JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 3, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 3, 2025

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Eric Hansen

1:41

Hi Scott. .. no rules today, so make yourself comfortable! And thanks for the compliments. Getting Cross backs is critical. Asking Hinish and Rubio to play 60-some snaps each is a tall, tall task against a team that good. There's also some mystery surrounding the status of Penn State's best player, All-America DE Abdul Carter, who left the Boise State win Tuesday night with an apparent arm injury. ... My deeper dive is still ahead ... but ND can buy itself some margin for error if it can win the turnover battle and continue to get big special teams plays. The one thing I am confident in, ND is not AFRAID of the big stages.

Scott, Greenville, SC

1:27

Eric!! After last night's incredible game, my shoes are still off and I am enjoying an over 21 beverage! ND just shows every week that you can't focus on any one player. This week it was the group of transfers! Jeter, RL, Oben, Harrison, and the list goes on. It's great seeing different players step up. Injuries hit hard but the 2nd and 3rd string hit harder. Can ND keep the momentum, and can both lines continue to carry the team to another couple victories? I asked Santa for 4 victories. Half way there. I do want to offer a shout out to You, Tyler, and Bob for the impressive coverage and analytics. I look forward to seeing/listening to more shows. Happy New Year to you and your family!

Eric Hansen

1:26

3) Of the the three teams left, I think Texas would be the most favorable and Ohio State the least favorable in terms of strengths and weaknesses of those teams and how they sync up with ND's strengths and weaknesses. And there are no glaring weaknesses left on anyone's résumé. The biggest gap here is turnover margin. And that came into play in the Georgia game. ND has to have that checkmark. Penn State is balanced on both sides of the ball. What they have not yet accomplished is finishing in a close big game, but they have taken care of business in the playoff vs. SMU and Boise.

1:19

Hi Ken. It's cool to see Notre Dame fans this excited. ... 1) I have a lot of respect for Brian Kelly and what he did for the program when he was here and I really had fun working with him (all but part of the 2011 season), but this ceased being Brian Kelly's team when he implied his reason for leaving was he was giving up on them and ND's dreams of winning a national title. 2) I think we've seen the increments for it all year, beginning Sept. 8 with the way he picked up the pieces after NIU, and it's becoming more pronounced with each passing game. (more)

Ken from Steel City

1:16

Hi Eric!!! Let’s go! Pandemonium, euphoria, pride. I am so excited for this team. Thank you for encouraging us and bringing us back from the ledge after NIU. Three questions: 1) is it safe to say this is no longer Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame? 2) Did we see the maturation of Marcus Freeman on display last night? This was the first time I felt like he really went out and won us a game. 3) Early thoughts on how we match up with PSU?

Eric Hansen

1:16

Adam, I also think it's the culture that's driven the evolution. Culture is SO overused by us in the media. But in this instances, it's authentic. And Tyler James captured it beautifully (I can't believe I used that adjective and Tyler in the same sentence) in his column today/last night. HERE

1:13

Hi Adam. Thank you, I did. My grandkids all kind of realize what I do for a living, so we had Xmas on the 14th LOL. Although my 6-year-old granddaughter until that day thought I was here father's BROTHER LOL. Or maybe she just wanted extra presents. ... Yes, I think Chad Bowden taking over the personnel operation, now with the title of GM, and Matt Jansen becoming director of scouting were too huge hires that have nudged ND in this direction under Marcus Freeman. And the development model is huge. And yes, this is still more out there for them to reach for ... and you identified the positions. And getting the starting quarterback right for 2025 is also a big part of that, and there are some very good options.

Adam (Dayton, OH)

1:07

Eric, hope your holiday was a great one with you loved ones! Biggest ND win of my adult life, I'm still floating on clouds, haha. For years, on that stage, against that kind of team, Notre Dame was going to get beat physically and athletically. Ohio St. last year (despite the loss) was the first time I realized that things may truly be changing...and Georgia just confirmed it for me. Do your eyes tell you the same thing, that ND is recruiting a different caliber of athlete than it has been for much of the last 30 years? Do you think Freeman can reach a higher recruiting level still...wide receiver and interior defensive linemen perhaps? Updates on Love and Cross, will they be available for penn st.?

Eric Hansen

1:07

Hi Brendan. Yes watts chasing that play down and the 15-yard sideline interference penalty likely made a four-point difference at a critical juncture. So huge. I continue to say while Xavier Watts is not going to be a first-round draft picks, he will go down on one of the most impressive and impactful players I have covered in more than four decades of covering college football. And yes, I did have him third on my Heisman Trophy ballot as well as on the first team on my AP All-America ballot. ... The O-line needed to hold up, not necessarily dominate. And that they did. Aamil Wagner was ND's highest-graded player on offense at any position per Pro Football Focus in the game. So there's that.

Brendan from Pittsburgh

1:04

How big of a play was Xavier Watts chasing down speedy Arian Smith and preventing a touchdown? And what do you think of O Line play after a few days? I know you and Bob addressed it in into the eNDzone, but despite not playing well they only gave up 1 TFL and 1 sack.

Eric Hansen

1:03

Now I think it's fair to say there is portal talks/visits going on that ND is not going to publicize t keep the focus on the playoff run, but let me finish answering your questions. School starts Jan. 13. I think Blake Grupe didn't get settled until about a week into that semester a couple of years ago, and that felt like it was right at the cutoff. Of course, ND can also get commitments from players who will enroll in the summer, including some who might enter the portal during the 10-day April window.

1:00

Hi Jeff. Thanks, and it's a fun kind of being on fumes. But my coffee started snickering at me about 2 a.m. ... It's back to working today. ... As far as transfers ... yes players must be enrolled at Notre Dame in order to practice. That's why Rod Heard II and Beaux Collins couldn't practice in the spring, even though Collins was taking Clemson classes remotely from South Bend and Heard lived in SB intermittently while finishing business at Northwestern. The could ATTEND practice and some meetings, just not actually practice until summer. (more)

Jeff from Phoenix

12:55

Hey Eric, great night but you must be running on fumes. As ND advances, I have some questions/concerns about the portal process. Can ND take players after Jan 13 (when classes resume), and still have them officially enrolled in school? Is being enrolled a necessary status for practicing with the team in the spring? I realize ND is likely working on players coming in via the portal while the playoffs are advancing but it seems like ND could be at a disadvantage if decisions on overall roster management are delayed past Jan 13. Thanks !

Eric Hansen

12:55

Marie, if ND gets to Atlanta, you and your family (and probably Tom from Kennesaw too) will get that dinner I owe you. ... Thanks for being here ... and I've answered and non-answered some of your questions already, but let me get to the one I have not, and that's defending Warren. Two things, ND's pressure on the passer is going to need to be similar to the Georgia game ... and it's a tough ask. Penn State is more balance offensively, Drew Allar more seasoned that Tyler Stockton and the PSU O-Line protects better. Again, this is more off the top of my head that studying, but my sense is you'll see several different players rotate on Warren when ND is in man -- Shuler, Watts, Bowen, Kiser make the most sense to me. I'll have a better answer in a couple of days. Thanks for being here today.

Marie from Atlanta

12:49

Happy new year Eric! What a great start to 2025 for the Irish. Assuming they are unable to switch the cotton bowl and the orange bowl dates, how much of an advantage do you feel the extra two days of rest are for Penn State? Are there extra pregame requirements/appearances for the team due to the fact that it’d a playoff game? This can also be tiring. Any update on the health conditions of Cross and Love? I know we’re only a few hours away from victory but looking ahead, what do you think Notre Dame will do to defend against Tyler Warren? Thanks for squeezing in the extra chat this week. I’m sure you’re extremely busy with everything going on. I know we all appreciate it.

Eric Hansen

12:49

I had some friends come to a game in October for a mucket list checkmark. They had never been to an ND game. And they asked me what it was like covering a team with such rich history. And what really is cool is covering the team when it walks into history, when it's making history. And so how ever this journey ends, this is a season I will never forget, and I've been in the market since the summer of 1988,

Bob (Oxnard)

12:46

What a win, Eric. How happy are you? I am over the moon.

Eric Hansen

12:46

Hi William. Al Golden has a great game plan and was smart with his rotations. Instead of dipping down to inexperienced players on the interior, he rotated three over the two positions -- Cross with 47 snaps, Gabe Rubio with a season-high 25 and Donovan Hinish with 35. Rubio actually has been one of ND's best run defenders once he joined the team after in October after missing the first five games with an injury. Schematically, Golden used a lot of movement up front. He also made great use of the linebackers and safeties in the run game. Where ND figured to miss Mills most was his pass rush, and yet the Irish were great on the edges with that. I will say Penn State has a better running attack than Georgia, so another big challenge coming Thursday night.

William Whitman — Pittsburgh

12:39

How did Notre Dame overcome loss of Rylie Mills and not allow Georgia to run the ball? Scheme? Particular players? Go Irish, Beat Nittany Lions

Eric Hansen

12:37

Hey The Beave... and thank you for being here on so short notice ... all of you chat-heads. This is a fun way to spend Friday. ... Yes, the plan was to either get Georgia to jump or get them to call timeout. They jumped and Riley Leonard had a free play and a guaranteed first down. They would NOT have gone for it had Georgia not jumped.

The Beaver. Grand Rapids

12:36

Hey Eric and thanks for doing the chat the day after a loooong night for you. On the 4th down trick play in the 4th quarter, it looks like Coogan snapped the ball recognizing Georgia fell into the neutral zone. Was the plan a hard count to attempt to draw the defense offsides and to punt if they didn’t get the jump? Or was ND going to snap the ball and actually go for it from their own 18? Brilliant special teams call either way.

Eric Hansen

12:35

3) With the tight ends, Mike Denbrock is going to take what the defense gives him. Mitchell Evans was targeted four times and made three catches. Maybe if the game were closer or ND had to play from behind, we might have seen them factor in more. I haven't done a deep dive into Penn State yet, just toe-in-the-water look, although I've seen a couple of their games. 4) Jordan Faison is the most reliable deep threat and finally coming into his own.

12:32

1) There are 13 of them, four of whom participated in playoff practices (though not eligible to play in the playoff games): Those four are JaDon Blair, Ethan Long, Madden Faraimo and Blake Hebert. The other nine early enrollees, who start classes a week from Monday are: Augustine, Bettis, Burress, Dixon, Herron, James, Richardson, Strebig and Thomas. 2) Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa actually played 13 snaps against Georgia, mostly in pass-rushing situations, so he's back. (more)

12:24

Tom, thanks for sharing your thoughts about the bigger picture in New Orleans. ... And thanks for bringing up the circumstances regarding Irish special teams coach Marty Biagi. Our Yahoo Sports teammate Ross Dellenger did a phenomenal piece that captures that, You can read that HERE. To your questions ...

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

12:18

Eric, Happy New Year!!! Glad that no one from the ND family was injured in the tragic events of Wednesday morning. The Sugar Bowl seemed to epitomize MF's mantra of a team built on the OL and DL. I would also like to congratulate ALL of the coaches on a magnificent season in every phase of the game. Condolences and Congratulations to Coach Biagi on a very stressful time in his life off the field and yet the ST once again played a big part in a big win. All of our scoring was done by transfers which confirms ND's policy of building thru recruiting and using the portal to fill holes. Now for questions: 1)Who are the EE for this year? 2) I saw KVA in uniform, do you think he might be able to help for a few plays vs. PSU?? 3) Also, why do you think the TE's were not a part of the offense vs UGA? Do you think they can be vs PSU?? 4) Who is our most reliable deep threat at WR?? Thanks for being here for us all season and hopefully for a few more games. Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

12:17

Those questions did not come up in the postgame. Originally, there were going to be Orange Bowl press conferences today, but my sense is the first access will be Saturday, because of the schedule change with the Sugar Bowl. Finally on whether it's an advantage of disadvantage, I like Freeman's mindset and his messaging to his players about that. From last night:

"We are always a glass-half-full group. And whatever circumstances are thrown at us, we're going to take advantage of it and prepare and maximize the opportunity ahead of us."

12:14

Manny, bringing the strong exclamation point game!!!!!!! I think this is an interesting question, but one with no remedy. Even if the CFP committee opted to move the game back a day (bad idea), Penn State is going to have a two-day edge on prep time and recovery. The prep time seems the lesser of the two advantages. ND has analysts who could get the prep work started before the Irish played Georgia. And all in all, it's the normal -7-day turnaround that the Irish play with all season, so it makes the timeline simple and routine. But the advantage in recovery time could be the bigger issue. We'll get updates on players like Jeremiyah Love and Howard Cross III, who left the game with injuries, the next time we talk to Marcus Freeman. (more)

Manny from San Pedro

12:09

Eric!!!!!!!!!!! Semi finals baby!!!!! I feel like the dad in Rudy seeing ND for the first time. This is the most gorgeous thing these eyes have ever seen!!! How does the day chance affect ND game prep and is it a huge disadvantage having Penn st get two extra days of rest?

Eric Hansen

OK, let's get rolling ...

12:08

Heck, I'm keeping my Christmas tree up-until the Notre Dame playoff run ends.

Here are the usual rules, none of which apply today.

12:07

PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question.

As far as this week's chat ...

12:06

But two quick plugs: We had two fun postgame shows Thursday night ... Into The eNDZone with former ND O-lineman Bob Morton and me, and then Tyler James joining me on Postgame Takeaways.

12:04

I'll keep the announcements short, because we're still learning about our upcoming media schedule for next Thursday night's Orange Bowl and how that fits in with our programming.

12:03

But thanks for being here today.

Which is par for the course, I supposed at 3 a.m.

And one in which I initially neglected to include the link for in the story post.

12:02

A special Friday edition.

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