JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 23, 2020

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 23, 2020

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Eric Hansen

2:00

Clark Lea.

Burke Reilly - Detroit

2:00

Since defense for ND will be key- wondering who’s taking over as defensive coordinator for the Alabama game!

Eric Hansen

2:00

Buon Natale e risparmia un po 'di bourbon per me. That's Italian, the foreign language I know best. I'll let you use Google translate. I think one of the other chatters mentioned this, the chemistry at center still needs to be worked out. And Quinn/Rees did not have a good day at all. I blame the offensive game plan and ineffective offensive adjustments for the way the offensive line looked above all else.

Polish prince

1:57

Hello Eric Hank from Buffalo. Wesolych Swiat . That's Merry Christmas in Polish. I just finished watching some of the game against Clemson again. Unlike Brian Kellys' assessment of our O-lines performance I think he may have been kind in his public response when asked his thoughts . Run blocking was nonexistent and pass protection 6 sacks and countless hurries speak for themselves. Were they unprepared. overmatched or just flat?

Eric Hansen

1:54

You tell me where you see the weakness. ... Punting. That's kind of it, and they don't have to do it very often. ... Their defense was vulnerable against Florida's combination of speed at WR (Kadarius Toney 8 153) and an elite tight end (Kyle Pitts 7 for 129). If I'm coaching this game, and thankfully for you all I'm not, I'd try to run the North Carolina gameplan on both sides of the ball and limit the Bama's plays on offense to 60 or less. ND has to create multiple turnovers and or special teams big plays (blocked punt, etc.)

1:51

If you click on the box, it will magnify those stats. That's Alabama's thumbnail.

1:50

James

1:47

Hello, Eric. James from Alexandria, VA here. Thanks for the chats and for your coverage of Notre Dame. I appreciate your insights! You are my go-to for balanced perspective on ND's performance. It may be pure folly to ask this question, as the answer is probably "none," but what are Alabama's relative weaknesses this year? Do any of them line up opposite Notre Dame's strengths, and how can ND best exploit those weaknesses?

Eric Hansen

1:45

That's where the problems started,

Patrick, Los Angeles

1:45

In your opinion, what was the single biggest failing in the loss to Clemson? It seemed the failure to score more than three points in four trips to or inside the Clemson 30-yard line might top the list.

Eric Hansen

1:44

I applaud open-mindedness. I won't necessarily be rewarded, but college football is full of surprises. To your question, Lawrence is WAY more mobile than Mac Jones, BUT you are trading the lack of mobility for a running back in Najee Harris who's scored 24 RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS and three more on pass receptions, as well as the best college receiver on the planet in Devonta Smith. So do you commit safety help to the run and let Smith get some one-on-one matchups. That is Clark Lea's dilemma as he prepares.

Jay from Chicago

1:35

Hi Eric, at the risk of sounding overly optimistic here, is it fair to say that Alabama's offense presents a better matchup for ND defense than Clemson? The mobility of Trevor Lawrence, along with his pre-snap prowess, seemed to create unique problems. While Mac Jones possesses some escapability, he does not seem to present the same challenges running the football similarly to the first ND matchup with Clemson and DJ Uiagalelei.

Eric Hansen

1:34

I think there's a few ways to try to get this done. Get the ball out quicker. Slow down the rush with quick passes and with screens. The running game has to get going, and Book's a big part of that. There was more than 100-yard swing in his rushing stats alone from Clemson I to Clemson II. And then Rees has got to get Book outside. If Bama tried to hem him in, you're going to have to design some plays to get him out on the perimeter. Again, these fixes are a lot easier to implement against, say, Georgia Tech than they are against Alabama.

Jack from Oak Park IL

1:31

Eric, seems like Clemson adjusted defensively (not just adding missing players), including keeping Book in the pocket to shorten the time for receivers to get open. I assume Bama will do the same, so how does Rees scheme our way out of this problem to keep offensive balance & score some points in the Rose Bowl? Go Irish & Merry Christmas

Eric Hansen

1:31

Hi Len, best of the season to you and your family too. Sometimes as I go through the chat, there are chatheads that seem to be able to read my mind. Congratulations, you're this week's winner. And I do think those things are reparable. I also think Alabama is better than Clemson.

Len from the Jersey Shore

Clemson boxed in the magician Ian book. But I think this is reparable. Do you agree?

1:29

Hi Eric, the best of the season to you and your family. Tough game! Trevor Lawrence, as expected, is a generational talent. I knew the O line would take a step back as they had not played together as a group with Lugg at center. And an O line working as a unit enhance each other’s performance. In addition I thought Tommy Rees and Jeff Quinn had bad games. Rees and Quinn had been amazing all year. Clemson experienced D staff had their number. Penetration broke down the all season successful outside zone blocking scheme. And C

Eric Hansen

1:29

To your question, I'm not sure yet how competitive ND can be. I am just starting to dive into Alabama in depth and then try to figure out how Rees/Kelly/Lea will deal with that. I can tell you this Florida and Ole Miss were the teams that gave the Crimson Tide the biggest scare. But they did it in very different ways. Both have QBs that are in the top 8 in passing efficiency. Both have really dynamic passing games. But Florida is a VERY one-dimensional offense with a very average defense. And Ole Miss is an incredibly well-balanced offense with a God-awful defense. On the surface I think North Carolina would be a tougher matchup for Alabama than ND because of the way that team is put together on offense. I need to see if there's a team that's constructed like ND that played Bama this season.

1:23

The one thing that I'll say in Ohio State's defense is that their conference let them down. They were adamant about playing from the start and applied pressure to make it eventually happen. So should the kids be punished for a constant stream of administrative missteps and miscalculations? I agree, the low total of games bothered me as an AP voter. There's no precedent in a pandemic. ... (more)

Dwight from Arkansas

1:14

(I apologize if this went through the first time. It suddenly disappeared, not sure that it went anywhere). First, my observation/opinion for all it's worth, lol. I think A&M has a legitimate gripe for being left out, but IMO it is not ND, but OSU that should have been omitted The Buckeyes didn't play as many games and won in a not-so impressive way vs. Northwestern. The Big 10 knew & understood the ramifications of not playing a fall schedule when they initially cancelled their season in August (?) Suddenly, at the 11th hour they decided to play and then want OSU in the playoffs. The playoffs should be for teams that played an X amount of games. Let OSU play a bowl game. Oh well, if Clemson is as good as they were in the rematch with ND, it may not matter.

My question. Alabama & Clemson are in the belief of many the top 2 programs, and I can't disagree. Given that Florida hung 46 points on Bama, can the Irish at least be more competitive on the scoreboard, win or lose? (I pick Clemson to win it all)

Eric Hansen

1:12

Jim, I can't argue with any of that. What I will say is Rees has had a pretty good year. I like where that's headed long term. And let's face it, his bad day came against one of the best, if not the best, defensive coordinators in college football. The one thing I'll add, and I mentioned this in an earlier question, that complementary/ball control football model can unravel pretty fast if you get down two scores. But ND had the chance early to score two TDs and came away with three points. That was critical.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

1:08

Hi Eric, hope all is well with you. I was really dismayed by the effort against Clemson. No excuse whatsoever. At this stage, the Irish should be beyond such a lackluster performance. Once again, Kelly provided fodder for those who claim he'll never be much of a big-game coach. Also, Tommy Rees was totally schooled on Saturday and his inability to adjust was disappointing. With so much pressure being brought, couldn't he have countered with some slip screens, dumps to the backs, quick hitches and slants of which they were just a scant few? Anything to slow down the heat. When his team truly needed Rees to help provide some answers, he was nowhere to be found. Fair assessment?

Eric Hansen

1:08

There's going to be a real opportunity for Xavier Watts in 2021, but again there will be a lot of competition. That next wave of receivers has more top-end speed: Lenzy, Austin, Watts, Johnson, Styles to name a few. Xavier has played 16 snaps in 2020. Only five WRs have played 60 or more snaps. Not having spring practice hurt him as much as any receiver. In the one spring practice they did have, he jumped out at me. I was impressed. I want to see more ... next year.

John - Elkhorn, Ne.

1:01

Hey Eric - happy holidays to you and your family. Wondering what’s the latest on Xavier Watts and any meaningful playing time. Haven’t heard much about him. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:56

I asked Brian Kelly about that Sunday, and he said it will be a competitive situation in practice between those two. He's not been real forthcoming about which he thinks is the better choice if both are healthy. My hope is to get more clarity on that next week. I do think both will be starters next year, but quite possibly neither one at center.

Guest

12:54

Hi Eric,,,how are you ? This is Joe from New York. Any chance Z. Correll is able to play against Alabama? Essentially we are using a third string center...Lugg is talented and will play a huge role next year. But not at center.

Eric Hansen

12:54

Don, thanks for the Holiday cheer, and same to you and your family. I'm all for Brian Kelly conducting a national search, but I believe the best internal candidate and overall candidate is Mike Elston, and the best external candidate is Cincinnati's Marcus Freeman. I really enjoyed Tyler when he was at Notre Dame. I got to interview him several times AND NOT ONCE ON ZOOM! My question to you is what do you find attractive about Tyler as a candidate at this stage of his career? Being an ND alum? And has hiring ND alums always resulted in home-run results? I do like Tyler's potential in the coaching business, but Ball State was No. 92 in total defense this year and No. 91 the year before. So what tells you that's going to translate to what ND needs in 2021?

Don Brigantine Beach NJ

12:40

Hi Eric: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, the SBT staff and your families. What do you think of hiring a defensive coordinator outside the program. One coach who comes to mind is Tyler Stockton from Ball State. He's a former ND defensive lineman (2009-2013) who has a couple of years experience as a DC. If we can give Tommy Rees a shot as OC, why can't we do the same for Tyler? The least Coach Kelly can do is grant him an interview.

Eric Hansen

12:40

As Clemson climbed toward what Clemson is now, there were a lot of those kinds if disappointments along the way. They even had a verb for it: Clemsoning. But they persevered, and look at them now.

12:39

One thing that kind of ticked me off Saturday night, and I know people needed to vent, was the suggestion that ND should turn down the playoff bid and try to pick on someone their own size. I know that's not what you're suggesting, but I wanted to address this. If you want to put a limit on someone else's dreams and ambition, because you're afraid of being disappointed, I think that's incredibly selfish and immature, and you need to rethink the way you follow your team.

12:37

It's not ALL about recruiting. Otherwise, we'd have Georgia in this conversation. Those three schools that are playoff regulars because of talent, but also elite development and elite coaching. I'd argue Notre Dame has elite player development, and I still think Brian Kelly and his staff are very good (I know some of you will throw tomatoes at your screen). The recruiting CAN be better. The academic side of it makes it more difficult but not impossible. (I'll be writing about that element too for this weekend's piece.) I think it's OK for fans to lower their expectations, but the coaches, administration and players NEVER should. (more)

12:28

There are a lot of variations to this question in the queue today, and I'm going to try to get to them all, because they're great questions. It's easier to answer one element at a time than a 17-part question that would keep me typing until tomorrow. This was really well-worded, so thank you and Happy Holidays.

Irish Rob from Scranton PA

12:25

Here we are again. The Irish completely flopped in a big game. Stop me if you've heard this story before....Before my question, happy holidays to you and yours Eric. I am sure you will be getting a great deal of whining today, and you will handle it masterfully. I apologize in advance if mine fits the whining criteria....When you get down to brass tacks, does this boil down to ND cannot compete with the Bama and Clemson bc we lack the overall recruits to do so as a result of stricter academic requirements? I truly feel ND can compete with anyone not named Bama and Clemson right now, but also wonder if next year, that will be the case, which is something you rarely question with Bama and Clemson as their excellence is sustained year to year. Do we need to lower our expectations from NC's to 10 win, major bowl game winners with an occasional chance at a CFB upset??

Eric Hansen

12:24

Jeff. I did vote on it. Deadline was Monday and I waited to vote until all the games were over. The Heisman trust makes us sign a non-disclosure statement (actually check a box), and so I can't share yet. It was a tough decision, but one I felt really good about and a ballot that might have looked different early in the season. I can say all three players on my ballot played different positions.

Jeff from Phoenix

12:22

Hey Eric, I hope your Elf on the Shelf is going easy on the judgment, and minding his own business. So, did you get a vote on the Heisman and can you disclose who you voted for? Was it a tough decision for you? Thanks !

Eric Hansen

instead of just one, where weather, turnovers, good luck, a great game plan can swing in the underdog's favor.

12:21

Don, thank you and Happy Holidays to you. I'm not sure I'd diminish a team as "frightened" that made the sacrifices to play through a pandemic and made the playoff field. ... I am writing for the weekend a story that touches on the theme you asked about. I'll give you a very abridged version in this answer. Yes, I do think it's possible. Notre Dame came up with a model that's different than the other three teams in the playoff. The model works, but there's very little margin for error and it's a team that MUST play with the lead or be within striking distance to keep it from unraveling against elite teams. Eventually, Notre Dame aspires to be able to recruit closer to Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State and add the element of a more dynamic offense to that formula. We'll see if they can get there. The more difficult task in the playoff era in winning a national title vs. the BCS, is the teams that are not named Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson typically have to win two games against those teams to win ... (more)

Don, Springfield, MA

12:12

Haha, we'll start again, the first comment disappeared. May you and your loved ones enjoy a wonderful, safe and merry Christmas. I personally think we should end the season next week, go straight to the 'Bama/Clemson matchup. Let Ohio State and the Frightened Irish play the consolation game and be done with it. Anyway, in this era of high-powered offenses, do you think we will ever see any team north of the Mason/Dixon line win a championship? The only northern team who can possibly recruit the explosive 5-star talent needed is OSU.

Eric Hansen

12:09

Mark, thank you. That's not in the cards right now or for the foreseeable future, but I have to say I enjoyed the conference experience for this year as a nice changeup. ACC people were great to work with.

Mark from Pittsboro, NC

12:07

Enjoy your chats immensely. No question, just a comment - I wish we would become a permanent member of the ACC for all sports (except) Hockey. Merry Christmas!

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