JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 14, 2019

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 14, 2019

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Joe from Georgia

1:53

If the Over/Under of ND possessions on Saturday were set at 9, which would you take?

Eric Hansen

1:52

I sure hope it does. Not as much room at the new place. I'll miss coming to this building. It's been my second home since before Carter Karels and Tyler James were born. One quick story. In the days before internet, we used to get a lot of calls seeking recruiting info. One guy seemed to call every five minutes one January. Finally one of our part-timers told him ND was trying to reel in a 5-star prospect named ... Lafayette Colfax. The caller was very excited about that.

Joe from Georgia

1:49

Will the taco bar survive the move? Any thoughts/anecdotes on the venerable building on Colfax?

Eric Hansen

1:48

Tim, there's something to the rhythm argument. And Armstrong is probably the best example of a guy trying to get his timing. The number of running backs doesn't make it difficult for defenses to prepare, but their skill sets — Armstrong in particular — when they are 100 percent have the potential to be challenging to the opposition.

Tim in ATL

1:46

Thanks for making me feel better about Kareem. He’s a good guy. On the other side of the ball, we now seem to have a “gang” of running backs. Does this make it more difficult to find a rhythm or is it making a problem for opponents to defend against?

Eric Hansen

1:46

Deep discounts make sense. But maybe I should have gone into more detail about the secondary market. You can get Navy tickets for as little as $9.99 each at this moment. People can wait til the last minute and get a deal. Why plan ahead? Also leveraging those November games with premium games may happen.

Jacob from Versailles, OH

1:41

Thanks for all the updates and these chats Eric!! My question this week is simple. With ND's home sellout streak coming to an end, what do you think Jack Swarbrick will do about ticket sales for November games? After reading your article it seemed like simple logic to lower the ticket prices for non-marque games in November to sell more. Even if they only charge $20 per ticket as the time for those games gets closer they would make more money than not selling a ticket for $45 (plus concessions once the fan is in the stadium). What are your thoughts?

Eric Hansen

1:40

George, I don't think he's given it a lot of thought yet. I do think if he had played at a higher level than 2018, he would have considered leaving for the NFL. He did request feedback from the Draft advisory board last December. With the season he's had, his only two options are to return to ND or grad transfer. If he's going to be the starter in 2020, why would he leave?

George from El Segundo

1:37

Hi Eric; while watching Monday night's game between Seattle and SF, it dawned on me that Ian Booke is/could be the poor man's Russell Wilson. The last three Irish victories have been the result largely of his ability run and move. My biggest concern is that, like many before him, Booke grows weary of Coach Kelly's attempt to "mold him," transfers to Washington State (where he will run and pass like crazy under the inimitable Mike Leach), and the Irish will be left with Phil J who clearly isn't what he was cracked up to be. Do you have any insight into Booke's future plans that you can share on the chat? Thank you.

Eric Hansen

1:37

Vaughn is healthy and surging. ... and remember the original plan was to play Vaughn only four games and redshirt him. That plan changed when Crawford got hurt and Vaughn played well. There's nothing wrong with Bracy. He still has a role.

Erik (Granger, IN)

1:29

I thought TaRiq Bracy played really well against GA, with a couple of timely PBUs in the end zone. But he had disappeared the last few weeks before the Duke game (I didn't see the game but notice a fumble recovery in the box score). Was he injured in October? Or had he played poorly in other games and got demoted? Or is Vaughn just finally healthy and worked himself back into the starting role he was earning in August before his injury?

Eric Hansen

1:29

Tim, I don't know that is actually a fix. Is playing Power 5 Rutgers more noble or challenging than playing any of the AAC schools (Navy, Memphis, Cincinnati, SMU, Tulane, etc.)? What about Boise? Or App State. App State has beaten both Power 5 teams it has played this season (North Carolina and South Carolina). You could require no FCS schools on the schedule, but why not weigh those lightweights into the résumé discussion, which I think they are. There's differences in conference games played, conference crossover games, etc. You're never going to be able to make EVERYTHING equal.

Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

1:19

OK...a shorter, less whiny version of my question from last week. Will the playoff committee ever insist that all teams that want playoff consideration must play a pure Power 5 schedule to level the playing field and make comparing Strengths of Schedule easier?

Eric Hansen

1:19

Dom, I'd love to help you out, but I'm not clear on what you were watching. I would take it up with whomever said what they said.

Dom Salemi

1:17

From Cape May, NJ: Hello again, Eric and thanks again for these chats and your overall great work. My question is, and I apologize for this, kind of a nebulous one. To wit, I was watching Irish Illustrated the other night and I heard our intrepid analysts mention, in passing, that Notre Dame was "deeply flawed." Could you enlighten us as to what, specifically, were their concerns? And what is being done to correct it, and who we have arriving, commits, new coaches, new approaches, etc., to addresses these weaknesses?

Eric Hansen

1:16

There's more rust than maybe the coaching staff anticipated, but as Jafar shows progress, the coaching staff is more than willing to invest in him. I wouldn't give up on him at all.

Ron

1:10

From Delaware. Based on stats it seems that the coaching staff has lost faith in Armstrong or Armstrong has loss his edge. I know Kelly keeps saying they need him but he gets very little carries since returning from injury. Do you think the magic for him is over as a running back?

Eric Hansen

1:09

Navy's defense is pretty good. I don't think ND will score every time it has the ball. I expect a tight game.

Steve from Las Vegas

1:09

It seems like every possession against Navy is important. Do you have confidence in this ND offense to score (nearly) every time they get the ball and to avoid 3-and-outs or interceptions? They have the talent advantage, but will they execute against Navy's revamped defense?

Eric Hansen

1:03

You're right, we won't see it as much against Navy. I believe Asmar Bilal will stay on the field with the dime package with Lamb out.

Mike from Rochester NY

1:02

Eric, our dime package has been solid most of the year. We may not need it against Navy but we will in the remaining games, so who steps in for Jack Lamb, who’s done a great job as part of the dime package?

Eric Hansen

1:02

Alex. The squeeze on access is sort of universal in this day and age, though there are notable exceptions. In the Lou Holtz Era, full practice access was the norm. Kelly does allow more during spring and in August than Charlie. The worry is sensitive info getting out, and ours is a pretty big beat. Not everyone is an accredited journalist, and I think that's the fear. ... As far as questions, Kelly's more open than a lot of coaches, but he is more guarded than the 2010 version. ... As far as Ozuna, I'm torn on that.

Alex from Jackson, MO

1:02

I’ve read many times when you’ve mentioned not getting to watch the team practice very often. Is this a Kelly thing, or has it been this way with past head coaches? I guess I don’t understand the super secret stuff? The coach always appears to be very cryptic when it comes to the team. He’s a professional at saying a lot, without saying much at all. You guys/gals (media) always ask professional questions in my opinion. Sometimes those are tough questions, which need to be asked. This appears to make him less than pleased at times. Not a great poker face. Side note: I let Ozuna walk in free agency. No way I sign him to a long term deal. Thanks as always.

Eric Hansen

12:58

Cross and Spears play inside, so there's not a need to push them. The only one in question is Foskey. He's a three games now. BK said this week he won't play against Navy. So he's got a chance to play one game ... BC, Stanford or the bowl game. If there were another injury to a defensive end this week, he probably would go ahead and forget the redshirt.

Brian Kajzer - South Bend

12:56

With D Lineman continuing to go down for the Year (Hayes & Okwara) and Redshirt concerns for games already played by Foskey, Osafo-Mensah, Cross, and Spears, will the D Line make it through without burning a Redshirt for those listed above barring another injury? Thanks, and Go Irish.

Eric Hansen

12:55

I've been pounding the table on Weekday SportsBeat about the lack of designed QB runs. .. Two theories from me. The coaching staff fell way too in love with the RPO game. And No. 2, perhaps there was more fear early about Book getting hurt. Their willingness to run Book more now would seem to be a vote of confidence in how Phil Jurkovec is progressing behind the scenes.

Steve from St Louis

12:52

Against Duke I felt like I was watching good 2018 Ian Book. I feel like the designed runs played a big part in that. He looked more comfortable in the pocket as well. Why do you think this hasn’t been utilized more and with the success they had with it should we expect to see more going forward?

Eric Hansen

12:52

Brian, please include your hometown next time. I did a piece early in the year, updated it this week with Alohi's and Okwara's status and will go in depth after the regular season. I would count on six draftable players next spring from ND, with Okwara, Kareem and Claypool in the top tier among Irish prospects and Elliott, Gilman and Pride in the next level down.

Brian Chesanek

12:51

What kind of draft picks will the Irish produce in this upcoming NFL draft? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:49

I'm not sure the contention is about development as much as it is recruiting. Terry Joseph hauled in a five-star safety in Kyle Hamilton and is a big reason Isaiah Pryor is transferring to ND, so there's not an issue there. There's some pressure, though, on CBs coach Todd Lyght to up his recruiting game, which is surprising if you've ever met Todd Lyght.

Jeff Nappanee, IN

12:46

I'm curious if you envision any changes from a coaching perspective with the DB group? It seems like an area of concern next year and going forward in terms of attracting and developing elite talent at this position.

Eric Hansen

12:46

Chase Young borrowed money from someone he had a pre-existing relationship with and paid it back. The ND situation involved academic fraud.

Jacob, Hobart, IN

12:45

What was different between ND's 2012 violations and Ohio State's Chase Young's? Why did Young only get 2 games and ND had to forfeit games?

Eric Hansen

12:45

Jeff, a bunch of us from the office went to the Prized Pig recently. Enjoyed it a lot. I think they'll be successful. Really good service. ... As far as places far away, I would say the most memorable is the Smokin Pig near Clemson. There are others in Austin, Texas; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Syracuse that i can't remember the names.

Jeff from LaPorte

12:42

Hard to believe the end of the season is fast approaching. Seems like it just started. Whats the best food stop you've had this year in your football travels? I did see the Prized Pig reopened in Mishawaka. Excited to go back and try it again. It's not Texas bbq but it wasn't bad for yankee bbq.

Eric Hansen

12:42

I think they're both pretty used to it. As of now, we're not expecting any kind of precipitation.

Frank from Canton, Ga

12:41

What team will be more affected by the weather?

Eric Hansen

12:41

Thanks for writing to me .. and as you read in the article, Jack Swarbrick had a chance to attend both, but missed the first once. Congrats on being a both. It's cool you shared the story with us.

C. DAVID GUZICKI

12:40

Hi Eric, I have never written you before but I do read almost of your articles. I don't really have a question, after all I have all the answers aftet 75 years LOL. I just wonder how many out there can say they saw the last non-sell out against Air Force and this coming weeks game with Navy. I can still remember the late Art Best running a 65 or 75 yatd TD from my end zone seat. Even back then, all I could get were end zone seats, like this week LOL.... cdg

Eric Hansen

12:40

Jeff, it's never easy math, because there are always surprises. And each year for the past few, ND has been well over 85 well into summer before all the attrition takes place. They don't need to be at 85 or below until the first day of classes in fall semester. Let's start with the fact there are only 11 players with expiring eligibility. And one of those, CB Shaun Crawford, could apply for a sixth year. There are 9 players with fifth-year options. Of those, the certainties to come back are Eichenberg, Kraemer, D. Hayes, Ogundeji. You can see how the numbers get tight. Do you bring back Tony Jones? Javon McKinley? John Shannon? I would say Alohi and Jonathan Jones are not likely back.

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