JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 10, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 10, 2021

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Wick from Estero, FL

2:01

Eric, thanks for your excellent coverage of ND football. Those of us who are Irish fans are really lucky to be able to read your excellent articles and chat since many of us live thousands of miles away from the Dome of Our Lady. I often hear people say that "everyone gets up for the Irish" or that "Notre Dame is the opponent's super bowl." How accurate are these generalizations? Is ND really that big of a target for other schools? For example, this coming week is an excellent case study. Virginia has three games left: ND, Pitt, and Va Tech. Of those games you would logically put Notre Dame as number 3 on UVA's priority list because they are fighting for a conference championship and ND is a non-conference game. But I hear people say that if UVA beats the Irish that will "make" their season irrespective of where they finish in the conference. Put another way...is ND a bigger game for UVA than their season ending game against their arch rival VA Tech? How do you see it, Eric?

Eric Hansen

2:00

Brian?

Jason Osborn - Mattawan, MI

2:00

Hi Brian. You rock...period. In the past you have indicated that Kevin Austin will not be back next year. Can you expand on what created your thoughts? Also, what is the vibe on who is the next possible recruit to commit? Thank you.

Eric Hansen

1:58

No. It's not supposed to, and I don't think it is in ND's case. Not do I think Cincinnati gets a bounce for taking Georgia to the wire in last season's Peach Bowl.

Bill from St Joe, MI

…and if so, do you believe that it is fair?

1:57

Eric, Do you believe ND’s relatively low ranking in the CFP is being influenced by their performance in the playoffs?

Eric Hansen

Getting five-star Xavier Nwankpa, who announces on Dec, 8, would be huge.

1:56

Hi Buddy. I'm humbled by the first part of your message and in agreement with your second. The reason Houston is an enigma for me is that he does all the right things not to be one. One of the best leaders on the team, one of the hardest workers in the weight room, one of the better athletes, one of the better teammates. And you would think if there was going to be a rebirth of some sort, a new scheme with new voices would bring that out. ND, is lucky to have him this year, because of the reasons I listed and because he's better than most of the alternatives. Other than Hamilton, ND safety recruiting has had way more misses than hits in recent years. DJ Brown and KJ Wallace came to ND as corners. Junior Litchfield Ajavon, a great kid and a great story, just got his first career tackle on Saturday. Freshmen Justin Walters and Khari Gee show potential, but how much, how soon? You see now why Watts at safety makes sense? The good news is safety recruiting is on the uptick. (more)

Buddy from Oakland, CA

1:40

Eric, if there is a better college football sportswriter than you I haven't found him. I really appreciate your hard work, football expertise, and sense of fairness. I know that you like to keep these chats positive and I appreciate that, so I hate to sound negative about Houston Griffith, but the truth is he is an enigma to me. I know he was a four star recruit and I know that he has tried valiantly to live up to this reputation but on many of the big chunk gains against the Irish, if you look at the videos closely you will see #3 being out of position on a number of them. Add to that the fact that his tackle stats are really minimal for a safety, and it often seems like ND is only playing with 10 guys on defense when he is on the field. You rarely hear his name called. So...why does he get so much playing time? Are the Irish that thin at d.b.? Am I being too critical? As an ND insider I was really hoping you could shed some light on this enigma for those of us many miles away from South Bend. Thanks, Eric.

Eric Hansen

1:40

Hey Megat. Now when we talk uptempo, there are varying degrees. Notre Dame's uptempo is not Ole Miss/Pitt tempo. At 69.2 offensive plays per game, the Irish are right about the national average (68.9) and 59th out of 130 FBS teams in terms of offensive plays per game. The risk when you go too fast is putting your defense on the field too much. Ole Miss exposes its defense a lot that way, for instance. Notre Dame has the ability to speed up and slow down. That's a good place to be. Why now, meaning Post-Virginia Tech, because it suited Jack Coan and the offensive line very well and it took the coaching staff some time to discover that.

Megat Muzaffar, KL, Malaysia

Why only now? What did we sacrifice offensively by going up tempo?

1:34

Hi Eric, Megat Muzaffar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The offense is doing good things in up tempo mode these days. On the flip side, what do we

Eric Hansen

1:34

IrishMike, can I have you arm wrestle the guy last week who was worried Marcus Freeman was a great recruiter but not a very good coach? Here are my thoughts about Marcus and his future. I do believe he'll be a head coach someday and probably not too far into the future. Do I think he'll pursue that after this season? And tell his wife and six kids it's time to move again? No. Marcus is on a track where staying a ND two or more years -- and being successful -- starts eliminated the head coaching jobs with tough rebuilds and puts him in the conversation for Power 5 jobs with potential and resources. He can then be pickier about where his next step should be.

IrishMike, Altoona,PA

1:29

Hi Eric! As always, thanks for the weekly chats. As ND’s defense has continued to grow and improve each week, I have a nagging concern. With the interest that Marcus Freeman is generating as a potential head coaching candidate are you concerned that he will leave after only one season to take on a new position? Notre Dame has successfully transformed from Mike Elko and Clark Lea’s “bend don’t break” defense into a much more aggressive defense. If Freeman leaves, does ND stay in-house and continue Freeman’s style or go outside and revamp the entire defense once again?

Eric Hansen

1:28

But in chasing the playoff berth and striving for the best version of itself, Notre Dame only helps itself for 2022 and 2023, when the rosters and the schedules both will be as staunch as they have been in the Brian Kelly Era.

1:27

Stosh, I don't agree. And recruits don't either. ND being in the playoff two out of the past three years -- even with the lopsided results -- has been a HUGE boon on the recruiting trail. I had a basketball coach growing up in my younger, thinner, more-coordinated days who told me if I wanted to get better to go play more pickup games and guard the other team's best scorer. Not matter how potentially humiliating that sounded. And it worked. How do you get better as a program if you don't challenge yourself, don't dream, don't risk? And let's be honest, the 2020 Irish would be a tough out for any team in the 2021 field, except for Georgia. Alabama got beat by a team ranked BELOW ND this season. They've gotten taken to the wire by two 4-5 teams. No I would not predict an Irish victory if the two played. But every team from 2 on down is flawed. Notre Dame is less flawed with a healthy Kyle Hamilton in the lineup. I think you'll get your wish and ND will end up out of the playoff. Even at 11-1. (more)

Stosh from Canton

1:09

Eric, I'm going to be brutally honest. Even if the Irish go ahead and win their last 3 games, I sincerely hope they do not end up in the college football playoff. While ND has persevered through a lot of adversities, injuries, and weaknesses and is a much better team now than in September, there is no way they would be competitive with Georgia or Alabama. Kelly has done a fantastic job with this team but not so fantastic that they could realistically compete with the SEC big boys. They would be the victims of another embarrassing beatdown in the playoffs. No true Irish fan wants to see that. It would be much better to see them win a Jan.1 bowl game than to see them be a sacrificial lamb for a 3rd time in 4 years. Do you agree?

Eric Hansen

1:06

Hey Marty, You'll get no argument from me on the breakfast tacos, although I can't say I already knew that was a thing. Tyler James did an excellent piece recently on the growth curve of Styles. In it, he cites the knowledge of the playbook and communication on play calls from the sideline as the two biggest hurdles he had to clear to start pushing for significant playing time.

Marty from San Antonio, TX

1:00

Hello Eric. Hope all is well. Y’all need a good breakfast taco joint in South Bend area. Haha. We see the speed of Styles. I know there are seniors etc in front but he’s so dynamic. Did it just take him time to get down blocking.. pass patterns.. offensive concept to take so long to see the field? He’s a stud and he’s got SEC type speed and strength.

Eric Hansen

1:00

Jeff, there's a possibility all of the receivers on the roster return in 2022. That would be Davis, Austin, Lenzy, Wilkins and the three freshmen. With so far three WRs in the 2022 class, that would give ND a group of 10. Who might come back and who should come back has shifted significantly since August. I have thoughts on all of them, but will focus on the two options you asked about: Davis and Austin. ... If Davis wants a shot at playing in the NFL, his best chance to do so would be to return, given the TIMING of his injury and recovery timeline. ... I do think Austin will be invited back. At the beginning of the season, I didn't think he had the maturity to consider anything but the NFL after this season. Now, I think he has that perspective (having grown up and learned the hard way) and it will be a much tougher choice. I think it benefits HIM to come back if he wants to play in the NFL eventually.

Jeff from Phoenix

12:49

Hey Eric, in listening to the BK press conference Monday, coach said he would love to have A Davis back next year after he heals from his knee injury. Kelly also was asked about the maturity of Kevin Austin, and he cited some self-imposed problems in preparing for past games, but that Austin is trending better as we could see vs Navy. My question is, do you think Kelly will invite Austin back for 2022, and then, would/should both return in your opinion? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:47

It's very simple. The Orange and Cotton host the semis. The Rose and Sugar have conference ties they have to honor. Among the New Year's Six, that leaves only the Fiesta and Peach -- each of which have two-at large spots. Assuming Cincinnati is not in the playoff, the Group of Five MUST be placed in the Fiesta. And the ACC champ, which won't go to the playoff, must be placed. Geographically, the Peach is the logical option there. So unless Virginia wins the ACC, the committee will avoid a rematch and send ND to the Peach vs. the ACC champ.

Steve Findlay Ohio

12:44

Eric, do you know the order of Bowl selection? I've seen we are heading to the Fiesta while others say the Peach. What are they basing the different choices on? barring an upset and not making the top 4, where do you see us bowling?

Eric Hansen

12:43

Hey Tim. To be clear, if Cincinnati ends up in the Fiesta Bowl, which is where the Group of Five team will play if it's not in the playoff, ND would head to the Peach at 11-1 (assuming the Irish are not in playoff contention). ... But to your question, there are some really good players in Arizona. Benjamin Morrison, a ND cornerback commit in the 2022 class is one of them. Elite 2022 D-line prospect Anthony Lucas, who the Irish would love to add to this class, is another. But Atlanta has been a big part of ND's post-2016 renaissance. And exposure in Atlanta would certainly be most welcomed.

Tim from Knoxville, TN

12:36

From a recruiting stand point only, would you rather see ND in a bowl game in Phoenix (Fiesta) or Atlanta (Peach)? This is assuming the Irish aren't selected for the CFP. Seems to me that ND has gotten a lot of talent over the years from Georgia and Florida but not so much from Arizona.

Eric Hansen

12:35

Todd, thanks for hanging out in the chat and asking a question. The best way I can frame it is "opportunity." The score was such that ND could flex its depth and get guys in that game who won't likely play, for instance, against Virginia. I wrote about this for Monday morning's web, getting players like Kahanu Kia and Prince Kollie in the game, for example, is a great investment in 2022 but also may provide some answers in terms of depth in 2021. The offense was already doing so ... since really the Va Tech game on Oct. 9. So win-win.

Todd - Buffalo, NY

12:28

Thanks for spending the time with us each week. When I looked at the box score for the Navy game, it seemed that the number of freshmen/first year players that saw significant playing was pretty high, particularly on defense - lots of new names recorded tackles. How much of that was (1) out of necessity (i.e. injuries), (2) schematic, based upon dealing with Navy's option attack, (3) merit - player development warranted playing time or (4) managing eligibility while getting experience - getting people playing time but staying under 4 games? I suppose a cynic could also include a 5th reason - recruiting - recruits want to see that they will get a chance to play early on. Regardless of the reason, it shows a depth I'm not sure was there in Kelly's first 5-6 years.

Eric Hansen

12:27

Hi Ed, thanks for the compliment and the back story. I think Watts' clearest path to playing time is at safety, particularly in 2022. And at 6-0, 195, his body type and speed fit well. Also when you consider the four studs who are coming in at linebacker this winter, that you're getting Marist Liufau, Shayne Simon and perhaps Paul Moala all back, there are a lot more attractive rover options with ideal size/skills. I haven't seen enough of Watts on defense to see how he handles the nickel. I know he's practiced there. But I like him at safety and I think ND does too.

Ed from Omaha

12:19

Eric, thanks for keeping those of us who are ND fans in Husker country fully informed on Irish football. You do a great job. As an Omaha guy, I saw Xavier Watts play many times in high school. I would describe him first and foremost as a tried and true football player. His instincts around the ball are excellent, he plays physically, and he just loves the game. Quite frankly in high school I thought his future was on the defensive side of the ball because he always seemed to anticipate where a play was headed and he got there with force. His football i.q. seemed off the charts. Yes, he was a good wide receiver but it didn't seem to me that his speed was elite. That's why I always saw his future on defense and was happy when BK came to the same conclusion. Here's my question for you, Eric. Do you see Xavier's future at safety, at nickel, or at rover? He seems a bit of a hybrid like Isaiah Pryor and therefore tough to pigeonhole.

Eric Hansen

12:19

Hi Cheryl. It certainly makes sense to. Notre Dame has run the ball in a range from a low 28 times in a game (UC) to a high of 43 (Va Tech). Given Virginia is the worst rush defense ND has faced this season (122nd out of 130, but Stanford in the finale is actually worse), and given that ND's run game could help keep Virginia's offense on the sideline, it really makes sense to take advantage of that, especially if playing with the lead.

Cheryl from Rockwall Texas

12:15

Do you think ND will run the ball more than usual against Virginia?

Eric Hansen

12:15

Hi Gerry, and thank you. Brian Kelly remains optimistic that Kyle Hamilton will return at some point this season. That's not an absolute at this point. Nor is the opposite true. From what BK said on Monday, this is really the first week the family (and team) will have access to a thorough medical/risk report. We'll be able to follow up on that on Thursday, and I'll report on that as soon as we do. Kelly said if Hamilton were cleared on Saturday, he could play on Saturday — with zero practices — but I think that's more of a compliment to Kyle's readiness and skill set than it is a reality.

Gerry Labelle, Waltham, Quebec

12:08

Eric, thanks for your weekly chat! Much appreciated! Any word on Kyle Hamilton returning this week or even at all this year? Would relieve a lot of stress going into the Virginia game.

Eric Hansen

Off we go.

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