JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 9, 2020

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 9, 2020

Eric Hansen

3:05

That's going to have to do it for today. One of these days I'll try to structure the chat so we can go longer than three hours. Thanks for all the great questions. Check my Twitter for the next chat. I'm sure we'll have another before the end of the month. Thanks again.

3:03

I don't think they can afford to.

Jeff B from Oklahoma City

3:03

Eric in the last 4 or 5 games of the season Book was more involved in designed QB runs that seemed to help the offense overall. Do you think going forward next year now without Jurkovec as a somewhat proven back up that they will dial back Book in the QB run game for fear of injury?

Eric Hansen

3:02

My radio partner, Darin Pritchett gathered these from a newspaper in Mississippi:

From Clarion Ledger.....
Mississippi State AD John Cohen said firing Moorhead went beyond wins and losses. The athletic director said the next head coach will have to be big on discipline.

Before the Bulldogs' bowl game, quarterback Garrett Shrader was ruled out after being involved in a fight with another teammate. Cohen said a "series of events" led to the coaching change at an unusual time.

Cohen said there were some "other issues at stake" that he had to consider when making the decision to dismiss Moorhead. Multiple times Cohen mentioned a "series of events" that he took into account.

When your starting quarterback misses a bowl game because of an injury suffered in an altercation with a teammate, that doesn't scream discipline. Neither does the suspension of 10 players suspended for eight games each because of an academic scandal.

*Can a coach with an alleged discispline issue plus was the CEO of a program that featur

Coach. Reading, PA

3:02

Eric. Can you share the negative musings on Moorhead please. Thanks

Eric Hansen

3:00

I think PJ did a very good job with Minnesota this season. However, I do not think he'd have that kind of success at Notre dame.

Baxter from Milwaukee

2:59

The year is 2023. Tyler Buchner just led Notre Dame to a national championship on the back of his Heisman Trophy winning season. Brian Kelly retires and a statue is erected outside of Gate E in his honor. How long does it take for PJ Fleck to win his championship at ND, and, more importantly, where do we put his statue?

Eric Hansen

2:59

Ken, thanks. I'd give them a B. The Michigan game was awful, but their recovery from it was impressive. Next year it's too early. I need to see some spring football first.

Ken- Pensacola

2:55

Eric - You are GREAT and love this opportunity to communicate with you! What sort of letter grade would you give this year's team and what can we expect from next year in terms of a letter grade. Mucho thanks & go Irish!

Eric Hansen

2:54

He didn't look to me like the same guy I saw in August. There seemed to be hesitancy after the injury that I hadn't seen before. This is a big spring for him, and we'll get more answers as to whether that was a passing phase or not. He has got to stay healthy. He really hasn't had a sustained stretch of that since he has moved to wide receiver.

Roger from DHS

2:52

What is your analysis of Jafar Armstrong? Did the last injury make him tentative in attacking the running lanes or are their lasting medical reasons for his regression?

Eric Hansen

2:52

Chip's departure was less mutual than it was first presented to me. ... As far as Todd Lyght, he had other priorities and opportunities at this stage of his life, and yet I think Brian Kelly was fine with him pursuing those and moving on with someone else.

Tony, Dallas, TX

2:51

Was Chip Kong’s departure his decision, a mutual agreement between him and Kelly, or was he essentially “fired”. Same question regarding Todd Lyght even though I know it was stated he stepped down. Was he encouraged to do so? Thanks for taking my question.

Eric Hansen

2:50

There is a spot open, and ND may fill it with a defensive back.

Mike from Rochester NY

2:50

Happy New Year, Eric. Does the unexpected departures of Tony Jones and Phil Jurkovec open up a couple of spots in the incoming class to maybe add another cornerback or running back? Or were these already included in the “stuff happens” category of recruiting calculus?

Eric Hansen

2:50

Greatest known strengths in 2020 are five offensive linemen returning, a deep and talented D-line, two really good linebackers and some nice options for a third, Kyle Hamilton at safety, solid special teams, experience at QB, untested but exciting talent at WR and TE. Weaknesses: Cornerback depth and definitive answers at running back.

Dave Cary NC

2:47

What do you see as ND's greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses for 2020? Thanks for the chats. Always entertaining and informative.

Eric Hansen

2:47

Dwight, your question reads more as rhetorical, and I think I've addressed some of the elements of it earlier, but wanted to give you your chance to vent creatively and intelligently.

Dwight from central Arkansas

2:46

I'm sure the Jurkovec transfer will be a hot issue today. I expect it will be 2 years before we know if that is a big whiff by ND or not. Some have pointed out that even higher rated qbs like Crist & Kiel never made an impact at ND or after they transferred. I believe there's some merit to that. I think what irritates some fans is Kelly's hyberbole of praising potential quarterbacks and their great talent. Picking Jurkovec as better than Lawrence or Fields a couple years back was great hyperbole and excited ND fans, but then it fell flat when he didn't see the field. Perhaps Kelly will prove to be right and Jurkovec's move to another school doesn't help his career. But it does question why Kelly and his staff can't read a qb's ability and future potential better. The question will (and has already) come up, does Kelly (and staff) know how to develop a quarterback? Good luck to Phil J. Hope for a good season for Book & Clark. Truthfully, I see losses to Clemson, Wisconsin, USC for a 9-3 mark.

Eric Hansen

2:45

Thanks, Dan. I would expect the news breaking -- which will be earlier than the official announcement -- within this month on all the hires, including the cornerbacks coach. I think getting it done sooner than later is the pool of outside candidates is larger now and you can get on to planning for spring ball, which starts in less than two months.

Dan from Vancouver WA

2:41

These chats are a winter lifeline to Irish fans way out here on the west coast. Keep ‘em coming, and thanks! When should we expect an announcement about Notre Dame’s new OC? Are there advantages to getting it done sooner rather than later?

Eric Hansen

2:41

Peter, I plan to address those in a story ... once I get a chance to talk to Brian Kelly about them.

Peter in Provo

2:41

What changes in recruiting strategy will BK need to implement to get ND to the upper echelon of recruiting as he intends to do?

Eric Hansen

2:40

Jack, I think it's valid to question the Big 12 relative to how they fared outside their conference. Other than Texas' bowl win over Utah, what did they do out of conference that justified the high rankings for some of their teams? I'm on board with you.

Jack Strongsville, OH

2:39

Hi Eric. Happy New Year. Why does Oklahoma and the Big 8 get so much love from the Committee. Two blow out losses in their playoff appearances of 4 and no advancement beyond the initial game. When ND stinks it up the stench seems to stay for a decade while Oklahoma seems to skate. There is no defense, nada played in that conference and generally their out of conference games are putrid.

Eric Hansen

2:38

Mike, thank you. Clark does come off as a quick learner. That Pyne is already on campus means the freshman also will need to get a look this spring. My only question re Clark and some of the other ND quarterbacks is this: Is having him on scout team last year more valuable than learning the Notre Dame offense and thus not getting many real-time reps,

Mike from a Santa Barbara

2:36

Hey, Eric, thanks again for the superb coverage this past year. Your quantitative focus is really appreciated. My question is how quickly you believe that Brendan Clark can be a contributing back up taboo. Does Coach Kelly’s system have room to bring Clark along next year, in what could be a playoff run? Thanks for the Chat!

Eric Hansen

2:35

When you say innovative, I supposed you're suggesting a candidate who is outside the program and who will radically change the Kelly offense? Right or wrong, that's not what Kelly is looking for. Innovative? Yes. Revolutionary? No. I think I can understand why continuity at this juncture makes more sense that teaching a new system this spring to a third-year starter and two young backups.

Mike from Reading, PA

Hi Eric, love the chats and Podcasts.

2:32

Now the question. What is the latest on landing a transformational OC. Someone really innovative that can out gameplan opponents on a weekly basis and not become overly predictable. Any names in the hopper? Thanks for taking the question.

Eric Hansen

2:32

The beauty of the portal from the players' standpoint is that they can interact directly with the player. There's not need for a release. There's no need to talk to the coach.

Tom - Evanston

2:31

When a player enters the transfer portal, do potential landing spots contact the coach at the school the player is leaving?

Eric Hansen

2:31

I hear wonderful things about his time at Penn State that make him sound like a great fit at Notre Dame and disturbing things at Mississippi State as to why he was let go as the head coach there that completely cancel out the pluses from the Penn State experience.

Kyle - Orlando FL

2:29

Eric what are you hearing about Joe Moorhead as OC?

Eric Hansen

2:29

If Brian Kelly led Notre Dame to a national title next year, cured world hunger and sent flowers to your wife from you when you forgot your anniversary, there would STILL be fans clamoring for Urban Meyer to come to South Bend as ND's next head coach.

Mario

2:24

If the Irish lose 4 games next year, will the wheels come off and everyone will be screaming for Urban Meyer to be the next head coach? Actually this can be a question for today, tomorrow and beyond.

Eric Hansen

2:22

Eric, I'm not sure regression is the right word. Certainly not across the board. Analytics-based Pro Football Focus recently graded out Notre Dame as having the 13th-best offensive line in 2019 and the second-best pass-blocking unit of the 130 FBS teams. That's with two starters out for a third of the season or more. ND was 12th nationally in sacks allowed and tied for first in least sack yardage allowed among the 65 Power 5 schools. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement in run blocking and penalties committed. And certainly the disagreements between Long and Jeff Quinn didn't help foster the best environment in which to improve, I do think Quinn's approach needs to include more attention to detail when it comes to technique.

Eric from Akron

2:14

Do you believe there has been regression in the O-line play under the current position coach compared to the former? 26 games seems to be enough sample size to say yes. What does Kelly do to fix this regression if it isn't to remove the current coach?

Eric Hansen

2:14

Tom, Happy 2020 to you. Here is the quote from Chip Long last summer on the philosophical shift:

“They just have to be able to run out of their shadow,” he said. “(Before), the RPO wasn’t very big, and you were looking for a dual-threat guy. The RPO game allows you not to run your quarterback as much.

“If they have speed, great. Then you can add another dimension. They have to be able to run out of their shadow. They have to be able to evade the rush, get what they can and get down and what-not.

“But I think accuracy, decision-making, anticipation, being a great leader and what-not and arm strength is the most important right now. Be good at something. And we’ll work around it.”

I don't think there's any question it affected Jurkovec, if for nothing else how his assets were valued. Mike Sanford was the one who recruited Phil. not Chip. ... and I don't think we're to the point of the protracted vetting process. I still think there's some legwork to do.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:06

OOps. I don't think that I put my name on a recently submitted question about the change in philosophy of evaluating QB's. Sorry I shouldn't make that rookie mistake.

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