansen

2:00

Hi Mike. The 1977 game predates my venture into sports journalism, so I will take your word for it. My first ND-USC game as a sports writer (or any other capacity by a coach potato) was in 1983. I do not get a bye, but I do not have to stay up until 6 a.m. after a Saturday night game, so I am looking forward to being less caffeinated.

Mike Costa Mesa Ca.

1:58

I am 69 yr's the game that I think was similar to sat. nite was the 1977 game. Both games USC could not do anything right. I was at the 1995 game & the 1966 51-0 out here .This just had a more INTENSE feel. Do YOU GET A BYE TOO ?

Eric Hansen

1:57

Hi Denny. You may have been able to piece my answer together from previous questions .. but here it is: 1. Play-calling, 2. Wide receivers, 3. O-Line ... not saying O-line is the least important, but they made strides against USC.

Denny from Beaverton Or.

1:56

Hi Eric; What a difference a week makes. Problems remain but the way the coaches and team bounced back was impressive. Offensively I see three areas of concern that need fixing. 1. Offensive line play 2. Lack of wide receiver performance this year and 3. Ineffective play calling. Maybe you won/t rate them in this order but what do you see as the main problems in these areas? Your insight is always appreciated because you are measured and thoughtful in your responses.

Eric Hansen

1:55

Quick news item ... the AP midseason All-America team was just released. RB Audric Estimé, OT Joe Alt and DL Howard Cross III were all first-teamers for Notre Dame.

1:51

Joe. He said he was fine. The coaches say he is fine. I do understand your curiosity, but I don't think there's evidence that is the case. I think I've sited all kinds of other reasons why Sam Hartman's stats aren't the same as they were in the Central Michigan game. That's the best I can do without going to med school. As far as Eli Raridon, I think they just want to ease him into things. I think I mentioned in a previous chat (or maybe it was on YouTube) my expectation was that his larger impact would come after the bye week. There's a mental and physical recovery coming back from two ACL tears to the same knee in a 10-month span. I am encouraged that his run blocking improved from game 1 back to game 2 back. Unless there is a setback, I think he's better off playing this year than redshirting him.

Guest

1:47

Joe H from Williams Bay Wi. Hi Eric Thanks again for all you do keeping us sane during this wild roller coaster season so far.Two questions for you First I feel that Sam Hartman hasn’t been the same since he got rolled up on in the C Mich game High on a lot of throws and not as accurate Could he be favoring a lower leg injury and secondly While I’m excited to see Eli Reardon get back on the field I’m wondering why he hasn’t been targeted at all especially with the problems with the wide receivers and I’m also hoping ND doesn’t burn a red shirt year for him Thanks

Eric Hansen

1:47

The second question might be above my pay grade or my level of brain cells. The concept of one play, one life isn't to forget the plays or the technique you learned in practice but to not mentally distress or celebrate the result of the previous play and start anew with a chance to improve. I hope I lucked into an answer that makes sense and gets to the heart of what you were asking. Otherwise, I will revert to my one-question/one-life mantra,

1:44

Hi Len. I don't want to defend penalties, but there are many reasons for penalties ... sometimes touchdown-saving ones. Sometimes it's crowd-noise related. I think Marist Liafau's facemask penalty vs. Louisville was more about him losing his balance than anything else. BUT some are discipline, not- thinking types of penalties. If you look at the seven teams that are the least penalized (yards) per game this year, two are service academics and four have losing records (Michigan, Air Force, Iowa, Army, Baylor, Minnesota and Temple). Of the seven teams that are most penalized, four have losing records and one might be the best overall team in the country: Colorado St., New Mexico, Washington, Bowling Green, Colorado, USC, and UMass. ND is 57th fewest so just a hair above average. Last year they were 21st. (more)

Len from the Jersey Shore

1:30

Hi Eric, Thanks for hosting. It has been a long time since the season began in Ireland. Marcus Freeman wants his team to always be competing; whether it is spring football, summer workouts, fall camp, or during the season. Always competing can lead to mental fatigue, a lack of discipline and penalties. Morrison gave a penalty back to USC when he demonstrated this last game as one example. Moreover, the team has shown a lack of discipline too many times evidenced by too many penalties in some games. Is this team too jacked up at times? Coach has also stressed one play, one life. I love this concept. In its simplest form that means you can only win the play that is happening. But how do you learn from what a team/player did to you earlier that game if you are trained not to think about what happened previously? In short, I believe the method to have your team stay in the moment and to compete all the time are great concepts but need to continue to evolve in practice. What say Eric?

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