JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 1, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 1, 2023

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Ronald Fischer

1:42

How will the new ACC schedule affect Notre Dame’s contract with ACC?Will Stanford game be a conference game or a non conference game? Any information on ND tv contract with NBC ?

Guest

1:41

Ronald Fischer. Springfield Illinois

Eric Hansen

1:41

Tim, interesting question. The games that are really good OR really bad draw the most engagement/views. And it can vary throughout the cycle. Let me give you an example. The Louisville loss was so disappointing to a lot of ND fans, they didn't want to read the game coverage, but by midweek, they wanted answers about Gerad Parker, about the offense, etc,, so the chat question que was WAY fuller than normal. Anytime the field gets stormed, there's big page views. So USC this year, Clemson last year. The Louisville game also took ND out of playoff contention. The Ohio State loss did not, so much bigger interest after Ohio State in the immediate aftermath than Louisville. I hope this winding answer makes sense.

Tim

1:35

Tim from South Bend (formerly from Thailand). Eric, thank you for the great coverage! ND just had a couple of very good weeks preceded by a couple of bad weeks. Do you see more, less, or about the same number of views of your stories in the weeks following good or bad results for ND? Wondering how the fan base engagement varies in the week after a big win or loss - not just the immediate aftermath. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:35

1:33

Oh, Doug. you lively minx. It reminds me of the Camping World Bowl, and Notre Dame was playing Iowa State in Orlando in late December, and it was unseasonable cold. My former colleague, Mike Vorel, was coming out of a restaurant, and it was like 58 degrees. And he heard a young woman say, "If it gets any older, I am just going to die." So, it's a good thing she wasn't trick-or-treating with my grandkids last night.

Doug from Sunny Florida

1:30

Eric, no question for the chat but I saw your 'snow-covered' line. Just letting you know that we're having a cold snap down here too. Was 65 this morning and a high in mid-70's the remainder of the week. Keep up the good work!

Eric Hansen

1:30

Hi Bill and thanks for listening to us on WSBT's Weekday SportsBeat on Wednesdays and Thursdays (wsbtradio.com). Actually, we were going to do shows, but Darin had a family emergency and was unable to be in town. So, that also knocked me out of the lineup. We plan to do shows next week during the second bye.

Bill from St Joe, MI

1:28

Eric, during the previous bye week, both you and Darin were off on bye week Wednesday and Thursday, should I assume the same next week?

Eric Hansen

1:25

Hi Irish Mike. The reason I asked that question Monday was to kind of get ahead of that potential storyline. Al Golden also sung the praises of Mickens in his meeting with the print/web media last night. I think Marcus Freeman knows he owes himself to look outside as well as considering the promotion within. In this case, both scenarios should present strong options. If Golden leaves and Marcus does go outside, he could risk losing Mickens to someone else. OR he might be able to give him a raise and a fancier title to buy him some time for at least a year. And yes, I think both Freeman's own defensive experience and Mickens' four seasons handling well the ND spotlight offset his lack of actual coordinator experience and make him a strong candidate.

Irish Mike, Altoona PA

1:21

Hi Eric! As always, thank you for the chats! With the probability high of Al Golden taking either a head coaching position or a DC in the NFL, did Marcus reveal his hand when he proclaimed this week that Mike Mickens is ready to be a DC somewhere? Would ND be wiser to look for an experienced defensive coordinator or would Freeman’s experience on the defensive side of the ball offset the inexperience of a first-time coordinator?

Eric Hansen

1:20

Hey Jeff! Great to have you back as well. I'm OK with the math variable as long as I don't have to do actual algebra along with that. I've got your answer. All three of the starting linebackers have COVID/sixth-year options, so let's start the conversation there. I would expect at least two of the three to move on. So, if JD Bertrand and either Jack Kiser or Marist Liufau are in their final seasons at ND, it widens the lane for linebacker Kingstonn Viliamu-Asa to have an early impact. On offense, if Chris Tyree moves on, it opens up a lane for Logan Saldate to get on the field earlier at slot receiver. I think Cam Williams is going to play on the outside no matter who is on the roster. My wild card is if Xavier Watts cashes in on his late-season rise and leaves, it opens the door for Brauntae Johnson to seize a larger role at safety.

Jeff from Phoenix

1:13

Good morning Eric! I went AWOL from the chat for a few weeks but great to be back. It really should be an interesting Nov-Jan with decisions on which players stay and how younger players and 2024 recruits fit. So, if you could fill in this sentence with some insight, “If player X decides to forego a final year of eligibility (for any reason), it creates a great opportunity for 2024 recruit Y to play in 2024". Maybe pick one from defense and one from offense and a wild card. Sorry to introduce math with the X and Y variables but please allow this one personal foul. Cheers!

Eric Hansen

1:12

Manny!!!!!! Great to have you back. You're right, if ND beats Clemson on Saturday, the narrative figures to follow the Tigers' decline rather than a Notre Dame angle. Given how good Clemson's defense is, it will still be quite an accomplishment, and on the road. ... I handed out Snickers and Twix last night, in part because they were on sale when I was at the grocery store and I figured most kids would like them. Favorite to eat for me? I'd say a Heath Bar as a kid (not good for my teeth now). Now, I'll take a Nestle's Crunch Bar.

Manny from San Pedro

1:07

Eric!!!!! Had this game pencilled as one of the biggest games. And now if the Irish win it will barely make a peep! Football is funny. What is your favorite Halloween candy to eat and what is your favorite to hand out?!

Eric Hansen

1:05

I think Notre Dame has a much better shot at getting to a NY6 bowl than my cohort, Tyler James, has of getting close to my head with scissors/clippers/machetes and me willingly going along with that. Five spots isn't a lot to make up, yet ND doesn't have a lot of schedule-strength octane in November. They're going to have to win and look good doing it. I do think it's realistic, but this version of the committee made some odd choices, in my opinion.

Scubatvt56

Do you think we still have a shot at a NY6 bowl now ?

Jamestown TN

1:02

Eric would you trust Tyler to give you a haircut?

Eric Hansen

1:02

With Audric Estimé playing later in the game, I think it's a matter of ND's offense laboring for so long, Marcus Freeman and staff wanted to keep honing the running game for a very tough test vs. Clemson this weekend. Not saying anyone's wrong for wondering/questioning it ... but I believe that's the rationale.

12:59

Haha Lorne, if you could see the rest of the question queue, you would find out there is not unanimity in that QB reference being a punchline. ... Ugh. I loved it. ... Let's start with the Clarence Lewis part of this. Perhaps we should amend how we list those guys. ND, on its official depth chart, does not list a true nickel, as we do, and so I think we're influenced by their listing in that instance. However, Lewis has played 131 snaps as a nickel, the Navy game as a safety and just a handful of snaps at regular cornerback this season, so that's an astute observation on your part. Christian Gray is the better option there. (more)

Lorne

12:52

Lorne from Reno. QB controversy? (kidding) The announcers for Pitt, specifically Garrett, made three good points. (1) the timeout at the end of the first half took away the option to run the ball -- and the lost time took away a shot at a quick final play; (2) Mickey almost had 3 picks, though I'm so happy for him to get that pick-6; (3) WT..H was Estime doing carrying the ball in the 4th quarter (see Evans, Mitchell)? But I think they missed a point in saying ND HAD to go to Gray and Mickey at the corners: Senior Clarence Lewis is a former starter (and did play a lot as a result of the injuries). But it appears that (freshman) Gray has passed him at boundary. You show it as an "or" on the depth chart, but hasn't Gray moved ahead of Lewis (he had a 42-14 snap count advantage)?

Eric Hansen

12:51

Hi Ced. Eli Raridon certainly has the potential to be a high-impact player ... but when? He's played a total of 32 snaps in three games, and his run-blocking grade has improved dramatically in each succeeding game. But ND has really eased him back into action slowly following two ACL tears on the same knee within roughly a 10-month span. So, there's a mental hurdle there that is being addressed. ... Talked to Peach Bowl CEO and president Gary Stokan right before the chat. They'd love to get ND in their bowl for the first time ever. But they don't have control. The CFP selection committee picks both the playoff semifinalists and the at-large selections for the other New Year's Six bowls. ND realistically needs to move up five spots, from No. 15 in the first CFP rankings to be in contention.

ced

12:44

ced walker saginaw michigan do u think scott rairdon will be the x factor at tight end the rest of the season looking more like the peach bowl when we win out here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

12:44

Hi Jeff. Yes Marcus Freeman was asked about it Saturday after the game, and he gave a reasoned answer that would not come as comforting to anyone who was bewildered by the move. If Caleb Williams had been the opposing QB, maybe the strategy would have made a little more sense. But giving Christian Veilleux a half a minute to get down the field is a risk 99.99% of the people in the stadium that day likely would have been willing to take ... maybe even the people in his rooting section. Can it be prevented in the future? Marcus Freeman is very open-minded and has a lot of good voices around him. The hope is that someone points out the flaws in that scenario to him.

Jeff from Boston

12:35

Eric - thanks again for all the hard work and for hosting these chats. I want to preface my question this week by stating that I am a huge Marcus Freeman fan. I think he is the right guy for the job and I recognize that there are going to be learning moments along the way. That said, I'm curious as to what you were thinking as MF let the clock run down in the first half. I was dumbfounded and still can't figure out what the thought process was (especially considering that Pitt couldn't move the ball at all). Did MF get asked about this at all? Did he acknowledge it as a mistake? If so, will they change anything in terms of the in-game operation to prevent this from happening again?

Eric Hansen

12:35

Joe, glad your stress-o-meter didn't have to be used. Mitchell Evans is a significant loss, because he's been ND's most-dependable, and most-clutch receiver. Evans leads the Irish in third-down conversions with 10. Gi'Bran Payne has 8. No one else has more than 4. ... ND has the numbers at tight end. All four of those guys -- Holden Staes, Eli Raridon, Cooper Flanagan and Davis Sherwood have played. I think Parker will try to see if he can get more receptions out of Raridon/Flanagan. But having WR Jayden Thomas get back to form would be a welcome development as well for Parker and QB Sam Hartman.

Guest

12:27

Joe H from Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric It was nice to finally have two consecutive games without having to go to the ER for heart palpitations.I’m wondering what you think the effects are going to be with Mitch Evans unfortunate season ending injury What adjustments do you think Gerard Parker can make to minimize it and which player is most likely to step up

Eric Hansen

12:26

Bob, it's something I haven't tracked beyond Notre Dame, and quite honestly am only going on recall here. I'd imagine your focus is Clemson running back Will Shipley, who suffered a concussion in the Tigers' loss Saturday at NC State. There's no one size fits all, but I don't remember a player coming back that quickly. I suppose even if he were cleared, he could have missed significant practice time this week. So, it's really on Dabo Swinney to assess if that's the best move for the young man if he is indeed cleared late this week.

Bob (Oxnard, CA)

12:21

Since the advent of concussion protocols in college football, can you recall anyone who played a game within 7 days of being concussed? (BTW, I like Shipley and hope he fully recovers in two weeks.)

Eric Hansen

12:21

I do think Al Golden is enjoying his re-entry into college football, and the Notre Dame experience. But he'll likely at season's end have a chance to either pursue a college head coaching job or a defensive coordinator position in the NFL. At the coordinator level, there's not a significant difference in salary between high-end Power 5 coordinators and their NFL counterparts. The college head coach route would mean recruiting and more of it. The NFL offers different time commitments, but no recruiting. If he doesn't like the offers this offseason, he could stay at ND and try to build toward more-coveted openings in the following offseason.

12:18

Hi Mike. And thank you. Not saying you are a part of this group, but it's interesting how little traction there was among the fan base to want to retain Al Golden at the start of the season and how much that has changed over nine games. But that's college football. It's still a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of business, not a lifetime achievement award. ... If Al Golden comes back for a third year, it won't be because money was the determining factor. It's how the 54-year-old wants to channel the direction of his career. His is on a three-year deal, mind you, but that doesn't mean it will be exercised for three years. (more)

Mike from Omaha

12:10

Thanks for the awesome insight as always! Is there a realistic number that ND could throw at Golden to keep him around or is it not about the money for him? What is the approx pay difference from highly paid college coordinators and NFL coordinators?

Eric Hansen

12:10

OK, let's get started.

12:09

We're rolling with the rescinding of the "no drinking" and "no bare feet" rule for the third straight week. But in just checking through the queue, we've got some submission VERY heavy on manifesto qualities. ... Let's drop those and we can keep the other rules at a minimum.

12:08

Here are the rules:

12:07

Please include your name and hometown with your question. Don't make me have to use my very ineffective and unproven powers of telepathy. There is no upside to them.

As far as this week's chat ...

12:06

And finally, we will be chatting next week, during the second bye week, at the regular time (noon ET) on Wednesday.

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