JotCast | ND Football Cal Week Chat

ND Football Cal Week Chat

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William from Glenn Burnie, MD

2:02

Do you think Jack S. will fire Freeman or will he retire and let the new athletic director clean up the mess?

Mike Berardino

2:01

Hi Tom From Parts Unknown. (And I'm not picking on you. We really need hometowns as well as names here. Keeps things flowing.) Super motivated? I'll buy that. That's just part of the deal, and it sure beats the alternative. But "simply content" and "little desire"? No, sir. I don't see that at all.

Tom Mahoney

1:59

Every team that comes into South Bend is super motivated to beat ND. Why does ND rarely seem to match or exceed that level of motivation? It seems like the players are simply content to be on the team and they have little desire beyond that.

Mike Berardino

1:58

Hi Alan. We appreciate your honesty here in the No Agenda Zone. If I rattle off reminders of skill-position injuries going back to the spring (Wilkins, Diggs, Price, Evans, Davis, Colzie, Merriweather and now Buchner), that sounds like an excuse. If I bring up the other two Sun Belt road upsets on Saturday in College Station and Lincoln, that sounds like an excuse. If I suggest that there's still plenty of time for this season to be salvaged, that sounds like happy talk. And I realize no one is in the mood these days for that. There was always going to be a learning curve for a first-time head coach with an overhauled staff. Dealing with that at 0-2 instead of the expected 1-1 is what makes this week seem so perilous. Let's see where things stand as Notre Dame leaves Las Vegas after the BYU game on Oct. 8. We should know a lot more by then.

Alan from Whiteland, Indiana

1:47

Mike, I am going to be honest with you and your readers. I am stunned at how quickly Head Coach Marcus Freeman has taken a Notre Dame football program that was winning ten or more games per season and turned it into a rebuilding job within nine months. In your opinion, what are the primary reasons things have not worked out for this coach and coaching staff? Thank you for answering my question.

Mike Berardino

1:46

Hi Bill. Angeli is on deck. And it might not take an injury to Pyne for him to get some at-bats. Freeman on Monday: "Steve is another guy that has those natural leadership traits about him. He took ownership of that scout team offense. I've got a lot of confidence in Steve Angeli."

Bill from Western Springs, IL

1:43

Good afternoon. In the unlikely event (please no!) that Pyne gets injured, would Ron Powlus be a better option a QB than Angelli? After all he has 2 years in the program....

Mike Berardino

1:42

Hello, Mark. Why can't you do both?

Mark

1:42

Isn’t it time to start challenging players, instead of hugging them?

Mike Berardino

1:37

Hi Mike, there's more to accuracy than completion percentage, I'm sure we can agree. Based on the limited looks we got in practice (spring and August camp), I stand by my naked-eye assessment that Pyne is more accurate than Buchner. Doing it in a game, even the spring game, is another matter. But when it comes to hitting a receiver or a back in stride, when it comes to putting the ball where only your target can reach it, yes, Pyne is typically more accurate than Buchner. The latter has struggled with footwork and flying open in the past. Let's see if Pyne puts those Manning Passing Academy lessons to good use now that's he's QB1.

Mike, Los Angeles

1:32

Mike, interesting to read in your article Monday. You state that Drew Payne bring at this point in their career “ superior accuracy” over Buchner. Just in case you missed the spring game and the Marshall game, your statement is completely incorrect. Paynes career stats 20-39 is just a tad over 50%. The lack of true hi four and five star quarterbacks coming to Notre Dame is going to rear its ugly head. Buchner played at a small school in the SD area against no competition, Payne is a good role player/ backup QB, The kid from New Jersey was only a three star. Just some observations.

Mike Berardino

1:31

Hi Jack, hard to argue with most of this, although do you really want to see more draw plays? As for drills, you must've missed Michael Mayer's postgame answer on all the running plays they practice during the week. It's not a lack of drills. It's about doing it on game day.

jack anthony

1:29

the offense is flat, they should be using their best players and run plays to keep the defense off balance, misdirection plays, draw plays, short passes, and the line has to give the QB more time. Improved blocking will do that. The entire offense needs a gut check now. and more drills.

Mike Berardino

1:28

Hi Jake. According to Freeman, Buchner's surgery was scheduled for today with team orthopedist Brian Ratigan. Expected recovery time for the AC joint repair is about four months. The national championship game is Jan. 9 in LA. So, at this point the best-case scenario for Buchner is a full return for the start of spring practice.

Jake Stevens

1:21

How long it Buchner out?

Mike Berardino

1:21

Hi Harold. You're on the record. It's a new era in college football, no doubt.

harold

1:20

its obvious the portal had a direct effect on the losss to marshall..the same outcome befell texas a&m. higher ranked

Mike Berardino

1:17

Hi, Sean. Thanks for finding us here at NDInsider.com. It's only been two games, but the way Notre Dame got to 0-2 is troubling. As for Frost and any quick-trigger parallels, please see my answer above.

Sean, Greensboro

1:15

Thanks for the chats and your efforts. How could everyone be so wrong about this team? Is Marcus Freeman our Scott Frost?

Mike Berardino

1:15

Freeman doesn't usually name names when it comes to breakdowns, but he rattled off several missed-tackle offenders on Monday. Among them: Brandon Joseph, Cam Hart, Marist Liufau and Jordan Botelho. Freeman also lamented safety Ramon Henderson losing contact with tight end Devin Miller on the aforementioned third-and-9. As for lack of motivation, that's hard to imagine given all that's at stake. Not just at this level, but at the next for players like Foskey, Mayer, Patterson and so many others.

1:08

Hello, Scott. This must be an interesting week for you being right up the road from Berkeley. I know it's a typo, but you may be onto something with "pass rash." Might want to copyright that for future monetization purposes. I'm with you on the idea that the short, safe pass is the best way to open up the run (see Walsh, Bill). Maybe with the increased accuracy at QB, this will become a thing again in South Bend. I did like the improved first-down balance (and tweeted as much) that Tommy Rees' offense showed in the second half. Things were going quite swimmingly there for awhile, and if not for an ill-timed false start on Patterson (third-and-3 at the plus-38), maybe Notre Dame builds on its 15-12 lead early in the fourth quarter. It also would've helped if the defense got off the field on third-and-9 with Marshall backed up at its 7.

Scott Sacramento,ca

12:59

Good morning Mike, we have so many deficiencies I don’t know where to start. I am so frustrated with the offense right now, I don’t know how many times on second and long Rees is going to run the ball up the middle for no gain. In the first and second quarter it happened over and over, he is so predictable. When the offensive line, Which was supposed to be above average cannot move the Defense you cannot establish the run especially when the calls are predictable. How about using the pass to set up the run. We have no game breakers on the outside only the best tight end in college football who will be double covered. On defense our pass rash is nonexistent, Foskey lines up in the stand up position and just runs around the edge every time. Linebackers do not fill holes and cannot tackle. Overall poor tackling and looks like a lack of motivation

Mike Berardino

12:58

Hi Ryan. I'm going to say Saturday. Then again, I said that last week. No promises here.

Ryan mars pa

12:56

Mike when do the Irish get coach freeman his first win go Irish

Mike Berardino

12:29

Greetings, Irish Rob. Lot of valid points here, and I can assure you at least one former all-time great ND O-lineman shares your confusion over why Patterson was moved off center. We were just talking about that. Freeman agreed Monday that Tyree must get more touches with his playmaking ability, so I think you'll get your wish there. As far as a youth movement, you can't coach in fear of the portal. That will only cause you to lose the faith of the upperclassmen. Now, if a younger player simply beats out someone with experience, that's another matter. Those two young corners, Ben Morrison and Jaden Mickey, might do that by midseason. And the aforementioned Rocco Spindler could force his way into the mix. But the rest of it has to be organic and earned.

Irish Rob, Scranton PA

12:23

Hey Mike. I am trying to find a silver lining in what has transpired but I cannot. I think changes are necessary. Correll is not the answer at C. You have perhaps the best C in the country playing G so why not move him over and shake things up? The LBs seemed to disappear at times against Marshall. There are some highly ranked youngsters on the roster, why not see if their athleticism can make a difference? How is Chris Tyree and his homerun breaking speed and ability not getting the ball more? This staff was supposed to have this roster figured out and ready to go, and nothing could seem further from the truth from where I sit. Shake things up, let's get some of these youngsters meaningful snaps before they bolt for the portal. Things can't go much worse than they did last week so why not???

Mike Berardino

12:19

Good day, Steven. I'm sure Tom will appreciate your endorsement. I'd like to point out I predicted a 9-3 regular-season mark, so I'm still alive (for now). I'm not so sure I like the idea of Sunday as a work day, although I realize that's a pro-style approach (Tuesdays off, light work on Mondays.) One of the biggest areas of advancement under Brian Kelly in the post-2016 reboot was in rest and recovery (float tanks, sleep rooms and the like). I wrote about this in 2018. Granted, the players had last Sunday off after a miserable travel experience back from Columbus, but moving forward it just seems odd to hit the practice field for any length of time on the day after a game. Kelly also did away with road stadium walk-throughs to save time and energy. Remember, NFL guys don't have accounting class homework. Modern college football players need to recover mentally as much as physically after all the emotion that's poured into a long Saturday.

Steven from Athens GA

12:03

First off bravo to Tom Noie, shame on us indeed for thinking we would be better. A lot of people are gonna call for Freeman's head and I think they have a point. It's more than wins and loses. Both Offensive and Defensive lines are soft, they are getting blown off the ball. Defense can't tackle, play calls make no sense, and there seems to be no energy on the sidelines. I'm pretty sure both of buchners INTs seemed to be on quick screen throws to the wide side of the field to a receiver looking at press coverage. Can you help me understand what is happening!? Also Patterson seems to be much more productive at center, could you see some shuffling along the OL to better the production? Thanks go Irish!🍀

Mike Berardino

11:52

Here's Hiestand's quote on Spindler from April 7: "He’s a battler. He’s a fighter. You love him. You can’t not love the kid. He loves football. He pours his heart and soul into every practice. He fights like hell. He’ll make mistakes because he’s young, but it’s not because of lack of effort. You love his demeanor and the way he appreciates the sport. He just loves getting after it. Some guys like contact more than others. He loves contact. So it’s hard not to like him."

11:50

Hey, Matt. I'm not sure benching a sixth-year senior is the cure-all for what ails this line. Freeman was asked Monday whether moving Jarrett Patterson back to center was under consideration, but his answer gave no indication that it was. Line guru Harry Hiestand was effusive in his praise of Rocco Spindler during spring practice, so it wouldn't shock me to see him rotate in for at least a series or two here soon. But if a lack of familiarity is the problem for this five-man unit, what good is more variety? It's about reps. It's about communication. It's about trust. It's about confidence. All that takes time, which I realize is in short supply for a team off to an 0-2 start.

Matt from LA

11:45

Do you see any changes coming on the O-Line? As much as I like Lugg he seems to be better suited for a 6th man role and Zeke hasn’t been living up to the preseason hype either. Do you think inserting a guy like Spindler might bring some new energy and toughness up front?

Mike Berardino

11:44

Hi Kurt. No one is talking about a rebuild just yet. Michael Mayer struck the right tone after the Marshall game when he said: "We’ve got a long season ahead. I think people know that. Our goal is to win out the rest of the season." Even with Tyler Buchner out for the year, that's not an unthinkable proposition. I'd say they're another two losses away from using the R-word. Until then, veteran leaders need to show the way. It starts with Cal.

Kurt from SB

11:38

Jack and Marcus both said this wasn't a rebuild it was to keep it going and take the program to the next level. After a 0-3 start overall, do you still see it that way?

Mike Berardino

11:37

No doubt that's part of the total evaluation he's been conducting in the wake of this 0-2 start. It's one thing to stand on your mark and deliver scripted lines when you're goofing with the Mannings or the Golics during the offseason. It's quite another when they start keeping score and the whole college football world is watching.

11:35

Hi, Fred. Thanks for the question. I have one for you: Do you miss the Silverdome? I covered Duke basketball there in the 1991 regional. Mike Krzyzewski was so locked in during that run to the first of five NCAA Tournament titles, at one point during a scorer's table delay, he turned and yelled at the befuddled clock operator: "Come on, do your job!" Yes, I used that in the column that day. I found it instructive that Coach K was feeling it to the point he thought he could motivate even total strangers. That's a roundabout way of getting to your question about sideline demeanor. Near the end of Bobby Bowden's career, frustrated FSU fans would bemoan the fact he sometimes didn't even wear headphones. So, who knows? There's no doubt that life in the HC fishbowl is markedly different for Freeman than what it was as a rising young DC. He's admittedly learning some things on the fly, right down to how his time and attention should be divided during those three-plus hours from kickoff to triple zeroes.

Fred, Pontiac, Michigan

11:25

Whenever the TV cameras showed Freeman on the sideline, he looked a bit lost and confused. Several times it appeared as if he were unsure whether to join the offense or defense briefings during timeouts. What's your take?

Mike Berardino

11:24

Hello, Larry! (How about that for a McLean Stevenson reference that's older than most of the Irish coaching staff?) I understand your frustration, but that would be an all-time panic move. Are you sure your last name isn't Steinbrenner? I'm guessing you saw the news out of Lincoln, Neb., this week and got to thinking. Scott Frost had a much longer resume of close losses before Nebraska AD Trev Alberts handed him that $15 million parting gift. Frost was in Year 5 at his alma mater and had yet to produce a winning record (16-31 overall). Freeman is just getting started.

Larry

11:15

Tell me why we shouldn’t fire Freeman right now. Took over a high ranked, high profile team and we are playing at low division 2 level. Hate to say it, but he needs to go now.

Mike Berardino

11:14

Good morning, chatters. Thanks so much for all the questions. Plenty to discuss, so we'll get right to it.

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