JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 16, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 16, 2022

Eric Hansen

3:12

That's going to be it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. Because of a coverage conflict next week, we'll do the chat next Tuesday, then move back to Wednesdays for the rest of the season.

3:11

To the questioner from Athens, Ga., great to hear from you. Please email me (ehansen@insidendsports) because I lost your email when I switched jobs.

3:10

I'll make a score prediction the week of the game. ... I said Keeley last time. I've switched it to Bowen. Just got a bunch of Keeley intel in a phone call while doing the chat.

Pat (St. Paul)

3:09

Eric - when are you making a prediction on the OSU/ND game? Also, continuing a trend from last week…percent chance we hang onto both Keeley and Bowen? If we only keep one, which one is it?

Eric Hansen

3:09

Hi Matt. Since we're in the lightning round ... 1. I haven't seen that. 2. Not sure how it will work with Marcus. Brian Kelly always had veto power. 3. Puncher's chance. 4. Marist Liufau. I'd say Howard Cross too if he had better measurables by NFL standards. Rylie Mills, but he's not ready to come out and yet he's already on their radar. 5. Winning the turnover battle.

Matt (KC)

3:05

Multi-part but brief answers are acceptable: 1. Do the coaches practice calling games with headsets outside of scrimmages, maybe practice simulations? 2. When an offense is in hurry up or defense for that matter, end of games or the half, do the coordinators just get to run the play calling show since there might not be a lot of time for head coaches to interject or overrule? 3. OSU beats us at the skill positions no doubt, but games are won on the line of scrimmage, do we have a puncher's chance or is it more than that? 4. Throw a name out there that could play themselves from unheralded to NFL draft pick this year? 5. What do you think Marcus Freeman is most concerned about heading into the OSU game?

Eric Hansen

3:05

Hi Len. I appreciate your thoroughness in thought. 1) I don't anticipate Marist Liufau having issues once the season starts. He told me he's been healthy for months, but they didn't want to overload him in training camp as a precaution. He goes 100 percent in the reps he takes, but he takes fewer of them. Kollie had a concussion and I believe he's back. Sneed is not ready, but man is he coming along for 2023. 2) The team practiced at Penn on Monday night. That's the alma mater of Ron Powlus III, Paul Moala and Braxston Cave among others. I'm not sure I understand your question about home crowd issues. There are not crowds at practice .. at ND or otherwise. ... 3) The ticket question is like asking a calculus question on a add/subtract math test. That would take some deep research I don't have in a chat format. I apologize for my limitations on that one. Perhaps a story down the road.

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:59

Hi Eric, thanks for hosting. With Marist's leg from last year's injury a lingering problem, Kollie's injury and Sneed not ready; is our LB's mobility an issue especially for the OSU game? We had hoped that LB mobility would support the secondary. 2cd - Recently Coach Freeman held practice at a high school in the area. He claimed he wanted to stress the point that what was important happened between the 53.3 yd wide field and not where that field was, be it OSU or anywhere. Current ticket pricing on home games are dynamic/tiered priced to max revenue. All open Clemson game tickets (that's right the game is not sold out) can be bought for the cost of $350 dollars for the game plus you get a ticket to the Marshall game. And you must give $50 to the Rockne fund. Doesn't this push towards a crowd with more Clemson fans than pre-tiered $ strategies? Did coach Freeman have his St Joe's practice because of home crowd issues? Please comment about ticket strategies and their affect.

Eric Hansen

2:58

Hi Chuck. Glad you could join in. Notre Dame's best position group is its defensive line. It's second-best may be the offensive line. That has to be the case Sept. 3 for the Irish to have a chance to pull off the upset. I am convinced the Correll transformation is real, because Harry believes it is. That's good enough for me. Practice reps back it up.

CHUCK FROM CLEVELAND "THE LAND"

2:55

Hi Eric, so glad that you are again, the voice of reason, as the optimism & pessimism flourishes this time of year. IMHO, the Offensive Line is THE KEY vs OSU. If we control the line of scrimmage, we can run "on schedule" and mix in safe passes to move the chains and eat up clock. But, you have to convince me that Correl is not the weak link. After watching him over the past few years, I am surprised that Spindler, et al are not good enough to shift Patterson back to Center. Pls convince me ...and THANK YOU for getting us ready for a banner season!

Eric Hansen

2:55

Yes, I have. Conor Ratigan has his moments. The others kind of blend in with each other, and that's not a knock on them -- just reality. The best of the bunch, Matt Salerno, became a scholarship player. They will help the Irish a lot in practice. They won't be counted on to win games.

Bill from St Joe, MI

2:53

Eric, have you had the opportunity to watch walk on wide receivers, and if so what was your impressions? A very tough break for Avery Davis!

Eric Hansen

2:53

I would recommend eating at my mom's house. That's what I'm doing. Best cook in Ohio ... and beyond. And because of that my restaurant recommendations are from the 1970s and 80s. However, I have lots of friends who live in Columbus who don't eat at my mom's house. So email me, and I'll get you some good ideas. ehansen@insidendsports.com.

Bill from St Joe, MI

2:51

Eric, any dinning recommendations near the Ohio State University?

Eric Hansen

2:50

Todd .. email me. I got this question last year but I forget the answer. I need time to look it up and double check if it's still good. ehansen@insidendsports.com

Guest

2:50

How do I get peacock/UNLV game in Canada 🇨🇦????... Todd, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Eric Hansen

2:50

My guessimate, Robb, is 30 points. The Buckeyes were held under 30 (barely) three times and lost two of those games.

Robb, Colorado

2:49

Hey Eric, what’s the magic number for the ND defense to hold OSU to and have a good chance to win the game? Under 26? 30? Something else?

Eric Hansen

2:47

Hi Jeff. I do expect that we'll get that info on Friday if Marcus doesn't beat Mason to it on Thursday. Mason does have access to the entire roster, including starters, so he has lots of options. I haven't seen kickoff coverage units in practice, so this is a pure guess re freshmen but Jaden Mickey, Jaylen Sneed, Junior Tuihalamaka makes sense, because they're not going to redshirt anyways. Maybe Benjamin Morrison, Nolan Ziegler, John Burnham as well -- at least in up to four games.

Jeff from Phoenix

2:42

Hey Eric. It looks like special teams coach Mason will be available to the media later in the week. Do you expect him to name a starting punter and place kicker? Also, what freshmen would you expect to see line up when ND is kicking off? Do you think the philosophy of using the best athletes/fits on special teams still holds (i.e. that Mason has access to the entire roster)? Much thanks-

Eric Hansen

2:42

Hi Tom, provided Joe Wilkins is ready for Ohio State, which is now the trajectory, and Deion Colzie is back from his knee sprain, ND has enough numbers to start the season for games. For practices, it's a different challenge, and i spoke too all those issues in yesterday's story on WRs coach Chansi Stuckey. A talented TE group and versatile RBs will help the situation. ... I'll walk back from Columbus if Jarrett Patterson doesn't work out at guard. If he were to get injured at some point, Andrew Kristofic and Rocco Spindler would likely get the first looks.

Tom from Grand Rapids

2:37

Eric, with the truly heartbreaking loss of Avery Davis for the season. Who steps in to fill that void at slot receiver? I know it is an already depleted group, so what changes do you foresee the offense might be forced to adopt to minimize the loss.
If the experiment of Patterson to guard doesn’t work out, and he moves back to center, who is the next man up at left guard? Or does do he and Zeke just swap?

Eric Hansen

2:37

Talked to him just before but not access yet after. But Tommy Rees said it was hard on Drew not to be named No. 1, and yet he's always responded by working harder. I think somehow, someway he will be asked to win a game for the Irish. And he'll be ready, not pouting.

Jay, Granger

2:32

How is Pyne taking the news? I still think he will play a significant role in more games than usual for a backup. What say you on Pyne’s role this season?

Eric Hansen

2:32

As I wrote recently, some of the best candidates are current starters at other positions, future starters or in competitive situations for playing time. The two who would not fall into the category with experience as high school receivers are freshman cornerback Jayden Bellamy and freshman OLB Nolan Ziegler. We'll be talking to Marcus Freeman on Thursday, so I'll check in then on what's been happening. We'll also see some position drills Wednesday morning, so we may see something then.

Guest

2:26

Joe H Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric Thanks for all you do I was wondering if you think we have any viable options at wide receiver from any of our defensive players specifically Xavier Watts,Ramon Henderson,Phillip Riley or possibly someone else

Eric Hansen

2:26

Darwin, we haven't seen the kickers kick once in the practices we've been in (likely by design). I bet we will Friday, when we get to see a full practice. I have seen the punters and am very impressed with transfer Jon Sot and freshman Bryce McFerson -- especially McFerson.

Darwin Hutchison Dallas,Texas

2:25

What is your feeling’s on our kicking game especially the punter and the place kicker!

Eric Hansen

2:25

My dad was very quiet on the way home until I told him I had more fun at the Minnesota game than I did at the Michigan game. He never forgot that.
3) The 1995 ND-Ohio State game. That game was scheduled in the 70s when I was in high school -- behind Woody Hayes' back, because he didn't want the Buckeyes to play the Irish (he was LONG gone when the game was actually played). Journalism wasn't even close to being on the horizon, but I told myself wherever I was in the world, whatever I was doing, I'd make sure I would be in the stadium that day -- even if I had to sell Coca-Colas. I did not have a rooting interest in the game when 1995 came around, but it was an amazing experience. And I'll admit when the OSU band did their Script Ohio thing, it was pretty darn cool.

2:21

I narrowed it down to three:
1) My first Ohio State-Michigan game. 1972. Michigan was a heavy favorite. OSU was leading 14-11 late inthe game and held the Wolverines inside the Buckeye 5 on four straight downs. Bo Schembecher could have won the league title and the Rose Bowl berth with a field goal and a tie. He chose not to go that route. I was 12 years old, and a friend of mine's dad had an extra ticket at the last minute. The fans tore down both sets of goalposts after the game. I fell in love with college football forever that day.
2) I think it was a year later, my dad wanted to take me to a game for the first time after my non-stop ranting about the Michigan game. I was so excited, because the tickets said we were sitting in the first row. ... Until we got to the stadium and found out you could see very little in that era with the players standing in front of us. The game was a blowout win vs. Minnesota (more).

So here's your answer:

2:12

I have only been to the stadium once since I graduated in 1983 in a non-working capacity. I think that was 1984 or 1985. I had a handful of games there while covering the Big Ten a the South Bend Trib, but I haven't been there in any capacity in 27 years -- the last ND/OSU game in that facility.

2:10

Hi Don. First, thank you. We appreciate you being a subscriber. Second, before I forget, I think you mentioned having issues getting access to our site in Europe. Here is an answer I received from someone in our organization is much smarter than me and higher on the food chain: You need a VPN to access the site in Europe due to their data security regulations. ... OK to your question. For those unaware, I grew up in Ohio, with most of my time in Columbus, and attended The Ohio State University. I even sold ice-cold Coca-Cola one Saturday in the stadium as a kid. (more)

Don in Phoenix

2:06

Eric, Getting closer. 2 empty Saturday's and a game. Enjoying the coverage. Not specific to ND but as an OSU guy what the most memorable moment for you in that stadium and why?

Eric Hansen

see an improved version of him in 2022.

2:05

Here's the entire interview, which includes a wide range of topics. ... It's difficult to know EXACTLY how much illegal NIL might factor in to any recruit's decision, but we have a general idea on some kids. And the expectation is the final few months of the cycle is when it will really kick in. ... As to Buchner and accuracy ... passing wasn't a big part of his nice package last year, so it wasn't the emphasis. He attempted 35 passes, yet ran the ball 46 times and was ND's second-leadering rusher. The fact that he was at a 60% completion rate was remarkable given he had only one year of high school football and hadn't played since his junior year. Just for point of comparison Brady Quinn's freshman completion rate was 47.3% and Jimmy Clausen's was 56.3%. In a story I recently wrote on Buchner -- How ND QB Tyler Buchner's twisted journey is now powering his ascent -- Buchner told me he threw as well this summer as he ever has. And he's backed that up in training camp. So my expectation is that we'll (more)

1:52

Your multipart question, with several assertions mixed in, is the part that's hard to answer, because I don't agree with some of your assertions. So let me approach it this way. Telling a recruit there will be NIL opportunties for them at your school is how it's supposed to work. Guaranteing money, sometimes not even connected to NIL services, as a condition for signing with a certain team is not legal. It could come back to bite those kids down the road, but likely not soon. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick recently said it'd take an act of Congress to clean this up. I believe he set that timetable at two years minimally. So you've got at least two years of this chaotic effect on recruiting. (more)

1:47

Adam thanks for the kind words. The NIL issue is so volumnious and with so many tentacles it's difficult to address in a chat format. I'll do my best. Let's start with Keon Keeley, a five-star defensive end from Tampa and the highest-ranked recruit in Notre Dame's 2023 class, which is currently No. 1 in Rivals team rankings. The expectation is that he wants to take some official visits. ND allows (but doesn't encourage) committed recruits to take unofficial (unpaid) visits, but draws the line at official visits. If Keeley pushes forward, which is expected, it's essentially a decommitment. That doesn't mean ND won't still recruit him, but it's not a good sign at this stage that things will end well for the Irish. We'll see. (more)

Adam (Dayton, OH)

1:39

Eric, Best chats in the business, we appreciate it! Thanks for answering my near 17-parter a few weeks back, haha. And, I did not start happy hour too early, just excited for the Marcus Freeman era! Two questions. 1.) NIL. With ND certain to lose Keeley (not sure if he made the official announcement yet, but those that follow are expecting it), do we know how big a part NIL guarantees played? I know NIL has kind of morphed from what it was intended, but pragmatically, if there isn't going to be enforcement, it's not really illegal. I know ND wouldn't cheat outright, but NIL as it exists doesn't fit under the definition of cheating. (I understand not liking it though.) Knowing ND like you do, is there any way you could forsee ND acknowledging the realities and giving NIL guarantees? 2.) Tommy Rees mentions talent often when talking about Buchner. However, there were serious accuracy concerns last year, what are you seeing/hearing in that regard? Can he be efficient and a high percentage passer?

Eric Hansen

1:38

Hi Marie. Thanks for your question. Doing great here. I think Tommy Rees would use some three-tight end sets even if there weren't attrition issues at WR and RB with the way Eli Raridon and Holden Staes have been coming along to complement Michael Mayer and Kevin Bauman. In the context of compensating for the numbers at wide receiver, yes I think those two freshmen give you some flexibility in formation and play calling. I don't think it will be a staple, however. But between multiple running backs and tight ends, there's going to be more creativity involved.

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